Joomla! Tips and Tricks

Firefox Addons Recommended for Joomla! Users

2009-08-12T22:29:00.004+01:00

We recommend Firefox as the web browser of first choice for anyone adding and editing content in a Joomla! website.

Why?

Joomla! content editor panels load faster and update quicker too after making your amendments. IE is simply tedious to use for editing your site!

Real benefits arise from using the following Firefox Add-ons too:

Screengrab - saves a web page as an image

- could be an alternative to GreenCapture but we recommend using as well as because ScreenGrab does not enable you to annotate captured images before saving, and it only works in your browser window - whereas GreenCapture will capture anything!

Capture Fox - capture your screen and record your voice!

- not in our view as easy or quick to use as ScreenGrab but does enable a useful talk-over and the facility to create slideshows with a soundtrack! Again only works capturing content when your browser is open.

How can you obtain Firefox Addons?

1) open your Firefox browser;
2) select Tools from the menu at the top of the screen;
3) select Add-ons from the drop-down menu;
4) select the Get Add-ons button from the Add-ons window.

Enjoy using these great resources to create content for your website!

Choose Wynchcote for specialist Joomla! design, hosting and support."

Image Resizer that works with Windows Vista!

2009-04-03T18:46:00.004+01:00

Last month we recommended the Windows Image Resizer tool from Microsoft. Unfortunately it does not work with Windows Vista!

We have however sourced the application linked to above called the VSO Image Resizer. We have not yet however checked whether or not it actually works. reviews on the web do give positive feedback.

You can find out more and download it from here:

http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/

Please save to disk and then scan before use to be on the safe side. You may also wish to create a System Restore point (assuming you are using Windows) before installation.

Would someone please let us know how they get on with its use? Thanks :)

Choose Wynchcote for specialist Joomla! design, hosting and support."

An even better Image Editing Tool? You decide!

2009-03-04T19:25:00.005Z

Try Paint.net here: http://www.download.com/Paint-NET/3000-2192_4-10338146.html

We have not tried this application yet - but the reviews sound good. It would appear to be easier to use than The GIMP. You decide!

Free image and photo editing software featuring an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo and special effects. Useful alternative to expensive software like Photoshop for brightening up or cropping images prior to upload - saving disk space and reducing page load times on your site.

Not tested for image conversion - for example, from png to jpg or gif (best formats for use in a Joomla!). Remember to resize images before upload using the Microsoft Image Resizer Tool (see separate entry in this blog).

It is free but does require key applications to be running on your computer. Most new computers should meet these requirements. Older ones will not however, in which case try The GIMP.

Contact us to let us know what you think.

Choose Wynchcote for specialist Joomla! design, hosting and support."

Editing Images - Get the GIMP !

2009-02-03T22:13:00.008Z

Just a quick note here and now - more details later about the use of different image formats in your Joomla!

Should you use Png images when they do not display properly in Internet Explorer?

Well, you can obtain and upload Png Fix extensions to your Joomla! but we have had mixed results with these. Our advice is to avoid as much as possible using Png images and to instead use Jpg or Gif images (which is best? Watch this space!).

If you have to use a Png then why not get hold of a good image editor application and convert the file format of the image to either Jpg or Gif?

Open Source Image Application?

Try GIMP (click here to visit the download site) - it is a lot cheaper than Macromedia Fireworks (it is FREE!).

Works well for us.

Oh well ... we are averaging one post every two days - MUST DO BETTER!

Bye for now.

Choose Wynchcote for specialist Joomla! design, hosting and support."

Resize Your Images - Save the Planet !

2009-02-01T09:01:00.016Z

Not to mention sitting around waiting for images to upload to your site - whether by FTP or directly through the Content Editor Panel.

Save time! Save resources! Save money!

Download the Microsoft Image Resizer PowerToy (horrible term!) using the link here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx

The link is to all the powertoys - scroll down the screen and select ImageResizer from the right margin.

Instructions for use of the Image Resizer are here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/tips/eschelman2.mspx

Once installed on your machine it will run as any other programme.

How do you use it? Simple.

1) Find the image you want to use for your website.
2) Right click on the image.
3) Select Resize Image
4) Choose the size you want to resize to - Small is default.

The tool will then copy and reduce the size of the image it copies, storing it in the same folder as the full size image (but with a different name).

Select as many at a time as you like - but move them to a new folder to work on them (see below) or you will quickly be seeing stars! Your head will swirl and you may even fall off your chair!

Down-side! The image name will have spaces and brackets - not good!

You are advised to rename the image (all lowercase, letters or numbers, hyphen or underscore, but no spaces or upper case letters).

Which size to choose?

You choose!

We recommend Small (640 x 480 px) for use in image rotators and image galleries (where images expand on screen when selected) and Handheld (240 x 320px) for general use.

We often save two different size copies of each image we use for this reason.

If you start with a typical image taken on your personal camera it may be 3.5 MB in size. This will reduce to 37 KB (Small) and 11 KB (Handheld) !

Save time by planning ahead. Avoid resizing and renaming images you do not plan to use. If you need to edit an image - do it first!

You could of course change your camera settings but then you would not have images that will give you good prints. The resize tool is very useful!

Now upload to your site - how to do this for lots of images at one go? See our next post!

Other questions?

Which image format is best? Which tools are best to use to edit an image? Watch this space!

Choose Wynchcote for specialist Joomla! design, hosting and support."

The Coolest Image Capture Tool in the West !

2009-01-30T22:46:00.009Z

No website should be without images - and this includes Joomla! websites. But how can you quickly and easily capture them for upload to your website?

There are lots of Open Source and commercial 'screen or image capture' applications out there.

Wynchcote recommends Greenshot Greencapture - you can obtain it from Sourceforge here:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=191585&package_id=225302&release_id=653005

Please note that you will be prompted to download and install Microsoft.NET Framework v2.0 when you install the application. This is time-consuming but worth the effort. Resist the urge to immediately update the .NET application (you will have to wait for 300 MB+ of download - and the Greencapture tool works without it!).

What does the tool do?

It enables you to:

1) capture any portion of your PC's screen - whether viewing web content or content stored on your desktop;
2) edit the images using great and easy to use annotation tools - create boxes, lines and arroes, add text etc;
3) save the image created as a jpg, gif or png file.

A brilliant tool - give it a go.

Tip of the day tomorrow?

How to resize your images before upload to the web - without spending any money buying expensive software!

In the beginning ...

2009-01-29T13:39:00.009Z

Let's start at the very beginning.

Who what and why did I create Wynchcote Limited - my venture into the world of web hosting?

Well, I was fed up of pointing my web design clients at other companies' web space and my clients did not like the hassle of contacting their domain registrar to change their settings to point their domain to the webspace containing their website designed by me.

Now Wynchcote offers not only Joomla!-based website design, but also hosting with a FREE top level domain name (already linked in) and FREE 24/7 online support!

That's right - we offer ONE STOP SHOPPING and our plans with instant domains are just that - you will usually be able to use your site within 24 hours and even sooner!

How's that?

Well, Wynchcote offers clients a FREE install of Joomla! 1.0 and a FREE Wynchcote template.

More ... you can choose any one from a choice of six template colour variants!

More ... for a small extra charge we will even customise the template for you!

But start adding your content immediately because the customisation will not affect the content you add - only improve its presentation because your deisgn will be bespoke to your exact requirements!

Go ahead, contact Wynchcote NOW and register with us - you will benefit from 10% affiliate commission an ALL future product sales (that is recurring commission in respect of all hosting plans sold!).

Look out for our FIRST Joomla! tip - tomorrow! Can't wait? CLICK HERE to view our emporium of How to Joomla! advice.