Using Images in Plinkit

We have already seen how easy it is to insert a picture directly into a news item. You can also incorporate images into pages, event announcements, and other content items. You can even create special collections of images for reference or educational purposes.

Uploading Images

Before you can use images in your pages and other content items, you must upload them to your Plinkit site.

1.       Create your graphic files and store them on your local computer or network.

2.       If you will be using your graphics in content items other than digital exhibits, use a photo or graphics editing application to resize them to an appropriate size for integration with your content.

3.       Log in to Plinkit.

4.       Navigate to folder where you will use the image.

5.       On the green menu bar, click add item and then select image.

An Edit Image form opens on the edit tab.

6.       In the Title field, enter a title for your image.

7.       If desired, enter a short description of the image in the Description box.

8.       In the Image section of the form, click the Browse button.

A File Upload window opens.

9.       In the File Upload window, navigate to the file you want to upload, highlight it, and then click Open.

  10.       Scroll to the bottom of the Edit Image form and click save.

The main content area automatically displays the view tab, so that you can preview the image. Notice that the image is visible in the navigation portlet.

  11.       To exclude the image from the navigation portlet, click the properties tab, check the Exclude from navigation box, and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click save.

  12.       If you want the uploaded image to be visible to all users, click the public draft status indicator and select publish.

Adding Images to Your Pages

After you have uploaded an image to your site as described in the last section, follow these steps to incorporate it into a Plinkit page:

1.       Navigate to (or create) the page on which you will use the image.

2.       Click the edit tab.

3.       In the Body Text area, position your cursor where you want to place the image and then click the  (Image) button.

4.       In the Insert Image window that opens, navigate to the image you want to use.

When you have found the item you want to link to, select it so that its description appears in the right column.

5.       Indicate whether you want the image to be aligned to the Left, aligned to the Right, or inserted Inline (interwoven with the page text) and then click ok.

6.       When you have finished editing the page, scroll to the bottom and click save.

The main content area automatically switches to the view tab so that you can preview the page with its newly inserted image.

Creating a Digital Photo Exhibit

The Digital Exhibits folder within the eShelf & Research area allows you to store and display special collections of related images. The images in a digital exhibit can be viewed simultaneously in thumbnail view or individually in several differently sized views.

The procedure for creating a digital exhibit is basically the same as the procedure for uploading images for use in other pages, with two exceptions:

§         Images to be included in digital exhibits need not be resized. The digital exhibits feature will display your images in three different sizes. If your original images are small in size, all three views of the image will be approximately the same size.

§         Before uploading the images you want to include in a specific exhibit, you should first create a folder for the exhibit within the Digital Exhibits area.

Your Plinkit site will come pre-populated with two digital exhibits about the Oregon State Library. To create a new digital exhibit of your own:

1.       In the navigation portlet, click eShelf & Research and then Digital Exhibits.

2.       On the green menu bar, click add item and then select folder from the drop-down menu.

An Edit Folder form opens on the edit tab.

3.       In the Title field, enter a name for your digital exhibit folder.

4.       If desired, enter a short description of the digital exhibit in the Description box.

5.       Click save.

Your digital exhibit folder is created and is displayed in the view tab.

6.       To exclude the digital exhibit folder from the navigation portlet, click the properties tab, check the Exclude from navigation box, and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click save.

7.       To make your digital exhibit available to the public, click the public draft indicator and then select publish from the drop-down menu.

8.       While still viewing your new digital exhibit folder, click add item and then select image.

An Edit Image form opens on the edit tab.

9.       In the Title field, enter a title for your image.

  10.       If desired, enter a short description of the image in the Description box.

  11.       In the Image section of the form, click the Browse button.

A File Upload window opens.

  12.       In the File Upload window, navigate to the file you want to upload, highlight it, and then click Open.

  13.       Scroll to the bottom of the Edit Image form and click save.

The main content area automatically displays the view tab, so that you can preview the image.

  14.       If you want the uploaded image to be visible to all users, click the public draft status indicator and select publish.

  15.       Repeat steps 8-14 as necessary to add more images to your exhibit.

Viewing Your Digital Exhibit

To view a digital exhibit:

1.       In the navigation portlet, click eShelf & Research and then Digital Exhibits.

Your digital exhibits display as cascaded or stacked “piles” of thumbnails.

2.       To open a digital exhibit, click the “top” snapshot of one of the exhibits.

The images in the digital exhibit folder are displayed in thumbnail view, side by side.

3.       To view a larger version of an image, click the image.

4.       To view yet a larger image, click the enlarged image.

5.       To return to the digital exhibit folder, click the Back to site link above the image.