Tip: Getting Blogger to host your pictures for the profile, etc.

Update 8 February 2007: This tip no longer work for New Blogger (formerly Blogger beta). For instruction on how to do it with New Blogger see Getting New Blogger (formerly Blogger Beta) to host your photo for the profile, sidebar, etc.

When you prepare your profile for your blog, Blogger doesn't offer a provision to upload a photo, but only a box to enter the url of the photo already hosted on the web. Similarly, if you want to have an image for the heading of the blog, or as background of the blog, you can't simply upload it to Blogger. You must have it have it already hosted on the web.

Here is a tip on how to get Blogger to host the pictures for your profile, headings, etc. Simply publish it in a post, an empty one if you like, with only the picture. Then, you have 2 way to get the URL. One is to make sure you are in the EDIT HTML in the post editor of that post. Then look for the HTML for the photo, which should look something like this (click on screenshot to enlarge it):

You will notice two links in the HTML for the photo. One links to the full size image on its own page and the file size is larger. The second link (highlighted in blue) links to the photo you see on the blog page and the file size is smaller. You should copy the second one if file size is a problem (Blogger impose a maximum 50k for the profile photo). Otherwise, (like for example, you want it for your heading), copy the first link.

If you are not comfortable with HTML, there is another way. Go to that post where you have the photo on the web and click on the picture. It will take you to a page with only the picture. Copy the url from the address bar. The easiest way to do so is to highlight it, right-click and select copy. Try it by clicking on the fake book cover of my book "Blogger for Dummies" at the top left hand of the post.

If you are worried that posting the picture will interfere with your blog, there are various ways to make it inconspicuous. You can reduce its size, as I have done for the picture on this post. (To reduce the photo size, in the COMPOSE mode, grab the corner and drag it. This will keep the aspect ratio.) Or you can post it to a blog specially created to upload pictures. Or after you have obtained the url, you can simply resave it as draft or even delete it. The photo will still remain on the web.

BTW I welcome comments about whether the above instructions are easy or difficult to follow, as it will help me improve the blog.

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