Wowee... Thank you all for mentioning my signature. I sometimes get carried away with things on the net. I used to make webpages for the heck of it. I mostly just manipulated pictures that I would fiddle with in Paint Shop and post to a free web host and add music. I would do all the html writing for it too. It was just something I enjoyed learning about.

Now I do not have time for that fun hobby of fiddling in Paint Shop.

But the other day I saw a "signature" on another blog and figured I wanted one. So, I made me one.

Here is how I did it.........

First you choose a paint program that you like using.

(figure 1)

I use Paint Shop Pro (figure 1). Many people I know really like Photo Shop. Whatever you like working with will work.

1. Once in your program, choose an image (if you want an image to be part of your signature). I will use a horseshoe for this example.

2. Start with a blank "image box" the size you want for your signature to be and copy and paste the horseshoe onto the blank image box as a new layer (so you can move it around later if you need to).(figure 2)

3. Then add whatever text you want. (figure 2) (I always add a layer to my blank image box prior to adding my text so I can move it if need be or delete and start again on just the text without losing the "image" placed into the box.) So, now I have 3 layers that can each be changed if I don't like any given one.

4. Once you like what you have done, save your "signature" as a jpeg.

5. You will now need to upload your image to your favorite photo hosting site. (figure 3) I use "photobucket.com" because it is easy and free.

(figure 3)

5. Once your image is uploaded, then go to your blogger dashboard (figure 4). (I usually just open another tab so I can leave Photobucket.com open.) You will need to access your uploaded picture information from your image hosting site again later.

6. Once in your dashboard, click on "settings".

(figure 4)

7. Then click on "formatting". (figure 5)

(figure 5)

8. Then once you are in formatting.... scroll down to the bottom of the page to where it says "Post Template". (figure 6) This is where you will place the image source information. (I will have this info at the end of the lesson.... LOL). By placing this info into this area you are making it so that this signature will be placed automattically into each blog post you write.

(figure 6)

9. Now click back over to your "Photobucket.com" tab (or whatever photo hosting site you are using) and copy the image source info from there. (figure 7)

*If you use Photobucket you choose "Direct Link". Any other site you need to choose the information that starts with "http:\\" and ends with ".jpg"

(figure 7)

This is what my photo image information looks like for the signature I made for this example:

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd233/rockman51/mc-sig2.jpg

and this would be put into the following html in place of "YOUR IMAGE INFO HERE"

*You need to make sure there are quote marks at the

beginning of h t t p:\ \and right after .jpg

in the html.

10. Now type the above html with your own image info into the

"Post Template" box as in figure 8.

(figure 8)

11. Then "save" your settings.

*Note... your new signature will now be placed on each of your posts you write, it will not be placed on all the posts you have already done.

***Other notes... when you compose a new post you will see the signature within your compose window. You have several options here....... You can resize it by clicking on it and manipulating it. You can click on it and delete it for that particular post. You can leave the signature at the top and type your post under it or you can move it where ever you please within your post. You can left justify, right justify or center it. By placing the little bit of html information into the "post template" of your blog settings all you are doing is telling blogger to place it within your post. You get to play with it however you want.

I plan on making a bunch of them and use them depending on my mood or holiday or what-have-you. I am also going to try my hand at both a transparent .gif and an animated .gif for a signature.

If you have questions or suggestions, I am open to anything!!!