Windows Live Writer: How to Add Images/Pictures to a Post

The other day the question came up in the Windows Live Writer support forum about adding an image to a post. Adding a post to Windows Live Writer is very simple and easy; it's one of the key points of Windows Live Writer that makes it so favored to use.

Windows Live Writer is a fantastic offline blogging tool with a WYSIWYG editor. It interfaces with just about any blog service [Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress, etc.] If you're a blogger you'll find this tool incredibly helpful- and it's refreshingly free from Microsoft.

But for the point of adding images to Windows Live Writer, I thought I would do a quick post on it.

Of course you have to have Windows Live Writer.

If not already, download the latest version...
     http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer?os=other

See also [XP not supported]:
     http://explore.live.com/windows-live-2011-system-requirements

Once Windows Live Writer is installed and opened, the application works very similar to a word processing application. Basic formatting with the ability to insert images.

Here are the option for inserting images with Windows Live Writer, starting with the easiest options first.

 

Drag-and-drop

Obviously, using the Windows base function of drag-and-drop is available. If you are on a webpage, see an image and like it, you can drag-and-drop it directly in to Windows Live Writer and it'll be placed in the post. Editing this image will not be possible if you are linking to it because it's not your image.

 

 

Copy/cut And Paste

If you are using a compatible browser, or a browser with the option to copy an image, you can copy/cut and paste images to Windows Live Writer. Or if you are browsing image files with Windows explorer [not Internet Explorer] you can right-click on an image file and copy/cut and paste an image to Windows Live Writer.

Note: if you select multiple files while using the Windows explorer, when the files are pasted it'll ask to insert as an album with Microsoft services, or use inline images. I always use inline images.

 

Using the Windows Live Writer toolbar

The next to last slowest process to insert an image into Windows Live Writer is by using the toolbar.

As your composing your article through Windows Live Writer, you have to switch over to the insert tab. Once on the insert tab you have the option to insert a picture [screenshot below]. You can choose to insert an image from your local computer or you can choose the option to insert image from the Internet.

Here's the examples inserting an image from the Internet.

 

Using a plug-in

Using a plug-in to insert images into Windows Live Writer is the slowest option, but unfortunately using a plug-in to insert images into Windows Live Writer may be exactly what you need. By default, Windows Live Writer uses a PNG format to insert images. Unfortunately, the PNG format for images is not optimize and can result in some large image sizes, resulting in some websites loading slowly; also using up a lot of bandwidth [if you're paying for that].

Windows Live Writer plug-in website has several options for inserting images as JPEG,  optimizing images,  image editing  and some other options.

Some immediate suggestions are, Clipboard Live, Paste as JPEG and Sharper Photo. All these plug-ins [and more] can be found on the Windows Live Writer plug-in website. Choose the plug-in that works best for you.

Here's a link to the main Windows Live Writer gallery...

Link:
     http://plugins.live.com/writer

 

I hope this helps...

Thank you,
Larry Henry Jr.
LEHSYS.com 

...via Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12