This is going to be a quick post, but I am so excited that I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t share what I’ve just learned how to do!
Forgive me. Did I say hi? Hi, Friends!
Now, onto what I’m so excited about! I’ve really enjoyed creating materials to use with my class. Well, I always have, but blogging has definitely helped me to step it up a notch! Making products is fun, BUT holy cow! It can be a lot of work too! Enter a wonderful shortcut for sharing!
Do you create products for TPT or TN? If so, lean in close. Do you use Picasa to organize your pictures? If not, you won’t want to miss this! (After reading it, you’ll want to!)
I was hanging out in the forums at TPT the other day and read through a thread where a sweet blogger bud suggested using Picasa to create product previews. Can I just go ahead and admit that I had been saving my Powerpoint presentations as jpeg files and then clicking, dragging, resizing, and positioning each one……one by one? Oh yeah,……THAT took for.ev.er!
Enter, the TPT angel with advice…
See that little button that says CREATE PHOTO COLLAGE? CREATE.PHOTO.COLLAGE?!!! What!?! Presto! Clicko! And voila! You’ve got a photo collage!
No more clicking, dragging, resizing and repositioning one photo at a time! I had a collage in seconds! ANDDDD, the icing on the cake? You can choose what type of collage you’d like to to use….pile, mosaic, frame…ANDDDDD you can edit it to add text, bring pictures forward or send them to the back. Yep! It’s just fantastic!
Select the type of collage you want. Create the collage. Export to the folder you save preview files in. A copy will be saved in Picasa as well. Time and sanity saved! Picasa is a free Google product download to edit and share photos. I love it!
I love my TPT, bloggy bud for suggesting using it too! Thanks, Martha!
What program do you use to create your previews? Sharing is caring, lol! Ok, I can stop grinning now and head to bed! Have a great Thursday y’all!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing. I just create the jpegs and use them for the preview. I will have to try this soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat i have learned
Super!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreg
Smedley's Smorgasboard of Kindergarten
WHAAAT? I need to try that! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how happy I was to begin creating previews this way! Talk about a time saver! I'd kiss Martha if I could, lol! So appreciative! =)
DeleteOhmyword!!!! Thank you sooooooooo much!!! I'm thrilled to try this for my next preview!!!
ReplyDeleteGrowing Firsties
And YOU'LL LOVE it! =)
DeleteThank you! I am new to all this and that was a much needed tip!
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome! I only wish I had seen it about 8 months ago! =)
DeleteOMG! Are you kidding me?! I have been doing what you were doing...taking pictures of the pages, and dropping then into a slide one by one. It took FOREVER! I'm going to try it this way next time. Thank you for sharing...and thank you to your TpT and bloggy buddy!
ReplyDeleteMy words exactly! I clicked that little button and was totally amazed at what happened in seconds right before my very eyes, lol! No more wasted time...! =)
DeleteUHM!!! This is AMAZING! Just tried it with my new product and it was soooo easy!!
ReplyDeleteI will be sharing your post with others!! :)
Thank you!
Sandra
Sweet Times in First
sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
Wasn't it though! My goodness!!!! Still smiling about it and can't wait to create something new to use it again, lol! Thanks for sharing too! =)
DeleteOkay, you sold me!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Just pinned so I don't lose this gem of a post! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteNicole
Teaching With Style
Pin away, my friend! Thanks so much! =)
DeleteI love Picasa, and I've used this function before... but I never thought of using it for a preview! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteP.S.- Isn't there some easy way to save each slide as a photo? I heard it once but totally forgot...
Jenny
Luckeyfrog's Lilypad
Yep! In PowerPoint, just click to Save as and choose jpeg file. That will save each slide as a photo in a folder to your documents. When you open Picasa, it'll update with the picture files from your computer! *LOVE*
DeleteThis looks AMAZING.... On my PC I don't see create photo collage. Am I not seeing it or do I have to make it appear with a certain setting?
ReplyDelete:o) V.
Special Teacher for Special Kids
You are the bestest for sharing this amazing tip!! THANK YOU!! :)
ReplyDeleteLisa
Learning Is Something to Treasure
Thank you so much for sharing this tip!! I can't imagine what a time saver this must be. I want to go finish some of my projects just so I can use this and see how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
OMG I could KISS you!!! For REAL!! This is crazy incredible!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this freakin awesomeness!
Denise
Sunny Days In Second Grade
I have no pride, I'll say it...
ReplyDeleteI ♥LOVE YOU!
~Fern
Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas!
Fern Smith's Pinterest Boards!
All I can say it WOW!! Thanks so much for sharing! I can't believe how easy that was!!!
ReplyDeleteAimee
aimee@vanmiddlesworth.org
Pencils, Books, and Dirty Looks
This is very good to know. Thank you!
ReplyDelete❀Barbara❀
Grade ONEderful
Ruby Slippers Blog Designs
Amen! I wondered how to do that! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDeana
You have SAVED MY PREVIEW LIFE!!!!! You have no idea! I always did the whole saving as JPEGs, resizing, repositioning, etc, etc, etc. THANK YOU for SHARING THIS!!!!!!
ReplyDelete:)
OMG Thanks so much! My bestie and I have been wondering for ages how to do this. We knew that had to be an easier way.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDelete~April Walker
The Idea Backpack
Thank you so much for this. I have been fooling around with Picasa this week to become more comfortable with it. I do have a question though....some of my older units are done in word (I know, I know). Is there any way of saving each page as a JPG like in Power Point? I'd love to go back and update those units with great previews too!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Ѽ Alessia
Mrs. Albanese’s Kindergarten Class
I know...when I was just starting, I created in Word too, BUT (now) don't see the option to save as a JPEG file with word like there is in PowerPoint...{sadsville}...The only thing I could possibly think of is taking a screen shot and pasting into Powerpoint, but that might affect the quality. We live and learn...thank heavens for Picasa and the awesomeness of Powerpoint! Thanks for stopping by! =)
DeleteTHANK YOU for sharing this exciting news! I have been wanting to do this and didn't know how! You rock!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amanda! This has made finishing up products so much easier! Thanks, again! =)
DeleteWhat great advice! I was spending so much time taking screen shots of everything and dragging them into my slide and repositioning and so on...I dreaded the idea of creating my previews because you want to make sure you showcase everything but after looking at it for too long, it all starts to look bad! You are a life saver!
ReplyDeleteYou will absolutely LOVE it! =)
DeleteI just found this through Pinterest and can not begin to tell you how excited I am!!!! Also, I'm your newest follower. :)
ReplyDeleteJivey
ideas by jivey
Yay, Pinterest! Thank YOU!!! =)
DeleteI found this post through Ideas by Jivey, and am so glad I did! I've been wanting to know how to do this for a long time. Thanks so much for the simple explanation - much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteJane
Learning in the Little Apple
Thanks, Jane! I was so excited to find out how to do this, I couldn't type this post fast enough, lol! Thanks, again! =)
DeleteThank you! Trying this now :)
ReplyDeleteErica! You will *LOVE* it! Learning how to do this has been such a timesaver. I'm so glad I could be of help! Thanks for stopping by! =)
DeleteYay! Thank you! I can't wait to go home and try it out! I have 2 packets that I'm almost done with- I've learned this new trick JUST in time!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Alisha
First Grade Follies
How am I JUST now finding out about this?!? Downloading Picasa NOW!! LOVE YOU!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Mrs. Richardson's Class
Do you know how to make the collage file smaller so TPT will take it? Mine is always HUGE and I don't know how to make it a smaller file size... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHeather
The Land of I Can
I just found this through Erica's Ed-Ventures and all I can say is WOW - THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeleteIt worked...it worked! Yippee! Thank you
ReplyDeleteWow Tanya. Thank you! You just saved my life haha I just made a 100 page file and I would have DIED if I didn't read this :)
ReplyDeleteOkay so I absolutely love this but with the new changes in Picasa do you know how to do this or if it is still an option?!
ReplyDeleteI read about your tutorial from Erica Bohrer's Guide to Getting Started on TpT! Unfortunately, it is no longer available - do you have another quick idea for creating a preview page? Thanks ~ Cheryl
ReplyDeleteI learned of this tutorial from Erica Bohrer's Guide to Getting Started on TpT! Unfortunately, Picasa is no longer available. Any suggestions for a quick way to create a preview file?
ReplyDelete