Text to .gif/.jpg

[Bengie]

Good Evening all.

Something to tax your brains, I hope someone can help me.

I have an email where the text is size 14 and multicoloured.

I wish to save it to the 'My Pictures' file in a .gif/.jpg etc format so that I can then send it via ftp to my space at my isp.
I can then post it as a picture on a forum so that it is reproduced the same
as it is in the email ie; text size 14 and multicoloured.

My problem is how to save text in a .gif or .jpg format.

Can anyone help me please?

[Mythology]

Assuming that what you want to save is all visible on screen, not a long e-mail which you have to scroll to see all of ...

This is in Windows ME, and Bill Gates would probably have a heart attack if he saw how I'd reorganised his neat little system, so, as I can't remember what I've moved in the menu and what I haven't, and don't know the 98 or XP layout anyway, I cannot guarantee that everything will be *exactly* as below, but the principle is the same, and dead easy:

1) Open your e-mail.
2) Assuming a standard keyboard, to the right of the backspace key is one labelled "Print Screen" or some abbreviation thereof. Hit it.
3) Hit the Windows "Start" button and go Accessories > Clipboard Viewer.
4) The image should open.
5) Go File > Save as. Give it a name, including the file extension, e.g. mail.gif, select "All files" from the bottom box, use the box on the right to browse to the folder where you want to save it, and hit "OK".

You now have an ordinary common or garden image which you can play around with (e.g., you will probably want to crop it) with your usual software.

[Neil Wilson]

Seeing that I do not know what software you have on your PC, try this.Open your email
Do a screen dump of it by pressing and holding the ALT key and press the PrtScr key.
Open a graphic/drawing program (I used Paint to test this out).

Paste the screen dump into a new page and then use the crop tool to draw round the coloured text you mentioned. Then cut or copy the selected coloured text area. Go to File/New (I didn't save but you can if you want to), and on a new page Paste the selected area. Then File/Save and change the file type to whichever format you want.
Hopefully, I have managed to attached the test I have done.
All the best
Neil

[Bengie]

I'm hiding under my desk while I type this - embarrased.

I tried your method Neil but paste it from where. I did the dump and opened paint but then - paste from where, there is no right click and nothing in 'file' to allow me to paste.

I am using XP Mythology and tried you method. When I open the 'clipart', I get a full screen dump.

Is it safe for me to crawl out from under my desk now?

[Mythology]

"I'm hiding under my desk while I type this - embarrased."

Let me tell you a story to cheer you up ...

My mother, active in politics, had used a computer at party HQ in Westminster for years on a "need to know" basis.
When she reached 70 (or maybe 75, I can't remember now), they persuaded her to pack it in full time - but she still went in two or three days a week on a voluntary basis.
With involvement in local politics as well as national, she realised that, now she was mostly at home and likely to devote more of her time to the local party, being able to use a computer at home, especially the desktop publishing side of things, would be useful.
On the advice of her Westminster colleagues, she trotted along to the local college and signed up for the numpty-level computer course.

She isn't thick. She passed with flying colours. She bought her PC, a friend set it up for her, and every time I spoke to her, it was "all going fine".

Then, one day, about a month after she'd bought it, I had a phone call ...

(continues)

[Mythology]

(Mum) "I'm trying to do a membership list which includes phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the committee members. I want to print out about 200 copies to send round, but every time I put an e-mail address in, Word changes it to blue text. I don't want it in blue, I want it in black!"

(Me) "Umm ... hang on. I don't use Word, but I can guess why that's happening - it's because the e-mail address is a link. If you prod around the options, I expect you'll find a way of killing it, but ... am I right in thinking that you're basically using the PC as a typewriter, all you want to do with this list is print it out and send copies in the post?"

(Mum) "Yes. I'll keep it on the computer, I won't delete it, because I can update it easily, but it's not tied in with anything else - I just want to print it."

(Me) "Well, in that case, why wait half a day for some bloated WP software to lumber into action in the first place? Why don't you just knock it out in WordPad, not Word? You can still have bold type for your headings if you want, different fonts, and so-on ..."

(Mum) "Hang on! What's WordPad? Do I have that on my computer?"

The college had taught her all about desktop publishing, she was well clued up on almost every bit of snazzy software imaginable - but they hadn't told her about a few basic things included in every version of Windows!

And if nobody tells you, you can't be expected to know, can you?

[Bengie]

Nice - after reading page 1, I thought you were going to leave us hanging on a thread and post part two tomorrow.

I know lots about how to do different things, but if I don't use them for a while then I forget.

Anyway thanks again, it's nice to know that there are others willing to help.

[Andrew Mead]

I tried your method Neil but paste it from where. I did the dump and opened paint but then - paste from where, there is no right click and nothing in 'file' to allow me to paste.
'Paste' is in the 'Edit' section, not 'File'!
'Print Screen' saves the entire screen to the clipboard. 'ALT''Print Screen' saves only the active window - very useful for saving those annoying error messages.
'Print Screen' NEVER does the obvious and sends the screen to the printer!

[Mary Young]

My problem is how to save text in a .gif or .jpg format.
You can use PrintScreen key. But Free ScreenHunter is more user-friendly / flexible / feature-rich

Have fun

[Bengie]

Thanks again guys.

Thanks for the link Mary, I will be looking at that after the nightshift ends.
P.S. Wonderful typing for one so young.

[Mary Young]

P.S. Wonderful typing for one so young.
Thanks ... I logged up my three-score and ten ... started again!

[Stewart Hill]

Word changes it to blue text. I don't want it in blue, I want it in black!"



How about, right click on the "blue" link and select remove hyperlink?

Stewart