Monday, January 19, 2015

How to make a Pinterest worthy image (for free)

How many times have you read an article that was fantastic but all the images were just terrible, or sometimes the article doesn't even have an image at all!

So here are a few ideas you can use to make you own Pinterest images for Free - that will get pinned multiple times!

Pinterest images are best when they are clear, have large easy to read font and are longer than they are wide.


I generally create mine in PicMonkey because it is a free photo editor and has tons of features. Or if you want you can upgrade for only $19.99 to access all the free available fonts and images.

The best photo editing features for free.

I generally resize my images to 2000 by 3200 pixels.


There are a few ways you can create images:
- upload one of your images and use an overlay to create a title


Creating an overlay is simple: you just need to go to overlays (the butterfly) choose geometric then choose a rectangle. Choose white, or your colour preference and then if you fade it you can see the background behind but the text will stand out.



So if you don`t have a professional looking image you took yourself you can find a cute (copyright free)  image from a free image site. I created a collection of my favourite sites: The Best Sources for Free Blog Images.



Once you have chosen your image you can make a title with an overlay as you can see I have done below.




Now I`m not against using your own images I encourage it but sometimes our images don`t have great lighting or are a little blurry or whatever so simply create a title image and use your personal images throughout the post.

Another option is to create a collage...



I just used the collage option in PicMonkey and there are several different layouts you can choose. Or there are even more options and fonts if you upgrade it.

You can use images from your post, free image sites, or other blogs (with permission)

And the last way I create title images is using pretty backgrounds.



Several websites offer free backgrounds - you can find a collection of them on my Pinterest board. You may have to check the permissions for them some are for personal use only, some are fine for commercial.



Once you have chosen the background you want to use - download it and open it with Pic Monkey

You can create a transparent overlay if the background is busy or darker and add your title. Don't forget to include your website URL at the bottom of the post.

So that is how I make my title images for my blog. Do you have any more tips? Or sources for pretty (and free) backgrounds? I would love for you to add them in the comments.


12 comments:

  1. What is the best size to resize (Px) it for a bigger picture when you click on the pin....and for your blog post?? I have trouble with this! I never know what size it should be. Thanks!

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    1. I'm sorry I don't know the best size. My images are generally 2000 x 2000 px in Pic Monkey then I just use a medium version in Blogger (the options are a little limited) But its generally better to use a larger version so it doesn't look blurry when expanded - I would guess atl east 800 - 1000 px wide. I hope I answered your question.

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    2. I've heard a minimum of 700 px wide (but mine are normally 600 as I use the one from my post for Pinterest) and your ration should be 2:1. (so about 700 x 1000). Longer pins do better than wide or square pins.

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  2. I use this site quite frequently to edit my photography and make photos for my missions trip Facebook page and blog to better display updates, announcements, and key points. It is very easy to use and has good quality. You can also pay a monthly fee of, I believe, $5 for a membership to access a wider variety of features. Overall, I love it!

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  3. Great points... Thank you. I have never used Pic Monkey and will have to try it out. :)

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  4. I love picmonkey! Thanks for the very useful tips! :)

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  5. I just found your post on the Mom Blogs Party. That's exactly what I needed. I have photoshop and illustrator and am learning at the moment my way around those softwares.

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  6. I love the collage pictures. They always tell a good story about your post.

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  7. I love your blog! Thanks so much for all the great information.

    Cynthia @ craftoflaughter.com

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  8. I love picmonkey! Once I got the hang of how to use it, it is really easy to use and definitely spruces up an image well. Thanks for the great tips as always!

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  9. Thank you for this post! This is something I really need to work on for Simply Save, so thanks for the info!

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  10. I really like the look of collages. Thanks for the easy tips!
    #ShareTheWealthSundays

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