Announcing: Changes to the way you edit images in Typepad with Aviary

As a blogger, you know that adding images to your posts can bring an essential element of interest to your blog, and Typepad makes it easy to add and edit images on the fly. Just insert an image, double click to edit your image with the Aviary image editor, and you're on your way.

This week, Aviary introduced the newest version of their image editor, which brings along with it a few changes to the way you edit your photos. The changes are pretty simple, but if you frequently edit images (add captions, change size, apply special effects) in the Rich Text editor, you'll want to take note and adjust your workflow a bit.

There are two options when editing images; Standard and Aviary. Both options appear in the pop up window after you double click your inserted image in the Rich Text editor, with the Aviary Options on top, and Standard Options on bottom. Here's a breakdown of what you can do with each option:

Standard Options

Caption
Border
Image Size
Description
Alignment
Link to full-size image

After making any changes to the Standard Options, click the Save button at the top right of the pop-up box to apply the changes to the image. Please note you will not see an Apply button, and you will not see the changes to the Standard Options in the Edit Image pop-up. Your changes will appear once you are back in the Rich Text window.

Aviary Options

With Aviary, you can perform advanced editing functions that will change the appearance of your images, including adding frames and stickers, adjusting brightness, contrast, and colors, and removing red eye, and lots more!

Using the arrows in the top menu, you can review the customization options. Click on the tool you wish to use to make changes. You'll see the changes reflected in the preview image. If you don't like the changes, click Cancel. If you do like the changes, click Apply (you can always use the small left arrow under your image to revert the change). You can make multiple changes in one editing session and click Apply before moving from one tool to another. Make sure to click the Save button in the upper right of the window, and you're done!

The Standard Options, including captions, are available for any images regardless of size. However, the special effects can only be added to images of a certain size depending on your Typepad plan. For specific image sizes, see the requirements here.

You can read all about the Aviary Options and what they can do for your images in our Knowledge Base.

That's it! Pretty simple, right? Have questions, comments, or a favorite way to edit images in Typepad? Start a conversation about it, or tell us in the comments!

Comments

[Jen]

I know those pups! ;)

[JRP]

terrible change to move the save up to the top and the cancel over to where the save button used to be. have to constantly remind myself not to automatically hit bottom right to save

[Account Deleted]

You offer two type of editors but only one save button!

Why would I want to scroll way up to save my simple changes like adding a caption? Nice proprietary change, Typepad. Put my save button back when it logically belongs. I don't wish to use Aviary--please don't force this choice.

[Erik HOMEMADE]

Not working for me! Internet Explorer blocks the "cross site" scripts and I am stuck with a full size image with no borders, no centering, and NO changes...the old editor worked just fine...too bad...

[Simona Carini]

I prefer to applaud changes you make than to give them the thumbs down, but I am afraid I agree with both John and Cyn. From a usability perspective, having the Save button way up and the Enter key defaulting to Cancel is a bad idea. And then, as Cyn mentions, this change forces us to use Aviary even though we only want to add a caption. I would really appreciate reverting this. The old system worked fine and I honestly don't see what we, as users, gain by it. I lose the ability to add captions, a functionality I used a lot, so I cannot say I am happy.

[Jen]

I agree with the others on here and have already filed a ticket about it. I only want to add a caption, not adjust the image size. When I add a caption and then click Save at the top, it forces me to adjust the image size (or upgrade, of course, which is a another whole gripe). Why do I have to adjust the image size just to add a caption? My other images are the same size and you don't make me adjust those. I've never had to adjust the size of my images in the past, either. Please revert back for those of us who want simple, standard options that work properly and are user-friendly.

[Parttime Perfectionist]

I only resize and move my photos to "the middle" of the page on my blog using the standard option for both. It annoys me so much that I have to tell you every single time that I just want to resize my photo - not Upgrade. As for putting the Cancel button where the Save button used to be - enough has been said about that already and I agree with everything that's been said!

[Moutarou Diallo]

Hello all,
At CIEE Senegal, we have two programs and i have them in two different newsletter typepad. I posted 5 newsletters. The first 3 were in Development Studies and the last two on Language and Culture. I would like to know if it is possible to have all the 5 on both programs without having to type it again? Is there a way I can do that? Thank you for your help.
Moutarou

[The Typepad Team]

Hi John,

We appreciate your feedback on this! The changes were made by Aviary, and not by Typepad, but we can pass this along to them for sure. Hopefully it's just a short learning curve and you'll overcome it in no time. :)

[The Typepad Team]

Hi Cyn,

Since it's a pop-up window, you shouldn't need to scroll at all. Are you using an older computer with a larger resolution? Aviary has been the image editor for quite a long time now, and the changes are theirs, but if you'd like to provide more information on the scrolling issue, we're happy to look in to it.

[The Typepad Team]

Hi Erik,

Aviary has been our image editor for a long time now, were you able to edit your images before without a problem in Internet Explorer? We can check with Aviary to see what changes they made there and find out if there's a problem with IE. Which version of IE are you using?

[The Typepad Team]

Hi Simona! We're happy to pass on your feedback to Aviary. We've used them as our editor for a long time, so you've been using it all along, including for captions, however.

[The Typepad Team]

Hi Jen! You should be able to ignore the suggestion to resize if you're *only* adding a caption or doing anything in the non-Aviary options. If you're not able to ignore it, and you mentioned that in your ticket, we'll follow up there.

[The Typepad Team]

Hi! If you're using only the Standard Options, you should not be seeing a prompt to upgrade at all, so if you are, please file a Help ticket in your Dashboard - we'll take a look into it with the folks at Aviary.

[The Typepad Team]

Hi Moutarou!

Can you please open a Help ticket in your Dashboard about this? We need more specific information on what you're looking to do. Thanks!

[Account Deleted]

I'm sorry. I hadn't realized that TypePad farms out the ENTIRE photo editor to Aviary, a meh photo editor if I've ever seen one.

So to rephrase, I'll quote you:
"The location of the button to save changes to the image has changed, and now you need to look for the Save button at the top of the box."

This change does not benefit the TypePad user. It is not an intuitive nor aesthetic change. It is a proprietary change made by Aviary--who TypePad has invited in to take over all photo adjusting duties for my blogs.

Steep leaning curve? Sadly, no. Rather, another step into mediocrity for TypePad.

If TypePad could explain to me in minute detail a way to transfer the last oh, 3 years of my 10 years of blogging to another platform like WordPress.org, without having all my images rex or without having to hand-adjust every single post, I'd go now.

As it is, I feel like by staying with TypePad I'm stuck in an abusive marriage. Passive-aggressive abuse but abuse just the same. And I pay you for it.

Take your proprietary craptasticness and toss it, Aviary-TypePad.

[Simona Carini]

I have had problems with Aviary from the beginning (I was among the beta testers). I don't use it for editing my photos, only to add a caption and I would really like the Save button where it used to be, plus the Enter key defaulting to Save. The other change is that now, even just adding a caption or resizing, puts my photo on some Aviary server. I honestly don't see any advantage to the user from the latest changes, i.e., why is this better than before? As far as I can tell, it makes simple things more difficult. I'd be happy to repeat my words to somebody at Aviary, if that helps.