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How to Create a URL for an Image on Your Computer

by Casey Schmidt  |  April 21, 2020

7 min. read
Hand on search bar.

We share our images in different ways – some on social media, others with our colleagues. Depending on what you need to use the picture for, it’s important to know how to create a specific type of URL. Here are two different popular ways to create URLs for images on your computer.

Introduction

In today’s digital age, sharing images has become an essential part of our online interactions. Whether you’re a professional looking to share high-resolution images with clients or a social media enthusiast wanting to share funny memes with friends, having a URL for an image can make the process much easier. A URL for an image allows you to share a direct link to the image, making it easily accessible to others. This can be particularly useful for business projects, where sharing images with colleagues or clients can be a crucial part of the workflow.

Choosing an Image Hosting Platform

When it comes to choosing an image hosting platform, there are several options available. For professionals, platforms like 500px and SmugMug offer a range of features, including unlimited storage for large images and analytics tools for image performance. These platforms are ideal for business projects, where high-quality images are essential. For social media and leisure use, platforms like imgur, Flickr, and PostImage offer easy URL creation and sharing options. When choosing a platform, consider factors such as storage needs, desired features, and cost implications.

For business projects/professional

If you need a professional URL for a portfolio, business project or other professional campaign, you’ll want to create a URL for an image stored on your computer by uploading it to a web server. Uploading an image stored on your computer to a web server is necessary to ensure it can be accessed publicly online. The following services create a URL for you to comfortably share with important business contacts.

1. Digital asset management for high resolution images

Digital asset management (DAM) is the most comprehensive system for creating URLs for professional images. These systems help users obtain an image’s URL by allowing them to right-click on an image and select the ‘Copy Image Address’ option, which is essential for embedding it in HTML code and ensuring proper image display on web pages. Because of how business-oriented DAM is, it offers users the most secure process available to create and share URLs for different images. Another important detail to consider about DAM is that it is widely-known for its ability to manage large quantities of digital pictures. This makes it perfect for any company in need of exhaustive image storage.

2. 500px

500px is a sophisticated image site, designed to give users a URL for important images. Things like portfolios and images for business projects are perfect for 500px, due to its professional layout. One unique thing this site offers is an exhaustive analytics tool that details how your images and portfolios are performing. Finally, 500px requires a paid account before uploading, so make sure the site does what you’re looking for.

The 500px website.
500px is a great way for users with high resolution images to share photos.

3. SmugMug

SmugMug is the best way for photographers to create URLs for their images. This is the case especially when they’re sharing their images in a portfolio, with clients or professional galleries. SmugMug is aimed toward career photographers and people who need their images to retain the highest pixel quality. What makes this website so beneficial is it offers unlimited storage – a necessity when using large images. Finally, it requires a signup but there’s an initial free trial to test it out first.

The SmugMug website.
SmugMug is great for aspiring photographers.

For social media/leisure

The most direct method for creating a URL for an image on your computer is uploading it straight onto an image hosting site. But what type of site should you choose? It depends on where you want to post the URL. If you need a social sharing site, here are three options for when you want to share the URL with friends or family.

1. imgur

Imgur makes it easy to create a URL for your PC image. Here’s the quickest way to go about it: first, navigate your browser to imgur and click the green ‘New Post’ button in the upper left corner of your screen. This will load a new page (seen below). From here, you can add different photos off your machine onto imgur and obtain a URL for each one of them. To get the image URL, right-click on the uploaded image and select ‘Copy Image Address’. Note that imgur is designed to be a social/sharing site, so it’s geared toward this purpose first and foremost.

A screenschot of the imgur user interface

2. Flickr

Flickr forces users to register for an account before uploading images for URLs. This can be good or bad depending on how important security is to you concerning your images. In order to get started, head to the Flickr website in a browser and sign up. Once registered, click the cloud icon with the arrow on it to upload a photo. You can use the search bar to find specific image modules or input URLs. Then click the blue ‘choose photos and videos to upload’ button. Locate the image you wish to create a URL for and open it. You’ll have a URL to share as you please.

The Flickr website.
Flickr is a fast, browser-based solution.

3. PostImage for uploading images

PostImage is the most no-nonsense image upload site, giving you a URL for images off your computer without any fluff or hassle. Image links are significant for enhancing user engagement and experience on websites, allowing users to interact more seamlessly with content and access crucial information. In order to upload your pictures directly to the website, first navigate to PostImage and click the ‘Choose images’ button. A popup window will appear – click the image of your choice and click the ‘Open’ button. You’ll be given a shareable URL.

The PostImage website.
PostImage gives fast access to image uploads.

It’s vital you know exactly how to make a URL for a picture on your computer. When you need to create one, the most important step is deciding what types of people or places are you going to be sharing the link with.

Uploading and Sharing Images

Uploading and sharing images is a straightforward process on most image hosting platforms. Simply navigate to the platform’s website, click the upload button, and select the image you want to share. Once uploaded, the platform will generate a URL for the image, which can be shared with others. Some platforms, like imgur, offer additional features, such as the ability to add multiple images to a single post. When sharing images, consider the privacy settings and ensure that the image is set to public or shared with the intended audience.

Creating an Image Link

Creating an image link is a simple process that can be done using HTML code. To create an image link, you’ll need to use the <a> tag with the href attribute, which specifies the URL of the image. For example, <a href=”image-url”>Image Link</a>. You can also use the <img> tag to display the image, and then wrap it in the <a> tag to create a clickable link. For example, <a href=”image-url”><img src=”image-url” alt=”Image Description”></a>. This will create a clickable image link that directs users to the specified URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do privacy settings vary across image hosting platforms?

Privacy settings on image hosting platforms like Imgur, Flickr, and 500px vary significantly. Most offer options to keep images private, share them with specific people, or make them public. Users are advised to review each platform’s privacy settings to ensure they meet their requirements.

What are the cost implications for using image hosting services?

The cost of using image hosting services ranges from free basic accounts to paid subscriptions for advanced features. For example, Imgur and Flickr offer free accounts with the option of premium upgrades, while platforms like SmugMug might require a subscription after a trial period. Costs depend on the storage needs, desired features, and the professional level of the service.

How do image hosting platforms integrate image urls with other services or social media?

Many image hosting platforms offer integration features, allowing users to easily share URLs on social media or embed them in websites and blogs. The specifics of integration vary by platform, but most provide straightforward methods to connect with popular social media sites and content management systems.