This chapter describes the Image toolbar and Automatic Image Resizing, two new features of Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6 that make it easier to work with Web pictures on the Internet or your intranet. You can learn how to use the Image toolbar and Automatic Image Resizing and then apply this information as you respond to users' questions about these features.

Related Information in the Resource Kit

• For more information about new Internet Explorer features, see "What's New in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6?" 

• For more information about using the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard to control access to Internet Explorer features, see "Running the Microsoft Internet Explorer Customization Wizard." 

Using the Image Toolbar

The Image toolbar allows you to quickly and easily save, send, and print pictures that you find on Web pages, as well as view all your saved pictures in the My Pictures folder. You can perform these tasks by using one of the following methods:

• Point to a picture to activate the Image toolbar, which appears in the upper-left corner of the picture, and then click the appropriate toolbar button. 

   

• Right-click a picture and then click the appropriate command. 

   

Note Not all pictures on Web pages will activate the Image toolbar. A picture must be a minimum of 130 x 130 pixels, and it cannot be a background picture. Also, the picture cannot use image mapping (indicating some form of Web menu). Even if a picture does not activate the Image toolbar, you can still right-click it and use the corresponding commands.

These electronic snapshot-type pictures are intended for your personal use. They are not meant for specialized Web page design, camera-ready artwork, or similar purposes.

Turning On and Off the Image Toolbar

The Image toolbar is turned on by default. When you point to a picture that meets the Image toolbar criteria, the toolbar appears automatically.

You can turn on and off the Image toolbar by using the Internet Options dialog box or by using a shortcut menu that appears when you right-click the toolbar. This menu enables you to turn off the Image toolbar for the current session only or for all sessions. Even after you turn off the Image Toolbar, you can still right-click a picture to use the corresponding commands.

To turn on and off the Image toolbar by using Internet Options

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. 

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then scroll down to the Multimedia area. 

3. Select or clear the Enable Image Toolbar (requires restart) check box. 

    

To turn off the Image toolbar by right-clicking

1. Point to a picture to activate the Image toolbar. 

2. Right-click the Image toolbar, and then click Disable Image Toolbar. 

3. Depending on whether you want to turn off the Image toolbar for only the current session or for all sessions, click either This Session or Always. 

    

Saving a Picture

If you find a picture on a Web page that you want to keep, you can save the picture on your computer. By default, Internet Explorer saves the picture in the My Pictures folder. If the My Pictures folder does not exist, Internet Explorer creates it automatically within the My Documents folder on your hard disk.

When you save a picture in the My Pictures folder, you can quickly view the picture again by using the Image toolbar or the image shortcut menu.

To save a picture

1. Point to the picture that you want to save. 

2. On the Image toolbar, click the Save this image button. 

   -Or- 

   Right-click the picture, and then click Save Picture As. 

3. In the Save Picture dialog box, enter values for the following fields:

   • Save in. The folder location where you want to store the picture. 

     If you save the picture in a location other than the My Pictures folder, this location becomes the default location for all saved pictures during the current browser session. For future sessions, though, the default location returns to the My Pictures folder. 

   • File name. The name that identifies the picture file. 

   • Save as type. The extension for the picture file name. 

      

4. Click Save. 

Sending a Picture in an E-mail Message

If you find a picture on a Web page that you want to send to another person, you can send the picture as an attachment in an e-mail message. Internet Explorer uses the browser's default mail application to send the picture. If you do not have a default mail application, this feature is not available.

To send a picture in an e-mail message

1. Point to the picture that you want to send. 

2. On the Image toolbar, click the Send this image in an e-mail button. 

   -Or- 

   Right-click the picture, and then click E-Mail Picture. 

3. In Microsoft® Windows® XP, when you are prompted about whether to resize the picture that you are sending, click either Make all my pictures smaller or Keep the original sizes, and then click OK. 

4. Internet Explorer starts the default mail application and opens a new message with the picture included as an attachment. If, for example, Microsoft® Outlook® Express is your default mail application, a new message opens with the picture shown in the Attach box. You can then type the e-mail address of the person to whom you want to send the picture, type a message, and then send it. 

   The following illustration shows a sample Outlook Express e-mail message with the picture included as an attachment. Note that the picture's name appears as the Subject line of the message. 

    

Printing a Picture

If you find a picture on a Web page that you want to print, you can print it on your local or network printer by using the standard Microsoft® Windows® printing options. The picture prints exactly as it appears on the Web page, so if you enlarge or reduce the size of the picture, the printed picture will also be resized. If you do not have a printer installed, the default Print dialog box appears, and you can add a printer for your local computer.

To print a picture

1. Point to the picture that you want to print. 

2. On the Image toolbar, click the Print this image button. 

   -Or- 

   Right-click the picture, and then click Print Picture. 

3. In the Print dialog box, select the printing options, and then click Print. 

Viewing Saved Pictures

If you want to view all of your saved pictures, you can quickly open the My Pictures folder from the Image toolbar or shortcut menu. If the My Pictures folder does not exist, Internet Explorer creates it automatically within the My Documents folder on your hard disk.

To view your saved pictures in the My Pictures folder

1. Point to a picture on a Web page. 

2. On the Image toolbar, click the Open My Pictures folder button. 

   -Or- 

   Right-click the picture, and then click Go to My Pictures. 

Turning Off the Image Toolbar by Using HTML Tags

As a content author, you can turn off image toolbar functions for an individual picture or all pictures on a Web page. This turns off only elements that use the <img> tag; it does not affect other graphics tags, such as <embed> or <object>, or the file type.

If you want to turn off image toolbar functions for individual pictures on a Web page, use the following <img> syntax for the picture:

<img border="0" src="filename" galleryimg="no">
<img border="0" src="filename" galleryimg="false">

If you want to turn off image toolbar functions for all pictures on a Web page, add the following <meta> syntax to your Web page:

<meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no">
<meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="false">

If you turn off Image toolbar functions for all pictures on a Web page, you can enable them for individual pictures by setting the galleryimg attribute to "yes" or "true", using the following <img> syntax:

<img border="0" src="filename" galleryimg="yes">
<img border="0" src="filename" galleryimg="true">

Note If you use the galleryimg="yes" attribute and you also use image mapping (usemap or ismap), the galleryimg="yes" attribute overrides the mapping attribute, and the menu is turned on.

Using Automatic Image Resizing

If pictures are too large to see in their entirety in the browser window, Automatic Image Resizing resizes them automatically so that they fit within the dimensions of the browser window. An icon appears in the lower-right corner of resized pictures and allows you to expand the pictures back to their original size.

If you navigate to pictures that fit within the browser window but then change the window dimensions, Internet Explorer automatically adjusts the pictures to fit the new window size. To prevent distortion, Internet Explorer adjusts both the picture height and width, even if only a single dimension needs adjusting for the picture to fit within the browser window.

Automatic Image Resizing works only when users navigate directly to pictures. Internet Explorer cannot resize pictures that are embedded within HTML pages.

Turning On and Off Automatic Image Resizing

Automatic Image Resizing is turned on by default. You can turn it on and off by using the Advanced tab on the Internet Options dialog box.

To turn on and off Automatic Image Resizing

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. 

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then scroll down to the Multimedia area. 

3. Select or clear the Enable Automatic Image Resizing check box. 

    

Resizing Pictures

If you view a picture that is too large to see in its entirety in the browser window, Automatic Image Resizing resizes the picture to fit within the browser window. You can then use the Automatic Image Resizing icon that appears in the lower-right corner of the picture to resize it so that it either returns to its original size or fits within the browser window.

To resize a picture

1. To expand a resized picture to its original size, click the Automatic Image Resizing icon in the lower-right corner of the resized picture. 

    

2. To resize the image to fit in the browser window, click the Automatic Image Resizing icon again.