"How do I create an Avatar? "

What's an avatar?
An avatar (also known as an AV or an avvie) is how someone on the Internet visually portrays themselves. This may include a 3-D model for computer games, a 2-D icons on forums and other similar sites, or text constructs from older systems. An avatar may even include the personality associated with an Internet screen name.


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What it entails
1. Find an image that represents you.

This can depend on the context... maybe an image symbolizing you in DeviantArt is different than one for AIM.

It's got to be able to be seen when small. A lot of avatars must be only so many pixels tall and wide. Make sure you can pack a punch with what space you can fill.

2. Crop if necessary.

Usually you'll have to crop that baby. Just use a program like Photoshop or another image editing program.

With Photoshop you have to make sure you crop the area you want (the whole thing or only a portion of an image) into a perfect square. That could mean using the Crop tool or making a square with the shape tool and cropping around that (which is more work but then you can get a perfect square by using the SHIFT key to keep the lines to shape). Then go up to Image -> Resize.

An even easier way is starting with a blank document; then you can make it any size you want. Copy and paste the image into that so that you don't have to mess with the Crop tool. But make sure you shrink the original image before you copy and paste or else you'll end up with a blur that's a portion of the image after pasting.

3. Save.

4. Upload.


Photo from Ultima (members.chello.at/.../games/ultima.htm)


In computer games
The word "avatar" meaning a digital representation of someone began as early as 1985, when it was used as the character name in the Ultima computer game series. Becoming the "avatar" was the goal of the fourth game in the series. In subsequent games, the player was the avatar and the "avatar" was his or her screen character, which could be personalized. The term was later used in the late 80's games Shadowrun and Habitat. ater games assumed that you were the avatar and "avatar" was the player's visual on-screen in-game persona. The on-screen representation could be customized in appearance. Later, the term "avatar" was used by the designers of the role-playing game Shadowrun (1989), as well as in the online role-playing game Habitat (1987).



Photo from saka.syste.ms/gallery.html On Internet forums
No one really knows when avatars were first used in Internet forums, where they serve as representations of a user, his or her status and actions. Traditionally, avatars in forums are smaller and square for consistency, and near the heading of posts and profiles. Sometimes users can choose from available avatars or upload one of their own design. In some avatar systems, users can customize an avatar that is a human- or animal-like figure.


In instant messaging programs
AOL Instant