To display your own images (graphics and photos) within the body of eBay auction and store item descriptions requires a web host for upload of those images. Any host that allows display of images on sites other than their own (sometimes called hot linking or direct linking) can be used with FreeForm2.

Using any host other than EAPH.com hosting requires a URL for each image to be displayed. A URL looks like this: (it is always only one line and always begins with "http") The URL for an image on a photo hosting site may be referred to as the direct link.

Because EAPH.com is a sister service to FreeForm2 a point and click interface is provided. Copy and paste of URLs is not required. The "Enlarge in Place" and "Mouseover (rollover) Enlarge" include the capability to bulk choose a set of photos (by folder) - easy and efficient. If $8.00 per month is within your budget consider using EAPH.com Hosting.

Digital cameras and scanners are designed primarily to produce images for printing so what the device refers to as "quality" in its menu of settings relates almost entirely to printed output at various print sizes. Before shooting, setting the camera to produce photos in the range of 2 to 3 megapixels will tend to produce better results for the web, save time uploading, and reduce storage space consumed.

Even 2 megapixel sized photos will be too large to fit on most computer screens so should be reduced to a smaller size. For computer screens the measurement is "pixels", not inches. Set your photo editor to display dimensions in pixels then reduce/resample them.

If you are not sure what size to reduce your photos to, start with 800 pixels wide then adjust from there in the future.

The goal is to have them equal to or slightly larger than the size they will ultimately be displayed within an eBay item description created using FreeForm2.

If your photo editor has a "Save for Web" feature, use it. Typically an 80% quality on a scale of 1-100 produces a faster loading file with no visible quality loss. The file type to save as is "jpg" (jpeg).

Do not delete, rename, move, or alter images stored at your web host until are no longer being shown on eBay.

FreeForm2 does not make copies of the images stored at your web host, it only reserves space for them in the item descriptions you create. When an item description is viewed on eBay the images are fetched from the host and displayed in that reserved space. When photos are displaying within an item description they must remain stored at your web host until the item listing has ended.

Even before using on eBay, FreeForm2 may not recognize that photos have been changed at the web host. Do your best to have photos completely ready (desired size) before using them in FreeForm2.

FreeForm2 provides for adapting template layouts to the size you desire photos to be displayed. You'll be more productive getting started if you use "real" item photos.

Have them stored at your web host in an equal to or slightly larger size than they will ultimately be displayed within an eBay item description created using FreeForm2.

Storing them larger than they will be displayed causes them to take longer to load over the Internet than is neccessary.

Using what has been created with FreeForm2 on eBay consists of: On eBay itself or via eBay's Turbo Lister, provide all the details of the item listing except for the item description Into the box which one would otherwise type in an item description, set it to accept HTML, then paste in the HTML produced by FreeForm2

FreeForm2 is not connected in any way to eBay. Part of why FreeForm2 can exist, supported by donations, is not having to pay fees to eBay for such a connection. Having no dependence on eBay keeps FreeForm2 very stable and dependable. Most importantly, you retain entire direct control over the eBay item listing process. FreeForm2 does not require your eBay password. There is no security risk using FreeForm2 to create eBay item descriptions.