Instructions

     Glass on Metal Magazine is excited to announce the development of an online enamel art gallery, located on the internet at http://www.glass-on-metal.com/gallery/.  Our online gallery offers enamelists the opportunity to display their work in enamel in a Salon-type area of the Glass on Metal website, and also work in any medium in their own personal gallery section. 

Figure 1.  Main screen, GoM Gallery.

     Participation in the gallery is free for all; the only requirements are access to a computer connected to the internet, an e-mail account to confirm registration, and digital files of the images to be displayed. Accounts can be set up quickly using an easy-to-use online registration form. Registered individual users are provided with one Megabyte of web space to upload images, which is enough web space to feature several high-quality pictures of work. Enameling guilds and organizations are encouraged to create accounts to display work by their members; Glass on Metal will increase web space to 2.5 MB for any recognized guild or organization who wishes to create a gallery for it's membership; please contact us for details on Guild accounts. Space can be maximized by optimizing images for web use, using photo manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop, or using a free online image optimizing website. 

     Features of the gallery include the ability to post comments and rate images, send E-Postcards to the e-mail addresses of colleagues, friends and family, add images to a 'My Favorites' file, and the ability to create personal web galleries. Navigation links are supported by 37 different languages, so non-English speaking users can navigate the site in their native tongue. 

     Below is a step-by-step description of navigating the gallery, creating an account and uploading images. 

Getting Started 

     Point your web browser to http://www.glass-on-metal.com/gallery/.  On this page, you will find a brief description of the gallery, a link to the gallery site (this link will open another browser window; the gallery is hosted on a separate web site), a link to the gallery FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), and links to free image optimizing websites. You will want to start by visiting these links and preparing your images for display on the web. 

     Once you click the link to the gallery, you will see a drop down menu box below the main navigation bar, prompting you to choose your language. Thirty-seven language modules have been installed. Scroll down and to select your language choice. Language modules support navigation features only; category, album and image descriptions will remain in the language posted by individual users.

Figure 2.  Drop-down language selection menu.

Navigating the Gallery 

     Making your way around the gallery is a fairly straightforward process; to view a category's main page, click on the category title. To view an album, click on the album title. To view an individual image, click the thumbnail image for the picture you wish to view. The top navigation bar will also help you browse the site; 'Album List' takes you to the main index page, 'My Gallery' will take you directly to your personal gallery page, 'FAQ' brings you to the Frequently Asked Questions area, 'Admin Mode' / 'User Mode' toggles between these two sections, 'Upload Files' to the upload section, and 'Logout[username]' will log you out of the system. The bottom navigation bar has links to the last uploads, last posted comments, most viewed images, and top rated images. On the main page, clicking a thumbnail will either open an album, such as with the Salon, or will directly open an image, such as thumbnails in the Last Additions category. 

Gallery Registration 

     On the main page of the gallery, you will find a navigation bar near the top of the page. Click the link marked 'Register' to begin. You will be asked create an account name, choose a password, and enter your e-mail address. Entering your correct e-mail address is important; users are required to respond to an automated e-mail sent by the gallery to confirm registration. If the e-mail is not confirmed, the account will not be created. Note: E-mail addresses cannot be shared by more than one account. If you are creating an account for your guild or organization, you must use a different e-mail address to create the guild account than the e-mail used to create your personal account. 

Figure 3.  Registration screen.

     During registration, you can also enter additional information about yourself if you choose, but this information is not required. After submitting the registration form, you will receive an e-mail containing a link to confirm your registration. Click the link provided in the e-mail to complete your registration. Note: If you do not respond to the e-mail by clicking the provided link, the registration will not be complete, and your account will not be created. 

Figure 4.  Login screen.

     Once you have confirmed your registration, you can then login to the gallery using the 'Login' link on the top navigation bar. During login, you will be presented with an option to 'Remember Me'. Check this box if you wish to avoid logging in to your account every time you visit the gallery. This is not recommended for users accessing the site using a public computer terminal, such as those found in a library or coffeehouse. 

Public and Personal Galleries 

     You have two options for placing your images on the web site; Public and Personal galleries. Public galleries, such as the Salon, are open to anyone wishing to include their work, provided they meet the gallery requirements. Typically, images intended for placement in public galleries are subject to approval, to ensure images posted in these sections meet the requirements specified. For example, the Salon section requirements are 1) all works in the Salon must be created using enamel; and, 2) only two images from each registered user can be posted to the Salon. If work is uploaded for display in a public gallery, it will not be included in the gallery until it is approved by an administrator. 

     Personal galleries, or albums, on the other hand, do not require approval, and images uploaded to these sections will be immediately available for viewing by visitors to the site. Registered users are free to upload any type of photograph they wish to display; artwork, workshop photos, snapshots of friends and family, etc. The only requirements for personal galleries/albums is that the user cannot upload more images than allotted web space allows.

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