collecting and electronic devices

[Valentinian]

This thread solicits your knowledge about computer skills that help your collecting.

Many of my collecting friends are old and not very computer literate. I had a friend say he bought a coin on-line but didn't have a picture. I was surprised he didn't know how to save sellers' photos. I had to show him how (which I will do below). I recently saw, on a zoom call, a friend pull out a camera and take a picture of his computer screen. He didn't know about screenshots. You can save an image of anything on your computer screen. I'll begin the discussion of how.

Vcoins makes it hard to save the seller's original photo, but there is a way to do that. This thread asks you to help the rest of us by telling how to do something with your computer, tablet, or phone that helps your collecting experience.

The exact keystrokes will be different on different devices, so tell us which devices and browser you are working with.  I'll start.
 

I use a Mac. and Chrome. Your results may vary.
To save a seller's image the site makes a difference. On eBay and most auction sites it is super easy, On my trackpad use a two-fingered click on the coin's image (It might be a right-click for you). A menu pops up:

Click on "Save image as" and it will save it into a folder I choose. I created a folder named "purchases" and save it there.
This approach works on most auction sites, too. In fact, it works for saving almost any image on the web except vcoins images.

Saving vcoins images:  EDIT:  Expat (below) as a much better way I didn't know: "With V-Coins the easiest way I have found to save the image of your purchased coin(s), is click on the magnifying icon under the image and it brings up an enlarged copy. Then right click and choose "save as" option." 
  Thank you, @expat !

One easy way is to take a screenshot

Screenshots. You can save your computer screen at any time. If you are attending a zoom meeting or watching youtube and you want to save what's on your screen, take a "screenshot." On a Mac the keystrokes are
command, shift, 3   [all at once, it takes me two hands]
That takes a picture of the whole screen at that instant. You can crop or edit it in the Mac "Preview" program.
If the screen is static (not live action) and you don't want the whole screen, you can use select just the part you want with
command, shift, 4  [all at once, with "4" instead of "3"]

which allows creation of a rectangle around whatever you want to save by pressing down and dragging to the opposite corner. That's how I got the menu image above.

I will save the image for this coin:
https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/the_ibarra_collection/304/product/magnentius_ae_centenionalis_350353_ad_lugdunum_mint_vf/1805788/Default.aspx
Here is a screenshot of the vcoins coin, using "command, shift, 4":

EDIT: I am deleting the cumbersome way I had below. His way yields this original image easily:

That's enough for now. Maybe you could tell us how saving images and screenshots work on different devices. Maybe you know of some other useful device-related trick. You might be surprised to know how many of us don't know what you know about computers, tablets, and phones.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2024 by Valentinian
Expat (below) gave a better way to save vcoins images.

[Heliodromus]

I don't generally find it's worth the effort to find backdoor ways to save images if it's not explicitly supported - I'll just screenshot instead, using either Linux's right-click popup menu, or sometimes just by running GIMP and using it's screenshot functionality, which usefully includes a delay timer (which gives you time to minimize GIMP to get it out of the way).

Here's a couple of GIMP hints that may not be obvious:

1) To combine separate obv/rev photos into a single image, the obvious way is to create a new image of the desired size to paste them both into. e.g. if you have two 400x400 images, then create a new 800x400 one to copy/paste them both into. This works of course, but a faster way is just to use Image->Canvas Size to create enough room (double width) on the obv image to paste the rev one there directly.

2) When combining obj/rev from some sources like eBay, the photos may not be same size, and just scaling one up/down to same size as the other isn't going to work due to different border sizes. The trick is to use percentages. Use GIMP's Measure tool to measure pixel height of obv and rev coin, ignoring the background, divide one height by the other, then rescale one image by that percentage. It's quicker to do it than type that description!

e.g. obv has coin height 520 pixels (and maybe image height of 720 - irrelevant). rev has coin height of 480 pixels (and maybe image height of 600 - irrelevant). So, to make rev same height as obv calculate 520 / 480 = 1.0833, then scale rev image up by 108.33% (1.0833 x 480 = 520).

 

[expat]

With V-Coins the easiest way I have found to save the image of your purchased coin(s), is click on the magnifying icon under the image and it brings up an enlarged copy. Then right click and choose "save as" option. This action then calls up your files and you simply select the file you want it in and press save.

 I am using a Microsoft desktop and Firefox browser.

[Bannerknight]

In Windows, pressing the (prt sc) button (F 10) saves a screenshot, which can then be pasted (ctrl+v) into Paint or another editor and saved or cropped. Or pasted into a document.

In some windows editions you may have press the fn button at the same time as the prt sc button (or windows button + (prt sc) in order to make the screenshot.

Normally (not on Vcoins) I right-click on the image and choose "Open image in New Tab" from the menu to see the picture before I save it.

In Firefox, you can click on Tools in the top menu and choose Page Info. 

 

Doing this gives you a new menu on the tab "Media", where you can scroll down until you find your (smaller)picture which can the be saved as.., see below from Vcoins:

 

 

A useful link to different alternatives is found here: https://www.hp.com/in-en/shop/tech-takes/post/how-to-print-screen-pc

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a good idea for a thread. 

I always save an .html page of a vcoins/ma-shops purchase.  I use firefox, but it's generally right click and save page as in most browsers.  I have a dedicated folder for the coins.

The trick to saving the vcions' coin image is to right click on the magnifying glass, and 'save link as'.  Save Image as saves a pic of the magnifying glass.

[Valentinian]

1 hour ago, expat said:

With V-Coins the easiest way I have found to save the image of your purchased coin(s), is click on the magnifying icon under the image and it brings up an enlarged copy. Then right click and choose "save as" option. This action then calls up your files and you simply select the file you want it in and press save.

Thank you! That sure is easier. That makes the point of this thread. Some of us know how to do things that others of us do not. 

Readers, share your ways of doing things!

[Curtisimo]

Any image on a website can be saved even if right click saving is disabled by doing the following. Right click —> Insect —> Application —> under “frames” click “image” and all the images on the webpage will be there to save in full resolution.

[Gallienus]

I have a Rockwell calculator model 61R.  Parts made in USA & Mexico.  The battery is long dead but it uses these gas-filled vacuum tubes (I think they were called Nixie tubes) for it's display.  Here it is: quite old but in superb condition: nearly mint state.   At least an AU-55 if I get the battery replaced.

 

Edited November 12, 2024 by Gallienus
details

[mcwyler]

If you're using an Android tablet, as I am, or an Android phone, then a long press on the image (rather than a right click) will bring up a menu, from which you can select Download Image by pressing it.

[Valentinian]

On a Mac, which is not a touchscreen, you can make text and images larger using the keystrokes

command +  [two keys at once]

and smaller with 
command -

Some sites have thumbnails that are too small. Hit "command, +" one or more time to make everything on the page larger. PCs must have something comparable. 

[thejewk]

On Windows 11 you can press Shift + Windows key + s to open up the screen grab tool.  Then you can just draw a box around what you want to capture and it will automatically save the image into a folder called 'Screenshots' inside your 'Pictures' directory.

I use it often.

[kirispupis]

44 minutes ago, Valentinian said:

On a Mac, which is not a touchscreen, you can make text and images larger using the keystrokes

command +  [two keys at once]

and smaller with 
command -

Some sites have thumbnails that are too small. Hit "command, +" one or more time to make everything on the page larger. PCs must have something comparable. 

You can do this on Windows by holding down the CTRL key and scrolling the mouse wheel.

[Valentinian]

Greek letters:  Γ, Δ, Φ, Θ, ...

Computers let you changes fonts (if you know how). Roman Provincial coins often have Greek letters, so a Greek Font is useful.
I use a Mac and Chrome.

I can switch my keyboard to Greek letters in one keystroke. (A very quick tap on the function key. Longer holds of that key do something else.)
I can type Γ, Δ, Σ very easily. It shows Ε for E, and because coins often employ the shape Є, I created a special keystroke sequence for it (e1). I had to make a small map of which keys corresponded to which letters. For example Θ is Greek from the U key. 

On a Mac, to create a keystroke-sequence-shortcut for some symbol or phrase (I'll call anything to put into a document a "phrase"), have the phrase already copied onto the clipboard
go to Mac
system settings
keyboard
test replacements
+
and choose a keystroke sequence to be replaced by the phrase. Make the sequence unlike anything you would otherwise type (so you don't get it by accident). Then paste your phrase into the box. Bingo! Close up and the next time you type the shortcut it will show the phrase instead. 

I hope someone will explain how to do these things on a PC.
 

Edited November 15, 2024 by Valentinian