Digital brand guidelines How to edit photos before uploading to TerminalFour

Last updated: 30/10/2026

TerminalFour (T4) is the University’s content management system (CMS). Before uploading images to t4 for use on the website, they must be correctly sized and at an optimal file size.

Below, we outline how to do this using the University’s preferred image editing software, Affinity.

Installing Affinity

If you’re using a University managed PC, you can install Affinity via the Software Centre in Windows. To do this, you’ll need to be on campus, or by using the University's VPN, if off-campus.

For more help on this, please contact the relevant helpdesk for your area.

Editing photos

Depending on the content type you’re using, different photos require different sizes. It’s important to upload the correctly sized photos for two reasons:

  1. Aesthetics
  2. Page load speed (too big an image, causes a page to load more slowly, affecting performance)

The steps below outline best practices for optimising images.

1. Check the image size for the content type

Before starting, make sure you know the correct image size for the content type you’re using. You can find the image size via the t4 content types guide on our beta website.

2. Create a preset

Open Affinity and set the required image dimensions (untick the chain to remove the aspect lock).

Give the preset a descriptive name, such as:

  • Block Grid Image (500 × 500 px)
  • Block Grid Image (600 x 300 px)
  • Banner Image (1600 × 600 px)

Select Save to My Presets. 

Screenshot highlighting area of to set preset dimensions

Once you have these presets saved, you won't need to repeat this process in the future. 

3. Use the preset as a template to resize your image

Open a preset for the image dimensions you need. For example, if you need an image measuring 500 x 500px, select this preset and click Create Document. 

Screenshot highlighting where to locate your preset and use it to create a document

Make sure the document units are set to "pixel".

Screenshot of top navigation, showing where to choose document type. Pixels is highlighted.

4. Place your image on the new document

  • Go to File > Place and select the image you wish to resize. 
  • Click anywhere on the canvas to place your image

5. Resize your image

Depending on the size of your original image, you may need to zoom out to see the transform handles. Use these handles to resize the image so that it fills the canvas. (Use the zoom slider in the bottom right-hand corner to zoom in and out, or use Control and + or - on your keyboard.)

You can also move the image around to change the focus of the picture. 

Screenshot of the transform option

Once you're happy with the size and placement, select the Crop Tool from the left-hand toolbar (second item from the top) and click Apply (top left-hand corner).

Screenshot of the left-hand tool bar. Cropping tool is highlighted as the second item from the top.

6. Save your image

  • Select File > Export
  • Choose JPEG from the top of the Export window.
  • Check that the dimensions shown match the required image size
  • Ensure the quality slider is set to around 72%
  • Click Export
  • Choose a location and filename, then save the image

Give your images meaningful file names; this makes them easier to find within the media library for future use. For example, students-at-open-day_500x500.jpg

7. Upload to T4

The image is now ready to be uploaded to the T4 media library for use on your web pages. Please check the t4 training on MyPlace for guidance on how to upload to the t4 media library correctly.