How to Make Your Own LOL Cats Using Picnik Free Photo Editor

"LOL cats" is a term used to describe funny pictures of cats that have been given humorous captions. These captions are usually intended to be first-person (from the cat's point of view) and are often misspelled (based on the assumption that cats aren't very good at writing). There are many websites around the internet dedicated to displaying galleries of LOL cats. If you have a cute picture of your cat and a funny caption in mind, you can make your very own LOL cat picture using these simple steps, even if you don't have any fancy photo editing software.

First, you will need a cute or funny photo of your cat.  If you don't already have a good photo, follow your cat around with a camera for a while.  It never takes very long to catch them doing something hilarious!  You should also think up a cute caption for your cat.  What does it look like he/she might be thinking in the photo?

Go to the Picnik photo editing website.  (Basic features are free, though you can opt to pay for a membership and access a pantload of extra goodies.)  Click on the "Upload Photo" button, then select your image file from your hard drive and click on the "Open" button. 

The photo should open in a window that looks like the one to the right.  (Click to see larger image.)  On this screen, you can adjust the colors and exposure of your image.  (I usually just use the "auto fix" button, which seems to do a pretty good job.)  This is also when you can crop the image if needed.  When you are finished doing any adjustments, click on the "create" tab at the top of the page.

Just under the navigational tabs at the top of the page is a toolbar with several different options. Click on the button that says "text" to go to the text tool. On the left-hand side of your screen, you will see text entry box and a selection of fonts, as in the photo to the right. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Fonts listed toward the top of the list as "premium" fonts require a paid membership to use. Select a font that you like by clicking on the name of the font. (Don't worry, you can always change the font later if you don't like the first one you pick!)

In the text box at the top of the font window, type your desired caption, then press the "Add" button.  Your text will appear on your photo, and a box of text tools will pop on on the right-hand side of your screen.

Use the tools in the box to adjust the size and color of your text.  If you want to select a different font, click on the name of the font on the list.  To change the placement of the text on the photo, click your mouse on the text, hold down the mouse button, and drag the text around; relase the mouse button to drop the text in place.  To change the angle of the words, click and drag on the little circle above the text.

If you click elsewhere on the photo and the text editing tools vanish, don't panic!  Simply click on the text on your photo and the tool box will reappear.

Once you are satisfied with your picture, click the "Save & Share" tab at the top of the page. Choose the options you would like for saving your photo, then click on the "Save Photo" button at the bottom of the page.

Another window will pop up asking you to choose where to save your file. Choose the folder on your computer where you would like the photo to be placed and click the "Save" button.

Now that you've completed your LOL cat, it is time to share it with the world! Add it to your Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, or wherever else you like to share photos.

There are quite a few websites and blogs that feature LOL cats as well. Submit your masterpiece to these websites for maximum exposure. Sometimes you may even come across LOL cat contests!