Here at Parrot Print Canvas, we’re frequently inspired by Instagram, whether we’re sharing the story of the selfie or fantasising about the ultimate foodie snap. Today we’re moving back a few steps to introduce the unfamiliar to the basics of Instagram so that even the least savvy of smartphone users can take advantage of our Instagram upload option when creating a personalised canvas print. An introduction to Instagram, let’s get started!

A Mini History of Instagram

Instagram is a photograph sharing or curation network, which is designed for use on mobile phones. First launched in 2010, the name of the app is a clever mash-up of ‘instant camera’ and ‘telegram’, depicting the way users can snap and share images with ease. In addition to allowing Instagrammers to follow the accounts of other individuals and brands and like or comment on images (privacy settings permitting) Instagram allows users to share images to other social networks such as Facebook.  There are currently over 200 million active users of Instagram globally.

How To Get Involved

Your first point of call is to download the Android or iPhone version of the app to your smartphone. Next, it’s time to write a witty or search-friendly bio and select your privacy settings. All Instagram accounts are public by default, which means unless you set your settings to private your photographs will be available for everyone to see. Of course, this won’t necessarily be a problem depending on what you plan to snap. When you set up, you’ll also need to accept or tweak the notifications settings that tell you when someone else has liked or commented on one of your images or started following your account. As you take images, you’ll be able to decide whether to share them to other networks like Flickr and Facebook or to set a default that chooses to do this every time.

Instagram Networking

Similar to Twitter, Instagram connects content with hashtags. You can search for specific hashtags to find images related to them - for example, the ever-popular #catsofinstagram. Users are encouraged to make their tags as specific as possible to help connect people with similar interests. Other social networking-Esque features include direct sharing of images with other users, as well as the ability to like and comment on images.

Using The Editing Features

Easy editing is what has made Instagram so popular the world over. Not only does it allow you to crop and enhance images with a few slick movements across your smartphone screen but it also allows you to apply artistic filters, use a tilt-shift effect and to frame and arrange your photos. As well as playing around with images you are able to save and share the unedited version, giving great scope for creating interesting artistic multi-panel displays using multiple Instagram canvas prints from your photos..

Beyond social sharing, you can make the most of your Instagram images by transferring photos to canvas with our customised prints. Just select your favourite images using our easy Instagram upload tool, and upload them ready for canvas printing. Now you have an introduction to Instagram, you'll be pro in no time.