Using Paint

• 1). Open Paint, click the Paint button on the top left corner of the screen and select "Open." Browse to a close-up picture of you in your furry suit and double click the file name so it opens in the Paint workspace. Click the "Select" tool, which looks like a hollow rectangle, and pull down the selection options. Choose "Rectangular selection" and draw an outline around the part of the picture to use for the furry avatar. Right click the outlined area and select "Copy."
  
  
• 2). Click the Paint button again and select "New." Click the Paint button once more, select "Properties" and type the image dimensions into the "Height" and "Width" boxes, then click the "OK" button and the Paint workspace adjusts. Avatars are small, so set your dimensions at something like 2 inches by 2 inches and click "OK." When the workspace changes size, right click the white space and select "Paste," which brings in your furry picture. Drag it into place in the space you just created.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Brushes" button and pull down the menu. Select the "Airbrush" tool. Click the "Color 1" button, choose a paint color and click around the avatar, adding little bits of confetti or glitter. Change paint colors for more confetti.
  
  
• 4). Click the "Text" tool, which looks like a capital "A," and click the bottom of your avatar. Select a font and size from the "Text" menu. Type your furry name, such as "Mr. Bun-Bun."
  
  
• 5). Click the Paint button in the top left corner of the screen, click "Save As," name the avatar and save it to your hard drive.
  
  

Using Photoshop

• 1). Open Photoshop, pull down the "File" menu and click "New." Name the file "FurryAvatar" and set dimensions such as 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches, then click "OK." When the program opens a small box for your avatar, pull down the "View" menu and select "Fit on Screen" to give yourself more room.
  
  
• 2). Pull down the "File" menu again and select "Open." Navigate to a picture of you in your favorite furry costume--or a photo of just the costume--and double click the file to opens it in Photoshop. Press and hold down the "Ctrl" key and drag the picture onto the "FurryAvatar" box. If it opens too large, pull down the "Edit" menu, click "Transform," click "Scale" and shrink the avatar down.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Type" tool, which looks like a "T" on the "Tools" palette. Select a font, size and color from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Click into the "FurryAvatar" box and type your Internet name, such as "Ms. Fluffs."
  
  
• 4). Click the "Paint Bucket" tool, pull down the "Fill" menu and click "Pattern." Click inside the "Pattern" box and select a background design for the avatar, such as bubbles or checkerboard. Slide the "Opacity" bar down to 20 percent and click the white space of the "FurryAvatar" box, which fills with the pattern.
  
  
• 5). Click the 3 lines icon or the triangle in a circle icon at the top right of the "Layers" palette, on the right side of the screen. Select "Flatten Image." Pull down the "File" menu, click "Save As" and save the avatar to your computer.
  
  

Using Publisher

• 1). Open Publisher and click "Blank Print Publication." Change the default page size by clicking "File," then "Page Setup," then "Custom" and typing in your dimensions, such as 2 inches by 2 inches. Click "OK" and the Publisher workspace automatically resizes and zooms in.
  
  
• 2). Pull down the "Insert" menu, click "Picture" and select "From File." Navigate to your best furry outfit photo and double click, which opens the image in your new avatar workspace. If it the file is too large, press and hold down the "Shift" key, grab a corner of the photo and shrink it down into size.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Insert WordArt" tool--which looks like a tilting letter "A"--on the left side of the screen. Select a word style, then type your Internet nickname, such as "Furry Friend" and click "OK." Position the words under or above your image.
  
  
• 4). Pull down the "File" menu and click "Save As." Give the avatar a name and select a place to save it.