Turn an Image into an NFT for Free [Guide]

The first question that comes to mind while reading the title of this post is should we really be converting a piece of art into a non-fungible token? After all, one art piece exists so whats the point of turning it into a blockchain-infused NFT? Funny thing is that the world is already enamored with the idea of NFTs as paintings. At the very least, you may be curious about how to turn an image into an NFT. During the past year, we have seen intense hype surrounding projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks. Even banks like JP Morgan are getting in on the act with their dedicated NFT portals. The metaverse is no longer a buzzword, its a blueprint of the future thats starting to manifest itself. Video games already represent the best use case for cosmetic items, with players scooping up digital collectibles to dress up their in-game avatars. Without much further ado, let's learn how to transform any image into a neat (and potentially lucrative) NFT.

Some basics if you want to turn a photo into an NFT

Before you learn how to convert a digital image into an NFT, heres what you should know.

Got a physical painting or photo you want to transform into an NFT? You will have to lean into the concept of scarcity. The more copies of the thing exist, the less likely you will fetch a good price for it.

You need to take a photo of your physical art. These photos need to be in the following digital formats:

• JPEG
• PNG
• GIF

What you will turn these image formats into? NFTs are powered by:

• Ethereum popular yet slow and inefficient to mint.
• Polygon a new format thats free but not mainstream yet.

Minting an NFT

Here is where it gets a little technical. But dont worry, we have made it pretty straightforward for you to grasp the essentials.

Basically, your NFT is part of a public ledger on the blockchain, a statement of truth for establishing ownership. As it changes hands, so would the information about the new owner on the blockchain.

The process by which your digital image is converted into a non-fungible token is called Minting.

Minting requires gas fees. They can be prohibitively high at times.

This presents a challenge. As a newcomer to the NFT art scene, is it feasible at all?

Thankfully, there are ways to mint your NFT for free.

How to turn a digital photo into an NFT for free

Since NFTs can be literally anything with an artistic appeal, you want to learn how you can get them on the blockchain in the first place.

Your goal is to create content that can be easily monetized and sold in a community. For this purpose, NFT marketplaces exist. Here NFT buyers and sellers are a frequent fixture.

There are many NFT marketplaces out there, each with its own fees and structures. For your purposes, we will be looking at two platforms that let you create your NFT for free:

• OpenSea
• Rarible

How to turn an image into NFT in OpenSea (or Rarible)

OpenSea recommends that you launch a collection instead of a single art piece. Either way, the choice is up to you.

• To mint an NFT with OpenSea:
• Create your OpenSea account.
• Register and connect your crypto wallet with the NFT marketplace.
• Go to your profile and select My Collections.
• Choose Create a Collection from your profile.
• You can now upload your: Collection logo, Featured image, Banner image
• Add a name, OpenSea URL for your collection, category, and description.
• Dont forget to add your social media links for the collection. Important: If you are a photographer or artist, dont forget to set royalty fees with your NFT. This way, you get a cut of the profits every time your NFT is traded. Make sure you list the correct payout wallet address in the Royalty section
• You can choose to get paid in Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies.
• Simply select which option works best for you.
• You will now need to set a display theme for your NFT collection. Choose well.
• Thats almost done. Create your NFT page.
• Now you need to add the NFTs you want to mint. Click on Add Item.
• Keep adding every item you want to be part of an NFT collection. Click the Create button when done.
• Thats it.Note: Even though OpenSea and Rarible mint your NFT for free, you will need to pay them a platform fee whenever you sell your NFT. Both OpenSea and Rarible mint your NFT on the Polygon blockchain. Polygon is free unlike Ethereum and more environmentally sustainable.

How valuable can be my NFT?

Learning how to turn your photos into NFT is a bet. But one that seems more likely to pay off if you tap into online communities and hype building. They have to be:

• Unique
• Scarce
• Offer something extra like an access pass, ticket, etc.
• Community-driven

It is often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In a social media era, learning how to turn an image into an NFT is as important as how you communicate its benefits and inherent value with good marketing and community efforts to back it up. Plus, it always helps to list it up at a good NFT listing platform to enhance discoverability.