How to Make a Custom Blog Template
- 1). Familiarize yourself with your blogging program. Blogging platforms such as Wordpress and Blogger have built-in design functions that help you customize and personalize your blog's template. For example, Wordpress allows you to upload personal pictures into the sidebar of your blog with the Widget tool. Ensure that you understand the options and buttons of your blogging platform.
- 2). Change your blog's banner. The banner, or header, of a blog is located at the very top of the web page and details the name and information of the site. Find out the banner's dimensions (this will be provided by your blogging program) and then create a new banner of the same size. Use a program such as Adobe Photoshop to get the best results. Experiment with different pictures, words, colors and fonts.
- 3). Add borders and outlines to your blog's images to make them stand out from the page. Collect the images that are going to be posted in your blog and open them with an image manipulation program. Use the "Outline" tool (the "Stroke" tool in Photoshop) and add some border lines to your images. For example, you could have a thick black line around the edge of the picture and a thinner colored line just inside, e.g., yellow or pink. This will bring your images to life and make your blog template look vibrant and professional.
- 4). Customize the color theme of your blog template. This could be as simple as altering the color of the text, titles and headlines or as complicated as changing the entire web page. Sites such as Wordpress and Blogger make it easy to change the text color of posts using format toolbars in the page setups. Highlight the text you want to change and select a color from the drop-down menu in the toolbar.
- 5). Add the finishing touches to your customized blog template. For example, you might consider adding permanent widgets to the sidebar of your blog. In your blogging program, navigate to the Widgets options and click and drag any additions you want to make to your blog's sidebar. Most blogging hosts offer the option to add personal images, calendars, clocks, visit counters and slide shows.
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