Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Using the Full-Width Template - as seen on this blog

If you like that "fill the window" feel for your blog, like the one you see here (or like the one I have on my main blog), you can get that too. I made some changes to a template, originally created by Darren Delaye, to make it full-width. There are also some some color adjustments, which you can re-adjust easily using the blogger dashboard...

So, here's how you can use this template:

STEP 1:
Download the template to your local machine by clicking on this URL:
http://jrochelle.googlepages.com/full-width-template.xml
When prompted, save this file to place where you can find it again. On a Mac, it may automatically get downloaded to a "download" directory.

STEP 2:
Log in to blogger.com, go to your dashboard, and
Find the Blog you want to change and click the link labeled "Manage: Layout"

STEP 3:
You should be in the "Layout" tab in this window now... so choose the sub-tab labeled "Edit HTML"

STEP 4:
Under the "Backup / Restore Template" section, you'll see a place where you can upload a template from your local machine.... Click the "Browse" button to find the template you saved in Step 1. Once you return to this screen, Click the UPLOAD button.
NOTE - You might not be able to tell that it completed - but the new template should now show in the "Edit Template" section below the section where you just were...

STEP 5:
Click the "SAVE TEMPLATE" button on the bottom - and you should get the message "Your changes have been saved. View Blog." That last part is a link to view your blog using the new template - so click that "View Blog" link!

STEP 6:
Go have your favorite beverage - come back and post about your new blogger template! Let me know if you have other ideas for enhancing this template - maybe I'll give it a go.