AngstGoddess003 Embarasses Herself: Tech Q&A.
Q. Maybe my question is too basic, but I'm completely eljay imcompetent. I almost broke out the champagne when I figured out how to post an entry that has a cut. I think I've secretly been waiting for you to offer your technical services because I've been admiring your eljay banner for months (not the one you have now, but the one you first had - I found it oddly fascinating). Anywho, how the heck do you put a banner on an eljay page? I can make an image file, but what do I do with it then? Thanks!
~Elizabeth
A. Your question is not too basic. It's actually a LOT less basic than it really should be. Thanks for that, LJ.
Anyways, the first thing you must ask yourself, is, which generator are you using? There is S1, and S2. All new LJ journals are set to S2 by default, as it is the new system. So, you probably have this one.
Assuming this is so, and you've never willingly gone back to the old, S1 system, now you must ask yourself, which type of layout you are using.
1. Go to the top menu, and choose the "Journal" dropdown, and from it, "Customize Journal Style."2. Find the box on the right with your theme preview on it, and discern which layout you are using.
I'm using "Smooth Sailing," but there are many of these layout types:
3 Column, A novel conundrum, A study gesture, Bloggish, Clean and Simple, Classic, Component, Cuteness Attack, Dear Diary, Digital Multiplex, Disjointed, Expressive, Flexible Squares, Generator, Haven, Magazine, Mixit, Nebula, Notepad, Opal ,Punquin, Elegant, Quite Lickable, Refried Paper, Smooth Sailing, Tabular Indent, The Boxer, Tranquility II, Unearthed, Variable Flow.
Normally, I would choose someone else to do this for and give out some free promotion, but I was too short on time to rope any authors into hooking up an LJ. So, I'm just using me. Kay? Kay.
Now that we know the generator and theme type, we can begin adding our image! While still on the "Customize Journal Style" page, choose "Custom CSS," which you will find at the bottom of the left side menu.
Find the correlating journal style below and cut and paste the code into the "Custom Stylesheet" box.
From everything_lj:
There are a few changes you will have to make to the codes in order for your header image to show properly.
background: #000000 url(http://www.your-header-image.jpg) no-repeat top center;
padding-top:300px;
1. #000000 = Change to your own background color, or delete for no color.
2. http://www.your-header-image.jpg = change to your own image link
3. 300px = Change to the height of your image (or larger).
3 COLUMN
A NOVEL CONUNDRUM
BLOGGISH
CLASSIC
COMPONENT*
or
DEAR DIARY
DIGITAL MULTIPLEX
with title:
no title:
FLEXIBLE SQUARES
GENERATOR, THE BOXER
HAVEN
MIXIT*, EXPRESSIVE*, STYLE CONTEST*, TRANQUILITY II, CUTENESS ATTACK
NEBULA
QUITE LICKABLE
SMOOTH SAILING
A STURDY GESTURE, CLEAN AND SIMPLE, TABULAR INDENT, REFRIED PAPER, PUNQUIN ELEGANT, OPAL, NOTEPAD, and DISJOINTED
UNEARTHED
MAGAZINE, VARIABLE FLOW
* Some styles and themes are limited to paid or plus users only.
There are a few changes you will have to make to the codes in order for your header image to show properly.
background: #000000 url(http://www.your-header-image.jpg) no-repeat top center;
padding-top:300px;
1. #000000 = Change to your own background color, or delete for no color.
2. http://www.your-header-image.jpg = change to your own image link
3. 300px = Change to the height of your image (or larger).
3 COLUMN
A NOVEL CONUNDRUM
BLOGGISH
CLASSIC
COMPONENT*
or
DEAR DIARY
DIGITAL MULTIPLEX
with title:
no title:
FLEXIBLE SQUARES
GENERATOR, THE BOXER
HAVEN
MIXIT*, EXPRESSIVE*, STYLE CONTEST*, TRANQUILITY II, CUTENESS ATTACK
NEBULA
QUITE LICKABLE
SMOOTH SAILING
A STURDY GESTURE, CLEAN AND SIMPLE, TABULAR INDENT, REFRIED PAPER, PUNQUIN ELEGANT, OPAL, NOTEPAD, and DISJOINTED
UNEARTHED
MAGAZINE, VARIABLE FLOW
* Some styles and themes are limited to paid or plus users only.
Now, just save and preview!
Dear queen of the images,
What size image do you use for TLYDF backgrounds? AND HOW THE HECK DO YOU PUT WRITING ONTO GIMP GRAPHICS???
Love,
Image idiot (aka xparawhorextwerdx)
Well, I don't know which background images you mean. If you are referring to our nifty little posting headers, the answer to that is 662 pixels wide, by however high I feel like making it. I like being high. Wait. Wrong thing. Anyways, if you are referring to the background at the bottom of the page -- the little... weird... paperish thingy that really has no name, then it is 1500 pixels wide. HUUUUGE. But because of its nature, I had to compensate for verying screen resolutions, which is always a real pain in the tit.
As for your second question, you put text into images by clicking on the "TEXT" tool in the Gimp toolbar. Here's a funky little screenshot of that exact location. Once you have it selected, just [left] click once on the image, and a little text box will appear. Type whatcha want, and close it.
Hi,
Question: Is there a way to set a maximum width for a LJ entry?
I've been reading your story at LJ, and I love the graphics, but I have a problem. If I open my browser to full(wide)screen the text spreads out to fill it, which makes reading very, very difficult (especially for a non-native-English speaker... reader). So while I read, I must adjust the width of my browser to make it easier for myself but somehow the text still seems a little too difficult to read and wide for what I'm used to. Maybe that's because I've been instructed that the optimal text width for eyes is about 60 characters which is far less than the Wide Awake entries allow.
rameau
A. Well, the issue here is on my end, not your own, as I have my width set to 90%, and not fixed, like 600 pixels. The reason I do this is to compensate for varying screen resolutions, and so that the annoying people with 800x600 won't have to scroll sideways to read.
Not that I should really care.
Seriously. 800x600? What are you, dinosuars?
Anyways, let this be a note to fellow LJ posters everywhere to set their div widths to pixels and not percentages. I'd had no clue this was an issue. On my next postings, I'll try it out. Thanks!
Dear AG,
What size do you recommend for avatars?
Thanks,
Chris (aka wonkeygirl)
Christina C Photography
www.flickr.com/photos/christinacphotography
A. 100 pixels x 100 pixels, ALWAYS. This is standard for avatars, and though I know, sometimes we want to make it bigger to fit in loads of text, don't do it.
Send your tech questions to angstgoddes003@tlydf.com, and I will embarrass myself -- in one way or another.
Just wanted to say that your instructions for Q#1 (putting a banner on an LJ page) were really good & easy to follow! I now have a banner on mine! So thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the instructions! I am new to LJ, having followed you there. I had been looking everywhere for instructions on doing this stuff! Now my page is all pretty and shit too!
ReplyDeleteHey guys! i just sent an email to angstgoddes003@tlydf.com but got rejected, is the address right? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS AG!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOU SO MUCH MORE NOW FOR EXPLAINING HOW TO PIMP MY LJ!
You should check it out.
Jackson galore...
Thank you for this. I am trying to pull together a community for a friend and I managed to do shit without tearing my hair out and running from the room.
ReplyDelete