Please pay attention, if you want to learn. I'm trying to make this as clear as possible. (1) Click
here for a very self-explanatory tutorial. If you don't change anything in particular (IE. other than the pic and colours and fonts) it will turn out very simple, very neat.
(2)
Blogskin-making must-haves. - Notepad. Open it up, it's under START -- ALL PROGRAMS -- ACCESSORIES -- NOTEPAD. This is where you copy-and-paste and edit your HTML to produce a blogskin.
- Blogger. Create a tester blog (link leads to my own) to test out your blogs, so you can check for alignment errors, etc.
- (Optional) Scrap paper and pencil. I like having these by my side to jot down errors, hexadecimal codes (more later), etc., so I don't have to keep flicking between windows on the computer.
- Image host. I use photobucket. Basically, you upload your images onto your account and the site generates a HTML code for your image so you can use it in your blogskin. Also available: imageshack (Google it).
- Hexadecimal codes. Visit december to check it out: they have a huge range of colours, each with their own HTML code. These are basically codes for you to put into your layout, for the background colour, font colour, ETC.
(3) Blogskins use ANGLED BRACKETS (Next to M and ? on the keyboard. Should be.) The one that looks like ( is used to "open" a code (AKA tell the computer to start putting a certain code into action) and the one that looks like ) is used to "close" a code (AKA tell the computer to end the certain code right there). So shortcuts you can use are*:
- (b)blahblahblah(/b). b = bold. make sure you put the / there!
- (i)blahblahblah(/i). i = italic.
- (del)blahblahblah(/del). del= strikethrough.
- (u)blahblahblah(/u). u=underline.
*Replace all ( ) brackets with angled ones!
If you're confident and willing, sign up for blogskins.com (free) and submit your skins, where others can view, download, rate and comment on it. If you submit your skin with a screenshot (should be a PRT SC option on your keyboard, near the top; then CTRL + V or paste it into Paint and save the resultant image as an image on your computer) your skin's also eligible for Skin of the Day (for more info check out the site).
This is a really simple tutorial, there are loads more on the Internet, ESP on blogskins.com. Check out their forums for more details.
phew that took AGES to write. gtg, it's late, BIG YAWN!
