How Can I Edit My WordPress Theme? (Part 2)
Change the header image. In many cases, this one change is simple to do, and goes a long way to personalizing your blog. Usually, the images are stored in the same directory as the theme itself, or a subdirectory (for example, the Default theme is stored at /wp-content/themes/default/ and the header is at /wp-content/themes/default/images/kubrickheader.jpg). Just open the header and add your own photo. Make sure to keep the size, as that’s tricky to adjust, and if the image has ‘extras’ in it (such as the Default theme, where the image also includes the blog frame) then consider another theme - and save the tricky image editing for another time.
Edit the sidebar. If your theme is ‘widget ready’, you can add items into the theme (such as an email form), and move them around in the Presentation section of WordPress Admin. For this, select the theme, and in the Presentation tab and Widgets subtab, scroll down and add a text item; then scroll up and add the code to it (the easiest way to try it out is practice with the Default theme, which is widget enabled). Note that although ABTheme allows widgets, you create and move them around in the ABTheme’s CodeInsert and Layout subtabs, rather than in the Widgets subtab.
Avoid the top menu, or edit it. Most menus along the top will require some form of editing. Despite their looking very nice, if you’re not comfortable with PHP and HTML editing, you may want to avoid them for now, and use a theme that puts items just in the sidebar (like Default). However, if you want you can add the links yourself by loading the theme’s header.php file into a text editor (NOT a Word Processor like Word or OpenOffice, which could garble the text). I’m a fan of the free PSPad program for this task. The disadvantage is that if you aren’t comfortable with PHP and HTML, it’s possible to break the theme, so make sure you have a backup copy before you start.
| ActiveBlogging.com - for information on making your blog successful! Get information like this - and more - inside! Details here or Join Today! |
