I’m back with some blogging knowledge. I like to pretend I know what I’m talking about. For those of you that don’t care about blog headers, there are some cute Ike photos ahead.
First impressions on your blog are important. There are a lot of blogs out there. You need to draw people in as soon as they click on your page. One easy way to do this is by having a nice blog header.
Do you need to spend $100 to have someone design one for you? Nope. You can DIY this one and use that $100 on something important. Like paint. Or fabric. Or chocolate.
Today I’m going to show you how to make a header using Picnik. Yes, the lovely free Picnik that is disappearing soon. I’m actually in denial about the whole thing. I think it’s one big April Fool’s day joke. I’m on to you Google. I have Photoshop Elements. I’m just too lazy to use it. Okay, I did use it on my current header but I also said a lot of swear words while making it. I used Picnik for my first header. And I made it without swear words. Anyone remember this?…
Memories.
Now it’s time for you to make your very own photo header.
Step 1: Head on over to Picnik and find the collage option. (It keeps moving on me. Oh my, I’ll never be able to learn PSE.)
Step 2: Pick one of the rectangular collage options. I’ll choose the one with 4 photos.
Step 3: Upload the photos you want to use in your header, and drag and drop them in the frames where you want them. You can mess around with all of those fun buttons on the left. I think the proportions option is quite helpful. You can also change the background color here as well. Click “Done!” when complete.
Step 5: Next you will want to include your blog name in your header. Click on the "Text" button at the top of the page. Type your blog name in the box. You can select the font, size, and color at this time as well.
I wanted my title to have different fonts so I just created multiple text boxes.
Step 6: Click “Save and Share” at the top when you are finished.
Step 7: Change your file name and dimensions on this screen. ~94% is good for most blog widths. You may need to adjust this if yours looks a little off after uploading it to your blog. Click the “Save Photo” button and save the file to your computer.
Step 8: My advice now continues in Blogger. I figure if you are taking advise from me you should be using a simple blog format like the lovely Blogger because I really should be giving layout advice. Click design from your dashboard. Next click the edit button next to the header.
Step 9: Next to "From your computer" click "browse”. Locate the file you previously saved to your computer to upload the photo. Once that is complete, make sure to select the button that says "Instead of title and description." Then click save.
Step 10: Enjoy your pretty new blog header that took less than 5 minutes to make.
Okay, you might want to spend more than 5 minutes on it. The Furry Dog Blog doesn’t exist so I decided to not waste any more time than necessary on it. I’m going to use that time to comb the dog instead. So furry.
Anyone find this helpful? Who’s going to teach me PSE? Any good April Fool’s Day jokes out there? Who wants to brush my dog for me?
I’m back with some blogging knowledge. I like to pretend I know what I’m talking about. For those of you that don’t care about blog headers, there are some cute Ike photos ahead.
First impressions on your blog are important. There are a lot of blogs out there. You need to draw people in as soon as they click on your page. One easy way to do this is by having a nice blog header.
Do you need to spend $100 to have someone design one for you? Nope. You can DIY this one and use that $100 on something important. Like paint. Or fabric. Or chocolate.
Today I’m going to show you how to make a header using Picnik. Yes, the lovely free Picnik that is disappearing soon. I’m actually in denial about the whole thing. I think it’s one big April Fool’s day joke. I’m on to you Google. I have Photoshop Elements. I’m just too lazy to use it. Okay, I did use it on my current header but I also said a lot of swear words while making it. I used Picnik for my first header. And I made it without swear words. Anyone remember this?…
Memories.
Now it’s time for you to make your very own photo header.
Step 1: Head on over to Picnik and find the collage option. (It keeps moving on me. Oh my, I’ll never be able to learn PSE.)
Step 2: Pick one of the rectangular collage options. I’ll choose the one with 4 photos.
Step 3: Upload the photos you want to use in your header, and drag and drop them in the frames where you want them. You can mess around with all of those fun buttons on the left. I think the proportions option is quite helpful. You can also change the background color here as well. Click “Done!” when complete.
Step 5: Next you will want to include your blog name in your header. Click on the "Text" button at the top of the page. Type your blog name in the box. You can select the font, size, and color at this time as well.
I wanted my title to have different fonts so I just created multiple text boxes.
Step 6: Click “Save and Share” at the top when you are finished.
Step 7: Change your file name and dimensions on this screen. ~94% is good for most blog widths. You may need to adjust this if yours looks a little off after uploading it to your blog. Click the “Save Photo” button and save the file to your computer.
Step 8: My advice now continues in Blogger. I figure if you are taking advise from me you should be using a simple blog format like the lovely Blogger because I really should be giving layout advice. Click design from your dashboard. Next click the edit button next to the header.
Step 9: Next to "From your computer" click "browse”. Locate the file you previously saved to your computer to upload the photo. Once that is complete, make sure to select the button that says "Instead of title and description." Then click save.
Step 10: Enjoy your pretty new blog header that took less than 5 minutes to make.
Okay, you might want to spend more than 5 minutes on it. The Furry Dog Blog doesn’t exist so I decided to not waste any more time than necessary on it. I’m going to use that time to comb the dog instead. So furry.
Anyone find this helpful? Who’s going to teach me PSE? Any good April Fool’s Day jokes out there? Who wants to brush my dog for me?
I need to make a new blog header. I kind of recycled it from my last template and it doesn't actually fit. Awesome. All-Star Blogger award for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso? I like Furry Dog Blog. You should start that up. I'd subscribe!
Thanks for the tutorial! I also would follow Furry Dog Blog. Is Ike getting his own blog? :)
ReplyDeleteHe is so darn cute! I just want to snuggy with him all day. P.S. Grandma will also use your comb Ikey and make you all soft and furry. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial! I've never heard of picnik before so I'm kind of bummed it'll be closing soon.
ReplyDeletei love this! I need to spice up my header. I am in denial about picnik, it can't happen. I'm pretending like it is not happening so that I don't have to figure out how to do this in PS. PS is even harder than PSE and requires a lot more swear words!
ReplyDeleteOur header straight up sucks. I'm very happy to write content for our blog, but I'm very intimidated by any drawing program, not because I don't know how to use it, but because I'm an engineer not an artist. We need a facelift big time. Thanks for the picnik find. I have a feeling I'll be abusing/crashing their site over the next couple days!!
ReplyDeleteNice tutorial! I could help you with Photoshop. But you have to promise not to direct your swear words at me.
ReplyDeleteLast April Fools I posted a sonogram photo on my facebook page. Everyone must have forgotten that it was April Fools because like 300 people were all "Congrats!" and "OMG, YAY!!!" To top it off my cousin told my mom, who called me fah-reaking out. She even used my middle name. I'm tempted to do it again this year, but maybe I'll swap a human fetus for an alien fetus.
Lots of helpful pointers :)
ReplyDeleteI used photoshop elements 7 (yes I am stuck 10 years in the past) to make my blog header and it wasn't too bad -- but then again I've been using the same program since I was a teenager so my cussing is usually at a minimum with PS.
Thank you for all of your great blogging tutorials. I just started my own blog last week and I'm slowly making it my own after using free templates from very generous people to get it up and running. I'll definitely be trying this out. Added to my blog to-do list!
ReplyDelete- Claire @ http://alittlesomethinginthemeantime.blogspot.com
I'm in denial about Picnik too. I'll never understand it. I snub my nose at anything else until I'm F.O.R.C.E.D to use it.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I don't use Picnik is because I own PSE, but darn it, I don't have a clue how to use it, I usually rely on my 18 year old brother for help! And you are so right, you don't need to spend money on your blog to personalize it, if you do your research, or bother someone who knows (wink, wink) you can make your own headers, buttons etc. Thanks for the tutorial.
ReplyDeleteI too am in denial about Picnik....so so sad. It's just such an easy easy application to use. Maybe someone else with come out with an app like Picnik. I would love to stay in denial thinking this is just an Aprils Fool joke! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this tutorial & Ike is such a bomb!!
I vote for a blog name change to Furry Dog Blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm beyond depressed about Picnik! I used it to create my blog header and button. I don't want it to go away! :(
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this - I did mine! That stinks it's going away
ReplyDeleteI took a three-part Photoshop Elements course (Christmas present from the dogs) and I still run back to Picnik every chance I get. It's just so much easier!
ReplyDeletewww.turtlesandtails.blogspot.com
Nicely done! I definitely think you need to create a "Furry Dog Blog" because the header you created is perfect. I use Photobucket which might be a good substitute for all you mourning Picnk's early demise.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! My current blog header is one I made in Picnik. I am actually scrambling to make a new one since Picnik is shutting down. Darn Picnik!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is too funny! I was just changing up my blog design yesterday, and the header gave me the most trouble. I think I got it all figured out, but Hubby and thecutestblogontheblock tips helped. I love that you made it from scratch, and I'm with you on the Picnik thing - I hope it's a joke too!
ReplyDeletePS- Your house is so pretty! It actually looks a bit like the house we're building now!
If you want something easy to use after picnik is gone use picasa. Thats what i use for mine and it was very similar and just as simple. And free and its made by google so obviously easy and blogger supported etc.
ReplyDeleteI would love to spend 100 bucks on chocolate. MMMMMMMM
Ok that was easy. I love picnik and I NEVER knew there was even a collage option! I'm even more sad that it's going to be gone soon now!
ReplyDeleteI have PSE and Photoshop CS2 and I really like the programs but I only know about 0.5% about them :/ I need to learn!
Hi, I'm Sharon from Australia. I have been reading your blog for ages now, but only just clicked the follow button. I love seeing photos of Ike, he looks like he has personality plus! You also have a beautiful home. Thanks so much for the tutorial, i have been wanting to put a collage header on my blog for ages...but just never knew how. I followed your steps and it was easy! Thanks once again. Looking forward to seeing lots more photos of Ike and your beautiful home.
ReplyDeleteNow that we know that Furry Dog Blog could be a thing, the Ike fan club demands it.
ReplyDeleteFor me there were a couple big hurdles to wrap my mind around before photoshop became a lot more intuitive. And it's not quite like playing around with a digital camera to figure things out because there's that initial problem of "what does this even do and why isn't it working?"
Once Picnik goes down, the closest way to do a collage in photoshop is to go to FILE and scroll down to 'place...'.
I'm so sad that Picnik is going away. I've been using Pixlr which is similar, but not as user friendly. I do like that Pixlr has a photoshop like program, kind of like Gimp. Your doggie is so freaking cute. I smile everytime I see him.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it going to take to make this furry dog blog thing happen? I'm all in. I'll be Ike's first follower.
ReplyDeleteNice! My only issue is that the photos are blurry - like low resolution or something but I have all the archival quality things checked. For some reason when I make the collage it converts them. I guess I'll keep tinkering! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this tutorial! I've been wanting to change my header for the longest time, but was clueless about using PhotoShop. This was so simple. I plan to make up some more headers before Picnik closes & just store them until I want to use them. Photos of Ike were so cute!
ReplyDeleteCAS
Thanks for sharing. I had a little bit of trouble trying to get the color from the black until I finally realized where it was. One would think that the lettering could be black but I couldn't find that. I'll make a couple more headers before they take it away. Again, thanks for sharing. I found this through the above...CAS.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm following!
DeleteThanks so much, I just did this and now I feel that my blog has grown up a little.lol Anyway, it wasn't hard at all and I feel so darn bad that Picnik is going away. Again thank you!
ReplyDeleteRondell
I am so sad about picnik...i dont get it, and i have no idea what the alternative will be for an EASY seamless alternative to make blogger banners. If anyone can help? @littleblogdress
ReplyDelete