new Online Store’s Website… I made my
own Blog Headers.
Yep Me! She who is technically challenged.
I made this one for Winter –
(This was before my name change…)
– and this one for Spring…
I even made a few Headers as giveaways…
header almost weekly. 🙂
But, that was before the
which was user friendly,
will be beautiful, but there are no flashing bells
Photoshop allows you to create a whole
new level of Headers, but who has
5 years right? 🙂
which you could do on Picnik, which I miss.
collages will come up, but you want to choose
need so I can play around with the look.
On the right side of the screen, click the
Paint Palette icon. This will take you to
a screen that will allow you to do three things.
1) Choose the amount of spacing between
each pic. Just use the slider to get the
spacing desired.
2) You can also round the corners of each pic,
again using the slider.
3) The default color of the space between
each pic is always white. By clicking
on the color palette scale, you can opt to
change this color, as well.
#6: SAVE the Collage!
Up at the top, click the Save Button.
Name your Collage.
Please don’t do as I do and name it
something you will be sure to “remember”
and then spend the next 10 minutes trying to
find it because you can’t remember what
you named it.
(Oh you know YOU do that, too!)
🙂
Now, this is where you need to depart
PicMonkey and borrow the services of
Picassa. Now some of you
PicMonkey Experts may be able to work
around this next step, but I have played
around with it and have not been able to
do this next step that is absolutely needed.
And that is adding space above and
below the image.
Let’s look again at my Blog Header Sample:
See how there is writing both above and
below the pictures? Here is what is saved
in PicMonkey when you create your collage.
There is no space to add any writing.
So…. I go to Picasa, which is a free
software program you can download.
Which brings us to…
(are you still with me? You need some
water? Potty Break? I can wait…)
🙂
#7: Uploading Collage in Picasa
My pictures upload automatically to Picasa,
but you can manually upload your saved
PicMonkey Collage from your hard
drive, too.
Click on the Collage you have uploaded (#1),
then hit the small icon in the
upper left-hand corner as indicated by the
#2 arrow, which is “Create Photo Collage.”
This will take you to another screen, where
you should see the Collage on the left.
Drag the Collage to the large screen to
the right. Click on the Collage, then use
the “wheel” over the Collage to increase
the size, as needed.
I increase the size until it completely fills the
screen but does not go outside the boundaries.
Now, click “Create Collage”
on the lower left-hand corner.
#8: Cropping the Collage
This is how you add the space above and
below the pictures where your Blog Name
will be written.
Use your cursor to “draw” the cropped image
you want. You can leave a little above
and more below, but this is all a design
choice you can decide.
I suggest you also leave a bit of
space on each side, also.
Once you are satisfied with the extra amount
of space, click Apply.
#9: Exporting the Collage
Pretty simple step.
You are now saving the Collage with the added
space at the top and the bottom.
Now – its time to head back over to PicMonkey.
Do you feel like a ball in a pinball machine?
🙂
We’re almost there… a few more steps.
#10) Upload New Collage to PicMonkey
This time, select Edit a Photo.
Select the newly saved Collage from Picasa.
(see how naming your saved work can
get very tricky?) 🙂
#11) Adding Font
Click on the “P” on the left-hand side.
And while we are on the subject of the “P,”
I still have not figured out why it does not have
a “F” for Font or “W” for Writing. P?
Ya’ got me.
Maybe someone could enlighten me.
Ok, sorry for getting sidetracked.
You can choose your font, the color of
the font, the size of the font, and the
placement of the font. You will be
plum fonted out by the time you are through.
*Designer Tip:
Your letters do not always have to be
the same size. For example, you can
make the first letter of each word a bigger
size. I have also been known to
use one font for the first letter, and
another font for the remainder of the word.
Doing this will require you first add the first
letter and size it, then write out the remainder
of the word and then size that.
I try to use at least two styles of fonts
on the headers to create interest.
Don’t think you are producing an episode
of “Font”-asia and go all crazy.
Most important, make sure
it is a readable font!
#12) The Final Step! Save that Puppy!
aka The Final Save!
Save that Header!
Again, name it something you can easily
remember and also in .jpg format.
And that’s it! You have a beautiful,
self-designed, one-of-a-kind
Blog Header – and it didn’t cost you
a single penny.
(My apologies in advance to all Blog Designers!)
I need to disclose I have Blogger, and
I do not know how WordPress works, or
even if it will work at all. You may also need
to play around with the sizing of the Collage.
That is a whole other post. haha
So – do you think you can do it?
Oh, I KNOW you can.
It might take a little trial and error
here and there, but soon you will be on
your way to creating Headers, Buttons,
and more. I may have created a
society of Blog Header Monsters. 🙂
Please email me with any questions
and I promise to answer them all as
quickly as I can.
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Happy Header Making! 🙂
Joining Kim at Savvy Southern Style for
Wow Us Wednesday
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says
No, I can’t do it, but don’t need to now anyway. Lots of great info and no potty break needed. Have you heard of ribbet.com that is on the same format that Picnik was on. I found it through another blogger’s post this week and love it. I was using pic monkey, but today the text part was not working correctly for me so I tried ribbet.
View CommentGlimpse of My World says
i dont have photo shop on my mac… i have photo editor would that work??
View CommentNanaDiana says
Ummmmm…what? lol Did you ever see MY header? Why, of course you did…I don’t have one! xo Diana
View CommentDebra @ Common Ground says
what a great tutorial!! I see a lot of blogs that don’t have their header centered, did you mention the code that you can add to css for that? It’s not easy to center if you don’t have it embedded. I just “googled” how to center header in blogger. and directions come up.
View Commentmarty (A Stroll Thru Life) says
Great tutorial. I love it. Gotta give it a try. Hugs, Marty
View CommentHappy To Be/ Gl♥ria says
Thanks Barb..your the best..Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria
View Comment♥ Sonny ♥ says
I’ve been using psp since corel put out edition 5 which was about 11 years ago. I guess I never realized folks had a hard time with it.
Maybe I should start making headers and buttons lol.
View CommentMiss Char says
This is very helpful, every time I change my header I consider taking up drinking…it never goes well. Thanks so much for sharing.
View Comment❀ JoAnne says
This is great, Barb. I have been using Picasa to make mine but I’ve been meaning to try Picmonkey ~ now I have a great tutorial to help me out! Thanks so much!!
View CommentKathy @ Creative Home Expressions says
I may just give this a try, Barb. I’ve been wanting to have another header that I can trade out to just for a change. I am not very good at this stuff, so I would be very pleased with myself if I got it right! Thanks for the tutorial!
View CommentShirley@Housepitality Designs says
You are the blog header queen!
View CommentShelia says
Hi Barb! You’re so smart and such a great header maker.That doesn’t sound right does it! 🙂 Well, your headers are just gorgeous and thank you so much for the tute! I make mine but they ain’t purdy like yours! 🙂
View CommentBe a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Gail says
This is an AWESOME tutorial! Thanks for sharing!! I’ve pinned it for future reference.
View CommentCeekay-THINKIN of HOME/Doublewide Decor says
Right now I am praising you!! I was able to figure it all out on my own until you had to go to Picassa. Oh…I need to go play now!! Thanks!
View CommentMaree Mortimer says
thank you so much. I love my new blog header!
View CommentKristina Mamott says
It worked! thank you so much!
View Commenthttp://www.kmamott.blogpsot.com
Nicole Waxman says
My header doesn’t fit into my blog (not everything I created shows!) Help 🙁
View CommentAnonymous says
Thank you so much for your easy-to-follow steps. I proudly displayed my first ever blog header. More projects to come. Again, thanks.
View Commentulasansingkat.com
Nicole Price says
Thank you for sharing this information regarding Blogger Header, was very useful
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