How you can Create a Custom Header On your Ning Network
If you have only created or are about to make your social network using Ning, let me start by congratulating anyone. You have begun a voyage that may become life-changing for yourself. No doubt you have heard of the significance of online social networking. Well, Ning is a platform that lets you access your social network for free. Listen up, gratis.
Not only is it free, but the tools and features Ning provides allow you to take it to the level you want. There are so many choices for network creators; it’s almost insane. In this article, I will discuss three ways to modify your network header. Designing the header can go further toward making your networking stand out.
First, only a few of the Ning themes allow you to choose this customization. You will have to be sure you are using one of the following themes: Stonewashed, Biomatic Tangerine, Fresh, Newborn Blue, Icy, Royal, Marmalade, Biomatic Emerald, Lawn, Genuine Dark, and Pure Lighting.
Option 1: Use a current background image as a header. This option is the simplest, but as you can imagine also produces a minimal impressive results. When you choose an image for the header, your network name will appear in the header; it will just be displayed on top of the actual header image you select. In addition, the menu items may also be displayed on top of the header image.
If you have not selected a background picture, you can quickly search online about “free background graphics” and locate an image that works for you personally. Once you have identified which picture to use, you will need to perform the following steps (note that only the actual network creator or a good administrator can perform these actions):
1 . ) Go to the Handle tab and click Performances.
2 . ) Scroll beyond the themes and click the Almost all Options tab.
3. ) In the Colors section, you need to see a setting for the Header Image.
4. ) Click on the camera icon and search for the location of your chosen background image.
5. ) Once the image is chosen, click Done. You will also have to select “Tile Image” through the drop-down box next to the actual header image.
6. ) To complete the customization, you must scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Conserve. Note that it may take a few seconds for the changes to be made.
While a current background image can enhance the website’s look, you could make it a step further to have a more polished look.
Solution 2: Modify an existing Photo to use as the header. The other option involves modifying a preexisting image. This option is precious when you want to use a header photo from another website. The only problem with doing this is typical; the header image from the various other websites will need to be revised to fit correctly on your networking web site. For example, I recently planned to utilize an image header that was not wide enough for the network I was customizing.
To eliminate this problem, I will need to develop a copy of the image suited for the other website and then alter it using a graphics editing tool. Since I already have a design editor, this was not a problem personally. If you do not already have a design editor such as Adobe Photoshop, I suggest you download a complimentary Paint variation. NET to change the copied image. Color. NET’s Windows-based software is similar to popular and expensive image editors like Photoshop. The most significant differences are the Color. NET is free as well as easier to use.
The image I use within the social network website should be no wider than 955 -pixels. Unfortunately, the image from some other website was only 755 pixels wide. I know this particular because when I right-click on the image from Internet Traveler and click Properties, I get a property box that shows me the dimensions.
I will need to resize the image to make it more comprehensive. This can be done by executing the following steps:
1 . ) Make a copy of the initial image, so you can always return it if you make an error.
2 . ) Open the actual copied image in Color. NET.
3. ) Click on Image and Resize.
some. ) Change the width price to 955 and just click OK (note that the top should be adjusted automatically).
Aside from resizing the image, I also should remove some of the text which currently appears in it. I’m also able to do this in Paint. Online by performing the following measures:
1 . ) Select the Coloring Picker tool, which appears to be an eye dropper from the Instruments window.
2 . ) Just click in the image area where text appears. After accomplishing this, the background color in this area must show up as the primary coloring in the Colors window.
Several. ) To remove the text, begin by clicking the Paintbrush device in the Tools window. Keep down the left computer mouse key while carefully pulling the paintbrush tool over the image surface.
4. ) Repeat this motion until the textual content no longer appears on the picture. If you make a mistake, you may use the History window to return to a previous change and start over.
Five. ) When satisfied with the result, click File and Conserve As.
6. ) Through the Save As dialog, click on Save, and when prompted to overwrite the file, click on “Yes.” Click OK within the Save Configuration dialog.
When the copied image has been stored, you can return to the Ning social website and change the appearance settings. Follow the ways detailed in Option just one: Use an existing background impression to indicate the to use as the header.
You can also change the text coloring used to display the multilevel name and tagline by specifying the header impression. For instance, if I wanted to use the actual color shade that was utilized in the original image, I could accomplish this by performing the following ways:
1 . ) To determine what color code to use, the image is available using Paint. WORLD-WIDE WEB and used the Color Investor tool. You must click the More option in the Colors window to view the hex code associated with this coloring.
Minimal payments ) Copy the hex code by selecting it with the cursor and clicking Ctrl+c.
3. ) Return to the design properties in Ning, in addition to clicking within the box for any Network Name. You can then stick the color code by pressing Ctrl-v.
4. ) As I am done with my improvements, I just need to scroll up to the bottom of the Appearance options page and click Help save. After a few seconds, the new header will appear at the top of my sociable website.
Option 3: Produce a new custom image because the header This is by far the most challenging option. Unless you are incredibly comfortable working with graphics-based plans, I will hesitate before trying to take on this task yourself. If you are fortunate and your spouse or a friend is a particular graphics person, there might still be hope. I have interviewed additional Ning network creators and asked how they attained their pretty-looking headers. In every case, the network designers had the custom photos created by a knowledgeable friend or perhaps a spouse who did not demand them to produce the image.
There is no doubt that a professional-looking header will help your social network site stand out more. However, if you are not a graphics person and do not know someone who can design and style it for you for free, I have just opted for one of the first couples of options I listed, at the very least for the time being. Also, keep in mind that excellent content is often more important as compared to good design. If your moment is limited, it is better to focus nearly all of your energy on the content.
Read also: How To Locate The Right Web Designer For Your Web…