Blogger Template Hacks

In a previous post, I talked about the substantial learning curve for someone new to blogging. One of the greatest challenges for me has been to gain control over the Blogger template and find ways not only to put my own stamp on it, but to remedy limitations.

There are strong arguments for taking the time to customize a template. While the default Blogger templates are attractive and well-designed, there's a danger in using a canned template right out of the box, with no modifications. Your blog will not stand out. Worse, depending on the template chosen, it could look just like thousands of others out there.

To avoid that, I chose a bland but attractive template that would lend itself to subtle changes. In the past few days, I have made a number of modifictions, including:

• converting to a three-column layout
• placing a single background graphic
• placing tiling background graphics
• adding categories, which the Blogger tool lacks
• adding a link that gets inserted automatically in postings
• changing font size or typeface
• disabling the Blogger navbar
• and customizing the blog header, which included:


• Linking prominently to my feed
• Formatting header content to emphasize the link
• Inserting a logo graphic in the header

If you're used to having complete control over HTML and/or CSS, tweaking the code generated by an automated content system like Blogger can be disorienting. If you're not used to XML, there's an even steeper learning curve.

I'm thinking that perhaps what I've discovered through this exercise will be of use to others, so I'll post the details here over the next few days. To get these automatically, take a moment to subscribe to my feed.