Xanga Skin Help, a few questions Options

[Jeng]

okay i have a few questions about making a xanga skin.by the way, its my first one.

1] how big are skins usually are, or how big should i start off with?
2]

you can also image map on ImageReady by clicking the "Image Map" tab. If you're image mapping on ImageReady, click the "Internet Explorer" icon on the left toolbar for your code.

when i type where i want my links to be on the skin on photoshop and then go to image ready to try to image map, im confused on how to make my 'sign in' and etc to be links.

:] thats the questions for now. thanks if you help me :]

[Eryi]

1) The images can be any size, but it'd be better if your image didn't go from left to right, so that we'd need to scroll over.

2) Okay, put your image up in ImageReady, press the Image Map tool and make a box where ever you want on the image. There should be a box at the bottom or something that you can fill in. Insert the URL, after that go to Edit >> Copy HTML >> All slices.

[Jeng]

2] hmm make a box around my text?

3]--how about where my blog area..do i make a box on photoshop there before i go to image ready to imagemap?

[Eryi]

Are you hoping for a table layout or just an image layout?
If an image layout then yes, make a blog space & then add some text on the image and imagemap.

[Jeng]

ive been searching around for examples..i came across this [http://www.createblog.com/skins/preview.php?id=6455]

4] do i put text in for the 'about me'/titles and all the module stuff..or is the in the code for the html stuff? <goes with question 5 sort of>

5] and on the navigation part on that skin, do i just type in 'sign in,sign out,etc..' in photoshop first then go to image ready to image map to make them links directing you to the other sites?

heh if any of that is confusing or you dont understand please say so, i cant describe very well with what im trying to say.thanks if you help me with all these questions.

[Eryi]

If you want a table layout, there is no need for image map,.

[Jeng]

whats the difference between table layout and image one?..

[Eryi]

The table layout has a module for the links and stuff & image layout is just a image mapped navi layout w/o a module, the image has all the links.

[Jeng]

i want to start off with the image layout first.

[Eryi]

Well you can combine both together, but I've never experimented that.

[Jeng]

okay..i have my picture/image im going to use for this skin, question is, how big should the document be..like the height so i can fit a blog space area also.the image itself is 457x343.

[Eryi]

I guess that could be alright.

[Jeng]

er the question is how big should my document/SKIN should be.thats the image size.
1] how big should the skin be along with the image

2] CLICK HERE
in that one,how do you make the background black and it blends iwth the image...like this CLICK HERE with the blue. do you see what i mean..blending the blog area with the image

[Eryi]

How big should the skin be? Whaa? It can be as long as it wants.

It's becoming a web design thing now.
I'm moving this.
TOPIC MOVED: WEB DESIGN

[Jeng]

eh ya but...can u give me an example of how big in height. its my first one ;x

[Eryi]

Is your layout similar to the layout I made?
(Go to my profile >> Press 7 >> Tama Postcard)
Does it look like that? If so, it's okay for the image size to be like the one I made or it can be some what larger.

[freeflow]

er the question is how big should my document/SKIN should be.thats the image size.
1] how big should the skin be along with the image

2] CLICK HERE
in that one,how do you make the background black and it blends iwth the image...like this CLICK HERE  with the blue. do you see what i mean..blending the blog area with the image

1) IT doesn't matter. Just don't make it overly huge. If its just a banner try 500x500 doesn't matter at all just play around with your own sizes till you like it.

2) To blend the background into the image select part of the image (the bottom part) and feather it.

[Jeng]

k thanks toya about that one.
next question is....

1] see HERE
well nex to the whole skin its like dark blueish/blackish, how would you do that part?or is it the background color..or.. its just the extra space and the person who made it just filled it in after?

2] on the same site for that skin, see th eblue under the image, how do you create that part of it..like where the blog is

[freeflow]

1) I think its just extra space.
2) Get your marquee or square tool then make a big square/bok for how much blog space you want and that would be your space. But when codeing it refer to the xanga skin tut in the tuts section so that you understand how to make your bg repeat.

[Jeng]

okay im at the point of image mapping
1] what tool do i use in image ready to make what i want to be a link to box around? and what do i do to make it a link..[im trying to make the navigation on my image..sign in..sign out..all that stuff to be links]

also my image map box is disabled some how ..


unless the next step makes it enabled once you help me

[Eryi]

It's like a glove with a finger sticking up followed by a box.

[Jeng]

ok i inserted the url for 'sign in' how do i make it a link now

[freeflow]

I don't really suggest imageready its a bit more complicated use this:
http://www.pcoward.com/imagemapper/stage1.asp
its way easier and they have good instructions

[Jeng]

erm ya about that..im almost done i think

its just ..i just inserted the url for 'sign in' in the image map box and i dont know what to do next. :|.. help ;x

[Eryi]

Create more links and image map them, when you're done go to Edit >> Copy HTML >> All slices.