How to install Blogger expandable post summaries

This is an oldie but a goldie. One of the first things I did when I created the first version of this blog early last year was to hunt around for a way to implement expandable post summaries.

There are a few ways to accomplish this but I eventually opted for this method…

10 tips for writing better blog posts

Some of them are common sense, some you wouldn’t necessarily think of – but here are my top 10 tips for writing better blog posts (in no particular order)...

How to hide the Blogger Navbar

I’m not a huge fan of the Blogger Navbar – it sits at the top of our Blogger blogs looking incongruous and ugly.

It also makes it easy for malevolent readers to flag our blogs (whether it’s deserved or not) and/or navigate to a new one.

You may have noticed that the Blogger Navbar is not visible in any of my blogs. Sure the little sucker is technically still there but I made it invisible using a simple CSS trick.

Here’s how you hide your Blogger Navbar…

How to customise your Blogger Minima header section

A visually striking logo image or banner is one of the best ways to make your Blogger blog stand out from the crowd but the standard Blogger header management system has its limitations.

Here’s how you go about putting anything you like in your Blogger Minima header section…

Minima template header tutorial (Part 1)

If you want to quickly give your Blogger blog a distinctive look then the header section is a great place to start. Here’s how you go about customising the header of the Blogger Minima template…

Always back-up your Blogger Templates!

There's a cardinal rule when customising your Blogger templates - always back them up first! I get quite a lot of mail which usually goes something like this...

Troubleshooting 3 column Minima layout

Custom 3 column Minima Blogger templates are very popular, but a lot of people seem to run into problems when trying to implement them. Here are some of the common problems and fixes.

How to create smooth gradient backgrounds

For the longest time I’ve experimented with gradient backgrounds but it was only recently that I discovered how to get rid of that annoying ‘banding’ effect…

CSS image captions for Blogger

For some strange reason Blogger has no built-in facility for creating image captions. Thankfully I managed to track down a great captions system that relies purely on CSS styling…

Add a ‘top of page’ nav anchor to Blogger

Forcing readers to scroll through long pages can be the death knell for any aspiring blog. Thankfully it’s really easy to install a ‘top of page’ arrow image to streamline page navigation in Blogger blogs. Here’s how you do it…

How to add a Favicon to your Blogger blog

Favicons are a fantastic way to give your Blogger blog a little added flair and panache. They also happen to be dead easy to create and install…

Custom background images for 3 column Minima

Well designed background images are one of the best ways to make your blog stand out from the crowd. They can also make it easier for readers to access your content. Here’s how you do it…

Blogger 3 column Minima layout

The standard “Minima” Blogger template consists of an outer wrapper containing a header, a content wrapper (which is split into 2 floating columns) and a footer. So how do you create a 3 column layout?

Creating your own blog using Google Blogger

If you’re reading this I’ll assume that you want to start your own blog. And why wouldn’t you? Blogs are empowering. A blog allows you to reach out and connect with a vast potential audience or, if you prefer, a small intimate one...