How to Make Your Own Blog Header

To start making your header, you will need to have software that is designed for editing/creating graphics. If you want to use Photoshop but have no plans for a profession in graphic design or photography, I highly recommend Photoshop Elements. It can do almost everything the professional version (CS4) can do, it just takes a few extra steps sometimes. You can find discounts or coupons from places like Amazon or Costco. You can also use Paint.net (for free, I haven't used it, only heard about it). Another option would be digital scrapbooking or card-making software like PrintMaster. I used PrintMaster for headers when I first started and it worked great. NEW: Another option for design software: is Pixlr (http://pixlr.com). It is very similar to Photoshop, it's free and requires no download of software. You do everything on the site and you can still save your work to your computer!

Although these instructions use Photoshop CS4, they can be adapted to Photoshop Elements or any other similar software.

**These instructions work best with the Blogger Minima template. (To get this template, follow steps 4-7 here.) If you use another Blogger template, your header may not be centered. Click here to learn how to center it.

Here are the instructions. Remember to click on an image to enlarge it.

1. Before you start, it is helpful to know how wide the space is on your blog for your header. To find out, go to your Design page and click Edit in the box that says "Header". At the bottom of the pop-up window you will see "Image will be shrunk to xxx pixels wide." You will have a number in place of xxx. This means that no matter how big you make your header, Blogger will shrink it down to the width listed.

If the header you create is bigger than the space provided, it will be OK. Blogger will shrink it down to size for you. However, if you make it smaller, Blogger will not stretch it for you. Doing so would make the image look blurry anyway.

To begin making your header, open a new file:

I usually make my headers 900 pixels wide by 450 pixels high. (This is about 12.5 x 6.25 in.) I use a resolution of 72 pixels/inch because some designers have requested that I do so when I use their elements. A transparent background is necessary if you want your header to be a shape other than a rectangle. Otherwise, white is fine.

2. Once your file is open, decorate it however you choose. I use digital scrapbook kits to decorate my headers. If you want to do the same, just be sure to check with the designer before you use any of their kits or graphics for your blog designs. Some do not allow you to use them on the web. Check their terms of use and/or send them an email to ask permission first.

This header was made using Just So Scrappy's kit Hope for Brady.

Add your title and description to the header. 

If you want to make a header that is a shape other than a rectangle, you need to use software that will allow you to save your header as a png file. (Wondering what a png file is? Read here.)

3. Once your header is created, the uploading process is fairly simple. Go to your Design page and click Edit in the Header rectangle:

When a small window pops-up, click "Instead of Title and Description" and "Shrink to Fit". You must do this first or it won't let you later. After you click those two choices, click Browse in the box that says "From your computer". Find the header that you have saved and click Save.

Click View Blog and you are done! You now have your own custom header!