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    Showing posts with label Blogger Templates. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label Blogger Templates. Show all posts

    "A New Day" Blogger XML Template Download

    May 02, 2008 12 Comments

    Here's a new Blogger XML template download for you: "A New Day".

    Take a look at the demonstration blog for this new template to see it in action.

    This is a pale, two column template with a wide posts area and sidebar (which should be wide enough to accommodate most wider styles of widgets, Adsense and possibly video too!).

    You can download both the XML file and the HTML code for this template. Full instructions and download links are provided below.

    Features of this template

    A New Day is a wide two column template, providing ample room for posts and also provision for wider sidebar widgets.

    The header section features an integrated "navigation" links list widget, so you can easily add and edit links to the main pages of your blog.

    Other useful features include:

    • Rounded corners for the sidebar widget headings
    • Fonts and colors can be changed within the "Fonts and Colors" section in your Blogger dashboard.
    • Author comment highlighting (with a different color heading for author's comments)
    • Automatic "copyright" (according to blog title) in the lower footer section.
    • Comment count below post titles
    • Unique header image which spans the entire width of the page.

    Using This Template

    I have tried to ensure this template is as user-friendly as possible! A New Day should work "right out of the box" once this is uploaded to your blog.

    The only thing you may need to configure is the "Link List" widget in the header section, which you can access in the Layout>Page Elements section of your dashboard. In this widget, you can add links to the important pages of your blog (such as your "About" and "Contact" pages. Or if you prefer not to feature such links, you can simply delete this altogether!

    Fixed elements of this template

    The main background, and the background images for the main area of the blog are embedded in the template code. As such, the colors of these areas cannot be changed, unless you are willing to alter these images and upload these to your own image host.

    However, I do plan to bring out a darker version of this template in the near future for those of you who would prefer a darker color scheme for your blogs ;)

    Other than this, all other elements of this template may be changed, including all fonts, font colors and the border colors (which will also alter the color of the sidebar widget borders).

    You can change these elements dynamically from within the Fonts and Colors section of your Blogger dashboard.

    Download Options for this template

    There are two options for downloading this template: the XML template (which should be uploaded to your Blogger dashboard) and the HTML Code (a text based file which you should copy and paste).

    Here are links to each download version, along with full instructions for your to upload this to your blog.

    XML Template Download

    The following is the XML version of the "A New Day" Blogger template. To download this template, right click and choose "Save As".

    Download XML File

    Save this XML file to a convenient location on your computer.

    Then go to Layout>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard. Near the top of this page, you will see a section which appears like this:

    Use the "Browse" button to locate the XML template on your computer, then click on the "Upload" button to upload the "A New Day" template to your blog.

    Once you have uploaded this template, you can then begin to add widgets, change the layout and tweak this template to your needs.

    Read more about uploading Blogger XML templates.

    HTML Code Template Download

    For those who prefer to copy and paste template code for their Blogger blogs, I have also provided the full HTML code for this template as a text file.

    You can view or download this file using the link below:

    Download HTML Code

    You may either view this code by following the link in your browser, or download this text file to your computer.

    To upload this template using the HTML template code, simply highlight all of the text and copy this to your clipboard. Then go to Layout>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard. Highlight all of the code in the box, then paste the new code instead of the existing code.

    Finally, preview your Blogger template to ensure everything looks well. If you have done this correctly, you should receive no errors and can proceed to save your new template.

    Read more about uploading templates using the HTML template code.

    Usage and Copyright Notice

    All images featured in this template are hosted by Blogger Buster; you do not need to host these yourself (unless you would prefer to do so!).

    This template is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.

    Creative Commons License
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

    This means that you may use, redistribute and modify this template in any way you like, so long as you provide correct attribution to the original author of this template in the form of a link back to Blogger Buster.

    I hope that you enjoy this new template as much as I enjoyed creating it! Originally I had planned on using this for a new blog I've been working on, though as I was rather happy with the end result I didn't want to keep this to myself :)

    Please do let me know your opinions or any questions about this template by leaving your comments below.

    Read full post >>

    54 Inspiring and Original Blogger Designs

    April 04, 2008 40 Comments

    When I begin devising a new Blogger template design, the first thing I do is look for inspiration. CSS galleries and design showcases are among the first places I visit to be inspired, but one thing I have noticed is that there are rarely any Blogger powered designs on show!

    So over the past few weeks, I've been searching for the best Blogger powered web designs to provide a source of inspiration particularly for those who use Google's Blogger platform.

    In this article you will see 54 unique and inspiring Blogger powered designs: some of these seem based on generic/free templates, while others are so far from the generic norm that it was difficult to believe these are powered by Blogger at all!

    For your visual pleasure, here are these 54 excellent Blogger powered designs, organized by category. I hope you enjoy looking through these designs as much as I did finding them!

    My Favorite Five

    These designs are my absolute favorites of the bunch, whose designers should be particularly proud of the excellent overall appearance and functionality of their blogs:

    Woork Design and JavaScript

    Woork

    Woork

    Can you believe this site is powered by Blogger? Woork is a magnificent design, and the content is truly awesome! I was glad to have found this site to be able to subscribe and read these great posts, not to mention the inspirational design this is packaged in...

    La Blogueria Blogger Design

    La Blogueria

    La Blogueria

    This monochrome design is truly stunning in every way. SO much work has gone into making every aspect of this design fit with the main theme. Just take a look at the animations and mouseover effects. And don't forget to take a look at the camera-phone in the top left of the screen...

    Lawrie Malen Flash Blogger Template

    Lawrie Malen

    Lawrie Malen

    This mere screenshot cannot possibly give justice to Lawrie's fabulous design. This one really takes my breath away...

    Powered by Flash (yes, I did say flash!), this unique Blogger design is truly inspirational. I have never seen a blog quite like this before, much less one which utilizes Google Blogger!

    Uptime Studio Photo Showcase Blog

    Uptime Studio

    Uptime Studio

    This site is a fabulous example of how Blogger may be used as a CMS (content management system).

    This charitable photography site has been featured in many CSS galleries and uses W3C valid HTML markup. The slideshows are truly stunning and contribute to the overall make up of this beautifully designed site.

    Kokogiak Web 2.0 Blog

    Kokogiak

    Kokogiak

    Kokogiak's design uses so many different functions, including show/hide div animations, Google maps integration, site search... It's wonderfully laid out and one of my favorite ever designs in terms of functionality and a joy to navigate.

    Clean/Simple Layouts

    This section features designs which are clean, simple and well laid out.

     Reddit by the guy who created the alien

    Reddit All

    RedditAll

    This is the personal blog of Alexis Ohanian (who designed the Reddit alien logo).

    Metamorf

    Metamorf

    Metamorf

    I love the rounded corners and subtle color scheme at play here. It's such a pity the author decided not to continue using this blog...

    Why Don't You Blog

    Why Don't You Blog

    Why Don't You Blog

    Simple, yet so effective.

    Twitter Blog

    Twitter Blog

    Never underestimate the power of a simple header image combined with striking images in posts!

    Infinite Thinking Machine Educational Resource

    Infinite Thinking Machine

    Infinite Thinking Machine

    This clean layout perfectly enhances the educational content of this resource site.

    Meta Microcosmos by Yo Misma

    Meta Microcosmos

    Meta Microcosmos

    For me, this design sums up the process of "blogging as journalling". Despite the clean simplicity, there is still excellent attention to detail. Look in the top right hand corner while the page is loading for an example...

    Gem @ Blog

    Gem @ Blog

    It's so easy to find your way around this clean design. The label cloud at the top of the page makes it easy to understand what this blog is all about, while the static link to the top of the page (bottom right) is a touch of classy usability.

    Dev Blog Zone

    Dev Blog Zone

    A clean and professional layout which fits perfectly with the theme of code and development explored through the articles presented here.

    Chase Jarvis Photography Blog

    ChaseJarvis

    ChaseJarvis

    Chase Jarvis' blog was recently featured in Blogger's Blogs of Note. I love how the pale design perfectly sets off the photography and images in the posts. It's well integrated into Chase's complete website, so you can barely tell you are leaving Blogger hosting when clicking on the tabs in the navigation section.

    Ficcionalista!

    Ficcionalista!

    I adore the beautiful simplicity of this design. It's so clean and uncluttered, and the placement of every element seems so well thought out.

    Dark Designs

    In contrast to the previous set, these designs use darker color schemes to great stylistic effect.

    Iran Grafitti

    Iran Graffiti and Urban Art Report

    Iran Graffiti and Urban Art Report

    This is a really unusual design, utilizing expandable DIV sections for different areas of the blog. Iran Graffiti showcases urban art caught on camera in Tehran. It really is worth a visit to see some of the stunning designs featured in this blog.

    Fonsite

    Fonsite

    Fonsite

    This striking design makes great use of PNG transparency and even renders correctly in Internet Explorer.

    Black Zedd Basic Literature

    Black Zedd Basic Literature

    A cynically corporate design (you'd need to read this blog to discover why...) which is pulled off beautifully! The drop down menu and scrolling news ticker really add to the depth of this design.

    Second Life First Person

    Second Life First Person

    Second Life First Person

    I always love to see how people use the Blogger templates I provide here at Blogger Buster, and this customization is truly an excellent example of what can be achieved with a little imagination!

    Feminine Designs

    This set of Blogger powered designs are feminine, girly and inspired by women's interests (candy colored inspiration for all the lady bloggers!)

    Flair in the City Fashion and Shopping

    Flair in the City

    Flair in the City

    I've always admired Angel's Blogger powered design which was originally based on one of Jackbook's Wordpress conversions (though you really can't tell at all which one this was!). Every element of this blog is styled to pretty perfection with an excellent choice of color scheme which really sets of the great content. If only all fashion blogs were so well designed...

    Xiaxue's Blog

    Xiaxue

    Xiaxue's blog is beautifully designed and is such a great presentation of her personality!

    I'm Just A Blogger

    I'm Just a Blogger

    This is such a unique and feminine design. The styling in the header is reflected throughout the template, and the bright colors complement the author's personality in vivid technicolor.

    Homeschool Diaries Blogger Design

    Homeschool Diaries

    Homeschool Diaries

    A lighthearted design makes this homeschooling blog a fabulous place to learn of this mommy's experiences.

    Hip Mama's Place

    Hip Mama's Place

    This "Mommy Blog" is dedicated to fashionable mummies and their trendy offspring.

    Girly Up The Web

    Girly Up The Web

    A couture designers guide to business, life and all things girly.

    A Woman In Full

    A Woman In Full

    This design is truly a work of art. It seems inspired by 1950's style movie posters and is very eye-catching!

    A Mere Trifle, My Dear!

    A Mere Trifle, My Dear!

    Although this is quite a busy design, I love the overall theme of nostalgia: everything is drawn together, from the flock style wallpaper to post images and sidebar icons.

    Immoral Matriach

    Immoral Matriach

    An eclectic combination of old meets new in this striking personal blog design.

    Musicians/Artists/Photographers

    This section showcases some of the best Blogger powered designs written by musicians, artists and photographers.

    Throw The Fight

    Throw The Fight

    Throw The Fight

    This blog utilizes flash, YouTube and other stylish elements in such a great way! Blog posts provide news to fans of the band, another great example of how Blogger may be utilized as a CMS.

    Jupiter One Blog Design

    Jupiter One

    Jupiter One

    Here again, flash is used in the header section to provide fast loading background music.

    Dangerous Muse Blogspot Blog

    Dangerous Muse

    Dangerous Muse

    I love the effectiveness of this simple design, especially the huge "dates" which overlay the actual posting date.

    Project 100 Animals

    Project 100 Animals

    Project 100 Animals

    The simple backdrop is the perfect canvas to highlight the beautiful artwork showcased here.

    Tehran Walls

    Tehran Walls

    A striking design showcasing urban street art in Iran.

    Mid East Collective

    Mid East Collective

    A striking, graffiti style header combined with ultra bright colors in the sidebar creates an eclectic mix.

    Il Disegno

    Il Disegno

    A Manga-inspired blog about design, with intricate attention to detail.

    Fabrizio Fareze

    Fabrizio Fareze

    An excellent showcase of photography is perfectly enhanced by the Polaroid styling of each individual post.

    Alberto Montt

    Alberto Montt

    Here again we see how a simple clean layout can perfectly set off such beautiful artwork. Each post is so well designed with each image framed and styled so well.

    Miscellaneous Designs

    A final collection of Blogger powered designs which were difficult to categorize. All are excellent and inspiring in some way.

    ts0 Screenshot

    ts0

    ts0

    Thom Shannon's blog screams simplicity, yet is so aesthetically pleasing in structure and form.

    Obviously (The Obvious Blog)

    Obviously

    This is the official blog of Obvious, the company behind Twitter. I love the parchment style background combined with the striking red logo.

    The Odeo Blog

    Odeo Blog

    Odeo Blog

    Slick and usable, this blog is branded with Odeo's striking logo and fits perfectly with the main site's theme.

    CrazyBob.org

    CrazyBob.org

    CrazyBob.org

    This design is so sleek and modern, it seems to ooze professionalism.

    Grape Digging Sharon Fruits

    Grape Digging Sharon Fruits

    This design really breaks convention! It's almost as though the blog posts are printed as a label on the jam-jar!

    Spoiler-TV

    Spoiler TV

    This is just one in a series of interlinked "Spoiler TV" blogs written by Dark UFO. It's really hard to tell that these blogs are hosted by Blogger, especially with the attention to detail, the use of DOM tabs in the sidebar (which change to display recent posts, feeds, stats, translations and so on) and the slick menu bars.

    Mi-Microcosmos

    Mi-Microcosmos

    Another stunning design by Yo Misma which encompasses the personality of this creative blogger in both background and attention to detail.

    World United Bloggers

    World United Bloggers

    A collaboration of bloggers from all corners of the world whose message is clearly employed in the striking header. Navigation is simple and well styled, while the sidebar sections are well organized and easily distinguished from the main content.

    Ask The Admin

    Ask The Admin

    This blog has so much personality! Throughout the design and blog posts are funny illustrations, cartoons and such which perfectly enhance the theme of "geeky humor".

    Los Malditos Samurias de Gallaecia

    Los Malditos Samurias de Gallaecia

    For me, this Blogger powered design is Eastern inspired bliss! I love the way even each post title is styled according to the theme; blog authors have their portraits framed in the sidebar and the header is just... amazing!

    Mike Durrett Confidential

    Mike Durrett Confidential

    The style of this humor blog reminds me of Presidential campaigns, though everything on this site feeld as though it's been placed in the correct area. Even the images and quotes in posts are positioned well.

    Inzitan Blog

    Inzitan Blog

    This blog is based on the Magic Paper template, but with a little adaptation this becomes so much more beautiful. By adding the image of the little girl and the flash functionality to the header section, the author has really made this template come alive.

    Tech In-Law

    Tech In-Law

    Tech In-Law

    Here is another Blogger powered design based on an existing template. The unique header design goes a long way to explain for the casual visitor exactly what this blog is all about, while the clean content section is easy to navigate.

    Fresh

    Fresh

    The title of this blog sums up the design completely. Featuring a cool color scheme and no clutter whatsoever, this is a breath of fresh air.

    Awful Announcing

    Awful Announcing

    One of the things I love most about this design is that even the ads complement the general theme! The over-sized navigation buttons near the header set this apart from others of a similar design.

    Basic Instructions

    Basic Instructions

    Scott Meyer's cartoons are brought to life online in this hilarious blog! Each post is a self-contained and perfectly crafted piece of art which will have you rolling on the floor in laughter! This design is mostly monochrome, with the only elements of color appearing in the footer section as links to Meyer's other sites.

    iseen

    The iseen blog. unsaturated!

    the iseen blog

    Vahagn Mkrtchyan's blog is a creative visual resource about art, design, architecture, photography and more. Each post is almost a work of art in itself, stylized perfectly to match the overall theme of rounded corners, use of color and general style.

    Final Thoughts...

    While writing this post, I came across even more excellent designs and had to delay publishing so I could include these too! I know there are many more excellent Blogger powered designs to be discovered and would love to follow up this article with another in the near future. So if you are especially proud of your own Blogger powered design (or know of another blogger's work you would like to see showcased here), feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below.

    If you have enjoyed this post please consider adding this to your favorite social bookmarking service, or subscribe to the feed and receive free updates of new Blogger related articles as they are posted. As always, I would really appreciate your comments and opinions, so feel free to let me know what you think by leaving your comments below.

    Read full post >>

    The Ultimate Blogger Template Resource List

    March 30, 2008 10 Comments

    Searching for Blogger template providers and designers can be a time consuming task. Through my research for various articles posted here, I have discovered many providers of free and custom made Blogger templates which I have listed below by category:

    • Free XML Blogger Template Providers and Directories
    • Classic Blogger Template Providers
    • Professional Blog Template Designers who cater for the Blogger platform

    Where possible, I have also linked to the feed for these sites to help you be updated of new templates as they become available.

    I hope this resource list will be useful for you too!

    Free XML Blogger Template Providers and Directories

    In this section you will find links to sites which provide (or collate) free Blogger XML based layouts.

    BTemplates

    This is the ultimate directory of Blogger XML templates. At the time of writing this post, BTemplates features over 200 free Blogger XML layouts for free download, contributed by many different designers from the Blogger community.

    Templates are organized by theme, style and also by tags which makes it very easy to search for the style of template you prefer.

    Visit BTemplates | Subscribe to BTemplates

    Blogger Templates

    One of the oldest and best known Blogger template resources, which also features useful customization articles for Blogger.

    Templates are organized by category, and there is also a search funtion to help narrow down your preferences.

    Visit Blogger Templates | Subscribe to Blogger Templates

    Blog and Web

    Blog and Web provide an excellent array of Blogger templates which have been converted from popular Wordpress designs.

    This site is written in Spanish, though you can easily translate the page you are reading using Babelfish Translator if you need to.

    Visit Blog and Web | Subscribe to Blog and Web

    Zona Cerebral

    Zona Cerebral features some of the most beautiful free Blogger templates I have ever seen. This site is also written in Spanish and can be translated quickly using Altavista's Babelfish translator if necessary.

    Visit Zona Cerebral | Subscribe to Zona Cerebral

    Jackbook

    Jackbook provides a range of Blogger templates which have been converted from existing Wordpress templates.

    Visit Jackbook | Subscribe to Jackbook

    Blog Crowds

    A wide variety of well-designed Blogger XML templates are available on this useful blog resource site.

    Visit Blogcrowds

    Final Sense

    Final Sense probably has the largest collection of Blogger templates available.

    Visit Final Sense

    K2 Modify

    Some excellent designs to be found on this Blogger hosted resource site. The template used by K2 Modify is available for download, which is probably one of the best this site has to offer.

    Visit K2 Modify | Subscribe to K2 Modify

    Suck My Lolly

    Some beautiful, quirky and feminine designs to be found on this site. Many include customizable header images so you can add your own blog title to the design.

    Visit Suck My Lolly | Subscribe to Suck My Lolly

    Gisele Jaquenod

    Gisele's designs are beautiful, feminine and unique!

    Visit Gisele Jaquenod's Blogger Templates page

    GosuBlogger

    GosuBlogger converts and creates Blogger XML templates. Be sure to visit to see some truly unique designs.

    Visit GosuBlogger | Subscribe to GosuBlogger

    BlogU

    Annie has created some beautiful Blogger templates for free download. Here you will also find some very useful articles about blogging with Google Blogger.

    Visit BlogU | Subscribe to BlogU

    Free Blogger Skins

    A collection of free Blogger XML skins which are easily viewable on the home page.

    Visit Free Blogger Skins | Subscribe to Free Blogger Skins

    Fresh Blogger Templates

    A great selection of Wordpress conversions, many of which can be seen on the front page.

    Visit Fresh Blogger Templates | Subscribe to Fresh Blogger Templates

    e-Blog Templates

    A directory with over 130 free Blogger templates available to download.

    Visit e-Blog Templates

    Gecko and Fly

    Fans of Gecko and Fly's Classic Blogger templates have converted these to XML format which you can download from this site.

    Visit Gecko and Fly's Blogger XML Templates Page

    Our Blogger Templates

    A range of Blogger XML templates in different colors and styles (formerly Dzelque.blogspot.com)

    Visit Our Blog Templates | Subscribe to Our Blog Templates

    Free XML Blogger Templates

    This site features both original and Wordpress conversions for Blogger XML users. Updated regularly with new templates being uploaded often.

    Visit Free XML Blogger Templates | Subscribe to Free XML Blogger Templates

    Classic Blogger Templates

    In this section, you will find links to free Classic Blogger templates which you can download for free.

    BloggerTemplates.org

    There are some exceptional classic templates on this site, including many Ajax-driven designs with extra functionality.

    Visit BloggerTemplates.org

    Template Panic

    A wide selection of classic Blogger templates available on this colorful resource site.

    Visit Template Panic

    Templates for Blogger

    Here you will find some classy and professional designs for classic Blogger templates

    Visit Templates for Blogger | Subscribe to Templates for Blogger

    Blogspot Templates

    Loads of free classic templates available here. You can download and view many of these from the home page.

    Visit Blogspot Templates | Subscribe to Blogspot Templates

    Carl Galloway

    This site features some well designed classic templates (plus a small selection for XML users too).

    Visit Carl Galloway's Blogger Templates page

    Isnaini

    Here you will find an excellent selection of classic template designs. All templates are listed in the sidebar, and there are some true gems to be found on this site!

    Visit Isnaini.com

    Blogger Templates by Caz

    If you're looking for beautiful, feminine classic Blogger templates, this site is a must!

    Visit Blogger Templates by Caz | Subscribe to Caz's Blog

    Blogspot Templates (A Collection)

    Here are some rather unusual and striking classic templates for free download.

    Visit Blogspot Templates | Subscribe to Blogspot Templates

    Noipo.org

    Another collection of unique and inspiring designs.

    Visit Noipo's Classic Blogger Templates Page

    BlogSkins

    There is a huge selection of user-submitted classic templates for Blogger on this site. You will need to search through to find your ideal template though!

    Visit Blogskins

    Blogger Template Designers

    If you're looking for a unique Blogger template design, you can hire the services of a template designer. Here are links to designers who cater for Blogger bloggers. Fees will vary between designers and the complexity of the design you require.

    Blogs Gone Wild

    This is probably the most popular site for custom designed Blogger templates. You can see many examples of Se7en's work in the portfolio section and prices start at $65 for a simple, two column design.

    Visit Blogs Gone Wild

    Everyday Design

    Everyday Design is a favorite among women Bloggers. Everyday Mommy's designs are simple, striking and easy to navigate.

    Visit Everyday Design

    Lunastone Designs

    Lunastone has produced some awesome Blogger powered designs which you can view in the portfolio section. Prices start from $50 for a Blogger design, though only classic Blogger templates are available.

    Visit Lunastone Designs

    Chic & Sassy Designs

    As the title suggests, this designer creates feminine and sassy designs especially for Blogger bloggers. Unique custom designed templates are available to order, and you can also choose from pre-made designs.

    Visit Chic & Sassy Designs

    JudithShakes

    Judith specializes in eye-catching designs which reflect the personality and voice of the personal blogger. She does have rather a long waiting list (which exemplifies the quality of her design work).

    Visit JudithShakes

    Gisele Jaquenod

    Gisele offers custom designs for Blogger and Wordpress as well as her free Blogger templates.

    Visit Gisele's Website

    Ewebscapes

    The professional designers of Ewebscapes can offer you a wholly unique and very well-designed template for your Blogger hosted blog.

    Visit Ewebscapes

    More to add?

    If you host a directory of Blogger templates, or are a professional designer who can cater to Blogger users, please drop me a line and I will add your site to this list.

    I hope you have found this to be a useful resource for all your template needs. If you have enjoyed this post, please subscribe to the full text feed to receive new articles, resources and Blogger news.

    Read full post >>

    Blogger XML Template: Blue Steel (Magazine Style)

    March 24, 2008 31 Comments

    Demo | Download

    Here is a new 'magazine style' Blogger XML template for free download. This template is called "Blue Steel" and features a unique layout for the front page to include extra widgets beneath the main post section (though if you prefer you can use this theme as a regular three column template). Read on for full instructions and to download this unique Blogger template for use in your own blog.

    There are many optional elements to this template. You may either use this as a magazine style theme (featuring more widgets than usual on the home page), or as a regular theme which contains only the main blog posts and two sidebars to the right.

    Features of this template include:

    • An optional magazine style layout for the home page
    • Optional customized recent posts widget for the sidebar
    • Themed icons for sidebar widgets, post features and post options
    • Custom made favicon to match the blog theme
    • Integrated search function
    • Tabbed navigation with easy customization of links
    • Related articles beneath each post on post pages
    • Integrated (optional) post summary hack

    Download the Blue Steel Blogger XML Template

    You can download this template for free using the link below. This is a Zip file which includes the XML template and instructions to upload this template to your blog.

    Download Blue Steel Blogger XML Template (Zip File)

    Option 1: use Blue Steel as a Magazine Style Theme

    If you would like to utilize the full potential of this theme, you will need to change a few settings and make some small changes to the way you usually post.

    Display only one post on the home page

    The ideal number of posts to display when using a magazine style theme is only one. Additional post excerpts will be visible from the "recent posts" widget which I will explain about soon.

    To ensure only one post displays on the front page, go to Settings>Formatting in your Blogger dashboard, and choose "Show 1 Posts" on the front page.

    Utilize the Post Excerpts Hack

    This template includes code for you to show optional excerpts of posts on your front page. This customization was originally written by Ramani of Hackosphere, and is called "Selective Expandable Posts".

    If you would like to utilize this facility, you will need to add a post template to your blog. To do this, go to Settings>Formatting in your Blogger dashboard. Near the bottom of the page you will see a box for you to add a "Post Template". In this box you will need to paste the following section of code:

    Type your summary here
    <span id="fullpost">
    Type the rest of your post here
    </span>
    Then save this setting. Now when you create a new post, you will clearly see where you should write your excerpts and the remainder of the post.

    For more detailed instructions about using this hack, please refer to this article.

    Add the "Recent Posts" widget code to your sidebar

    If you choose to use the magazine-style facilities for this template, you may also like to add the widget to display excerpts of your most recently written posts in the sidebar.

    This widget was originally written by Hans of Beautiful Beta, though I have modified this slightly to make this more suitable for the Blue Steel Blogger template.

    To add this widget to your sidebar, copy all of the code on this page and paste this into an HTML/JavaScript widget in the Page Elements section of your Blogger dashboard. Be sure to replace the section in red with the URL of your own blog!

    Important Notes

    The widgets which appear under the post on the main page will only be visible on the main page. On post pages, these widgets will not appear, so be sure to include important widgets in your sidebar instead.

    Option 2: Using Blue Steel as a regular blog template

    If you would prefer to use Blue Steel as a simple template (IE: not utilize the magazine style elements), all you need to do is delete any widgets beneath the Blog Posts section. The template does not require any additional settings or adjustments to work as a regular template (although you may like to add your links to the navigation bar in the header section. See below for details about this).

    Other settings/widgets

    Certain features of the Blue Steel Blogger template are applicable to both "magazine" and "regular" options.

    Configure links in your navigation bar

    This template comes with a pre-installed link list widget in the top right section of the header. When you upload this template to your blog, this link list will not contain any links at all.

    To add links to the navigation bar, go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard and click on the "edit" link for this link list. You can then add links to the main pages of your blog and these will appear in the navigation section.

    Links in the footer section

    Right at the bottom of your blog template are some links which you can change to reflect the URLs of the main pages in your blog.

    To change these links, find the following section of code in the Edit HTML section of your template:

    <
    <a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='Home Page'>Home</a>
    | <a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='About the site'>About</a>
    | <a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='Contact the author'>Contact</a></span>
    Change the URLs highlighted in red to match those of your important post pages.

    License and Credits

    As mentioned earlier in this post, two of the scripts used in this template were written by different authors:

    You may download, customize and use this template however you choose. However, I do ask that the credits within the template code remain in place and that you do not redistribute this template without my consent.

    Read full post >>

    Blogger template releases for 2/11/08

    February 11, 2008 11 Comments

    Each Monday, you will now find a new feature here at Blogger Buster: listings of the previous week's Blogger template releases, with information information, screenshots and links to the download pages.

    If you are a designer of Blogger templates, please do let me know about your latest releases so I can include them in this weekly digest.

    Zen by SuckMyLolly

    ZenA three column template in hues of green. Both the background and main content background colors can be changed in the Fonts and Colors section of your Blogger dashboard.

    Download includes: a zip file including the XML template file, terms of use (with link to upload instructions) and the header image used in the template.

    Demo | Download

    Hot Hands by SuckMyLolly

    Hot HandsA two column template featuring a header image and customizable backgrounds.

    Download includes: XML template, Terms of use (including link to instructions for uploading the template) and header image.

    Demo | Download

    Dear Diary by Blogger XML Skins

    Dear DiaryWhile this is not such a recent theme, I discovered this after writing the 101 excellent Blogger templa