After installing WordPress and creating your first website, second step is to select a good WordPress theme. Default WordPress theme is good for starting your website, it is responsive, nicely coded and contains all important features a website owner needs. After picking a good WordPress theme, your next step should be its customization.
Most WordPress themes allows you to use custom header images and backgrounds, you can upload the image from your computer, crop it and use it on your website’s header. Headers images can be anything from your favorite photo to a slick, graphically designed banner, your website’s logo or may be your own photo. Header size depends on what theme you are using like some photoblogging themes provides you big header images where as tumblelog themes provides you small or no headers.
Backgrounds can also be either of those things, or you can simply use your favorite color as your website’s background.
Both header images and background are set from your admin area dashboard. If a theme allows you to use custom headers or custom background or both then the option will be present in your admin section’s appearance menu. No matter what theme you use, the option will always be accessible from Dashboard -> Appearance -> Header / Dashboard -> Appearance -> Background page and also from the Dashboard -> Appearance -> Customize screen.
How To Use A Custom Header Image?
Login to your WordPress admin area and follow the given steps:
- Visit Dashboard -> Appearance -> Header page
- Click ‘Browse‘ button and select an image from your local drive. (Or click ‘Choose Image‘ and select an image from your media library)
- Click ‘Upload‘ button, after the image is uploaded you will be directed for image cropping page
- Click and drag mouse to select the image area for cropping and then click ‘Crop and Publish‘ button
That’s it. The image has been published, check it by visiting the frontend of your website. All uploaded header images are saved in Dashboard -> Appearance -> Header page and you can republish them anytime you want.
How To Use A Custom Background?
Login to your WordPress admin area and follow the given steps:
- Visit Dashboard -> Appearance -> Background page
- Click ‘Browse‘ button and select an image from your local drive. OR click ‘Choose Image‘ and select an image from your media library. OR click ‘Select Color‘ button and pick a background color.
- Click ‘Upload‘ button, after the image is uploaded you will be presented with a new set of options including image align, no-repeat background, tiled background etc
- When you’re done, click ‘Save Changes‘ button to publish the new background.
If you want to go deep in customizing your website’s theme then try following WordPress plugins:
- Styles: With this plugin you can easily personalize the designs of most WordPress themes. The plugin provides you creative control in one consistent interface – the WordPress theme customizer. It simply lets you make your website your own.
- Theme Tweaker is another WordPress plugin that lets you visually customize your website’s theme colors. It grabs all existing theme colors and then lets you modify them either by typing the color codes or by using its color picker.