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changing column width in Redoable Lite

  1. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Hi all.

    Short version: Is there a way to change the main column width in Redoable Lite? And if so, to do this without hosing the posts I've already written?

    We had our blog in place for a few months, with a solid handful of posts (http://blog.creativeindulgence.com/). With help, I modified some of the CSS stuff (but certainly not an expert).

    As photographers, it'd be far better if I could make our columns a good deal wider (allowing us to post larger photos).

    Thanks in advance for your help!
    Jerry

  2. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Hi again - politely refreshing to see if anyone can help...

    Many thanks!
    Jerry

  3. devblog
    Member

    It certainly is doable, but it'd require some tweaking...

    I think I can help, but I don't promise to work on it today. I might have something for you by Friday or the weekend. If you don't mind waiting, I'll see what I can do.

  4. thesacredpath
    Member

    The CSS on redoable is done in a strange way and isn't straightforward like other CSS where you can quickly find the "container" for the posts and simply change the width (although typically you have to change more than one thing), and from what it appears like to me, it will take changing a bunch of stuff to increase the width of the post area and they will all have to be changed by the same amout so that nothing overlaps.

    If you had posted this in the CSS forum, then Devblog would have seen it and probably popped in to give you a hand, but he only really checks the CSS forum. If I were to figure it out it would probably take me a week or more. Devblog could probably do it in less than an hour.

    Perhaps it would be best to mark this thread resolved and then post the same thing in the CSS forum so Devblog will see it. It may take a day or so because he has a day job.

  5. thesacredpath
    Member

    Ah, and he did find it so all is well, relatively speaking.

  6. devblog
    Member

    I forgot to ask, how wide do you want the post column to be?

  7. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Devblog and sacredpath - thank you for the replies!

    Devblog - if you can identify the key "stuff" that would be awesome!!! Perfectly happy to wait...

    Again, many thanks!

  8. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    P.S. My blogs (both using the same theme, each customized a bit to match their parent web site) are

    1. http://blog.creativeindulgence.com
    2. http://blog.jerryandlois.com

    Thanks again!
    j

  9. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    2nd PS

    Not sure yet what the new width should be - if I know what fields to change, I'd probably tweak this myself 'til I have it looking the way I want.

  10. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Sorry - one last PS:

    If you look at the blog for Creative Indulgence, we currently are limited to images that are about 500px wide. Goal is to be able to have them wider, where appropriate, up to 800 px (if desired).

  11. devblog
    Member

    gimme a few minutes, I'll have the changes before long tonight.

    It's gonna take me less time than I previously thought so I'll post them here as soon as I have something.

    In my changes, I'm setting the width to 950px.

    Also, you didn't need to post the whole CSS code in the editor. When modifying an existing theme, it's recommended to check the "add to exisiting CSS" radio button and just add your changes in the editor.

    Stay tuned.

  12. devblog
    Member

    Also, I noticed that you uploaded a custom header image, reset it to its original image. We'll add your new header image using CSS

  13. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    fantastic!

    for use w/the editor... since I don't speak much CSS, I was basically copying the entire body of code to a local editor, making one or two changes, pasting everything back.

    Some of the original changes that were made when I set the blog up were mods to the original CSS instead of additions (as I understood things at that time).

    I'm sure there's a better way, but this was how I ensured I wasn't breaking anything (always had the original code I could revert to, if needed).

    staying tuned :) ...

  14. devblog
    Member

    Okay, add 200 pixels to the width property of the following selectors:

    1. #header
    2. #header_content
    3. #page
    4. #alt_menu
    5. #footer

    Also in the #header_content selector, change the current background property to this:

    background:#000 url('http://creativeindulgencephotography.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/ci-logo-for-wordpress-blog-header-730x1803.jpg') 0 0 no-repeat;

    If you don't want to reset the header to its original image as I'm suggesting above, just add the "!important" rule at the end of the background selector so it'd read like this:

    background:#000 url('http://creativeindulgencephotography.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/ci-logo-for-wordpress-blog-header-730x1803.jpg') 0 0 no-repeat !important;

    That should widen your post column.

  15. devblog
    Member

    BTW, those are some awesome pictures!

  16. devblog
    Member

    I'm sorry, don't add anything to the #header_content selector. By mistake I included it in my list above. Just change its background property. That's all.

  17. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Devblog!!!!

    Beaucoup thanks for the info.

    I'll be applying this tomorrow. Thank you SOOOO much!

    One other question that's totally unrelated to this topic: Is there a way to control what graphic is used for the itty bitty icon next to my blog address in the browser. Currently, it's the default WordPress graphic, but I'm pretty sure I've seen other WP blogs that customized that to their own look.

    Thanks so very much for your help!!!
    Jerry

    PS - thanks for the comments on the photos. Very appreciated. There's more at our commercial site, http://www.jerryandlois.com (especially in the wildlife and personal galleries). Cheers...

  18. thesacredpath
    Member

    Yes, they call it a blavatar here. I guess that is for "blog Avatar.

    http://support.wordpress.com/avatars/blavatars/

  19. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Cool! Thanks "sacred"

  20. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Hi Devblog -

    Made the changes and previewed them. I haven't yet committed them, as I ran into a few more questions please...

    1. I tried both suggestions for the header, but couldn't see a difference between one and the other (and don't know what the code difference is supposed to accomplish

    2. There was no width field for the #header_content, so I just added this to match the other widths.

    3. How to center images... If you try to save any of the images that I've put copy protection on (via HTML, you'll only get a GIF transparency - exactly as I want. However, by doing this (via the HTML editor for a given post), I can no longer center-align the protected image. On the current blog that's not so bad. But when I make this wider, that'll leave a lot of empty space to the right of the photo, and it's ugleeeee. Is there a way to get this to center itself? I had played with various editor tools, but didn't work. Here's a sample of the wrapper code for a single protected image so you can see what I'm talking about:

    4. In the CSS editor, there's an option that reads: Limit content width to 655 (default). How does this affect the changes if I made the columns wider (or does this not matter)?

    5. MINOR: There's some weird repaint "stuff" that I was never able clean up (so you can still see it on the current blog). This persists if making everything wider of course. In particular, if you look at the top of the 2nd image (swans in a basket), off to the right and just below the topline of the image, you'll see where there's a strange thing going on with the right boundaries of the light grey and medium grey sections. There's a portion where that's about 15 pixels wide where there's a discontinuity. Scrolling the entire blog down and then back up will expose this. Playing with other windows over this will sometimes make it show, sometimes it'll go away. Just a bit weird (and nothing the casual reader would likely notice. I'd attach a screenshot if I knew how...

    Again - many thanks!!!

    Sorry for the add'l q's!!!

    Best,
    Jerry

  21. devblog
    Member

    1. I tried both suggestions for the header, but couldn't see a difference between one and the other (and don't know what the code difference is supposed to accomplish

    When you upload a custom image header via Appearance > Themes > Options > Custom Image Header, WordPress adds this:

    #header_content {
	background:#900 url(http://creativeindulgencephotography.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/ci-logo-for-wordpress-blog-header-730x1803.jpg) center repeat-y;
}

    So, for your changes to take priority over what WordPress adds, you add the "!important" rule. If you reset the image, then that code is not added anymore and you don't need to add the rule when writing your own definitions.

    2. There was no width field for the #header_content, so I just added this to match the other widths.

    Yes, that's why I said:

    I'm sorry, don't add anything to the #header_content selector. By mistake I included it in my list above. Just change its background property. That's all.

    3. How to center images

    At the very end of your CSS, add this:

    .post table  {margin: auto;}

    That should center your images

    4. It doesn't matter

    5. I'll check it out and as soon as I have an answer I'll let you know

  22. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    (Sorry devblog - can't help it: you're amazing... People would normally have to pay for what you're offering here. And by "here" I mean the forum in general, not just this thread.)

  23. devblog
    Member

    Thank you, panaghiotisadam. It's very kind of you.

    I'm just trying to give back the knowledge that was (and still is) given to me by others... I'm just paying it forward.

    Best!

  24. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    Have to totally echo what panaghiotisadam said!!!!!

    Again thank you!

  25. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    @creativeindulgencephotography: That's how it is. I'm also a volunteer in this forum, but what I'm able to give is no more than guidance on available info as well as little insights into some of the standard workings of WP blogs (and maybe a not-so-standard trick or two): things that anyone could find out with some searching, some experience, some experimentation, and some intelligence. Devblog goes to extreme lengths to help others design their page: his contribution is on quite a different level.

  26. jerryandloisphotography
    Member

    panaghiotisadam -

    I wrote code for some 25 years (client side apps), and happily jumped out about 4+ years ago to pick up a camera full-time. In those fields, I've always believed in paying it forward and supporting the developing generation coming in behind me as well.

    You're right - the help from devblog goes way beyond the call of duty, especially when it's voluntary. Even more when it's so spot on.

    If I thought I knew enough (in this arena) to help, I'd be jumping in also. Over in the digital photography universe, that's where I try to help where possible.

    So, just call me very appreciative of the support I've encountered here.

    Many thanks to all!
    j

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