Transparent WordPress with Semiomantics XO

Developing a transparent WordPress Based Photo Blog, I got inspired to use some elements in a Grunge environment. It’s creative, it’s fun, it’s the Semiomantics XO Theme for WordPress.

Grunge Background

The first step is to create a grunge background:

Grunge Background for WP

This background is 1680 x 1250 pixels big and has a weight of 130 kb only.

Transparent Header Footer and Content Backgrounds

Step 2: make your backgrounds transparent and set opacity to 70 %.

Fancy Fonts

Add some fancy fonts for h1 and h2 using the Fontburner plugin.

Fancy Fonts for h1 and h2

Background Opacity and Hover Function

It is not easy to read content on colored backgrounds, therefore we add a hover function to show white backgrounds on left content and sidebar.

Save load by Scrolling over the Background

No vertical tiling is needed, also on long blog posts when the content scrolls over the background. We fix the background attachment (background image).

Header Transparency and Site Title

To get the header effect I have loaded a transparent header png with no content and added a top margin to adjust the position of the content.

The blog title is painted on the background with position top left to allow display on any monitor irrespective of resolution and size.

Transparency Variations

Your creativity is the limit. You could create an overlay look by adding a black background with 80% opacity:

Transparent Overlay Hover

Try and enjoy!

More about this Topic

• Blockquote, Pullquote and Code
• Yorgo Nestoridis Design Brand Header
• Fancy Fonts Headers
• Design Branding
• Design Graphic Background

Transparent WordPress with Semiomantics XO

Developing a transparent WordPress Based Photo Blog, I got inspired to use some elements in a Grunge environment. It’s creative, it’s fun, it’s the Semiomantics XO Theme for WordPress.

Grunge Background

The first step is to create a grunge background:

Grunge Background for WP

This background is 1680 x 1250 pixels big and has a weight of 130 kb only.

Transparent Header Footer and Content Backgrounds

Step 2: make your backgrounds transparent and set opacity to 70 %.

Fancy Fonts

Add some fancy fonts for h1 and h2 using the Fontburner plugin.

Background Opacity and Hover Function

It is not easy to read content on colored backgrounds, therefore we add a hover function to show white backgrounds on left content and sidebar.

Save load by Scrolling over the Background

No vertical tiling is needed, also on long blog posts when the content scrolls over the background. We fix the background attachment (background image).

Header Transparency and Site Title

To get the header effect I have loaded a transparent header png with no content and added a top margin to adjust the position of the content.

The blog title is painted on the background with position top left to allow display on any monitor irrespective of resolution and size.

Transparency Variations

Your creativity is the  limit. You could create an overlay look by adding a black background with 80% opacity:

Try and enjoy!

More about this Topic

• Transparent WordPress Semiomantics XO
• Transparent WordPress Theme Design
• Blockquote, Pullquote and Code
• Fancy Fonts Headers
• Yorgo Nestoridis Design Brand Header

Header Graphics give a first visual impression to your Website or Blog … and we know that ‘first impressions’ count.

Design Brand Header

When doing a research on Google under the keyword “Header Graphics” you can find a wealth of free stuff to choose from and to download, however, if you are serious about developing your own unique ‘look’ and branding yourself, you have to create your own image – an image reflecting the value and trustworthiness you bring to your clients or partners and that you want to stand for in the market. Here anything ‘free’ becomes ‘cheap’ . . . and this is definitely too expensive when working with a longterm vision.

What you need is a Design Brand Header to build your Authority either as a professional in any area of expertise… or with the Service or Product you offer and promote in the online market place.

Header Colors

Header Colors are most important when creating a Design Brand Header and should remain within your chosen colour scheme.

Header fonts are very important too, however, you may divert and go a little bit wild in an artistic way when creating this specific image or picture… depending on your theme of course. However, as Grunge is in… the doors for creativity and imagination are wide open . . . no boredom guaranteed!

For my new Design Blog I experimented with Grunge Fonts while keeping to the colour scheme I already used in the early eighties for my books, posters and book covers: black on white with some grey shades and a small yet powerful dosage or red! The real fiery red that is!

Header Graphics

Header Graphics can be very simple, using just a good friendly picture with the name on white – which gives a feeling of space… or you integrate your logo and/or play in a decorative way with your title and  subtitle either on white or on a plain or degrade background in any color matching your color scheme. Alternatively, create a picture in Photoshop or any other Graphic program of your choice.

In my case, I used a detail of one of the photos I shot on Noordhoek Beach and played with color adjustments and filters in Photoshop for a result that is attractive, within my color scheme and that serves as a perfect background for that red Grunge font. Contrary to what might be believed… Grunge doesn’t equal Grunge! To get well balanced Header Graphics using vibrant backgrounds plus Grunge Fonts needs quite some research until there’s that tension that ‘fits’! A more classical font is much easier – but not as original. So it’s always a matter of personal taste and personal choices.

Most importantly, experiment and play – it’s the only way to get to grips with for instance filters and color adjustments. You cannot learn to meditate; you’ve got to do it to understand the process and get ‘into’ it. No other way – same here.

Although there’s a lot we can teach you as to some basics… from where you either continue, grow and enjoy – or get the idea and know how to brief a professional graphic designer in case you outsource.  It saves you money and time and you get a better result faster – guaranteed!

Join our WebMasterTraining today, Friday, at 8 pm London time, to learn how to create your own Header Graphic for your Design Sandbox Blog!

Design Graphic Background

While I prefer to keep my backgrounds white, I have added a background to this site for the purpose of the Web design Workshop.

The Background needs to be in harmony with the color scheme which is based on black-blue #000125 and red #B3000.

Background based on an image

This is what I did:

1. Take a photo and transform it to gray scale.

2. Work it to establish a pattern:

Background pattern

3. Make a tile out of it so that the borders match:

Background Tile

4. Add a Color overlay in Blue #000125 with 45% opacity.

Black-blue Tile

5. Insert to your site using the style sheet:

Design Background

Having written a post about branding Small Business Ideas I noticed that when the post was published the blockquote was hugging the visual presentation as you see from the image below.

Small Business Ideas branding

Blockquote , pullquote

As you can see from the above blockquote that is used to illustrate the codes used, it totally hugs the graphic. This error can be easily rectified by just correcting the margin of the blockquote in the stylesheet.

By changing:

This:margin: 0 0 0 30px;
to this: margin: 0 0 30px 30px;

we create a margin of 30px below the blockquote, thus seperating the blockquote from the image. Visually, this is more acceptable as you can see from the result below.

Small Business Ideas branding