I want a "magazine" style layout of my Posts
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Hi – I want my Posts to be displayed as “blocks” or maybe you’d call it Tiles. or in columns. I looked (a LOT) at Themes called Magazine type themes – this is the look I want – but I didnt really find one that worked well with the other things I need.
Can I do this using the Edin theme I have now?
I just want readers to see the first Photo that I have in each post – and a few lines… which I have accomplished with the Split Tag.. the “read more” but I’d also like them to see this for SEVERAL of my Posts in one glance at the screen –
the Theme HIVE is about what I mean – but it didn’t allow my Header… or some other things that I dont want to loose.
Thanks lots
AnnaThe blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi Anna,
I just want readers to see the first Photo that I have in each post – and a few lines… which I have accomplished with the Split Tag.. the “read more” but I’d also like them to see this for SEVERAL of my Posts in one glance at the screen –
Edin is a great theme and it looks like it fulfills some of your goals but it’s not quite a tiled theme with images being predominant. Can you tell me what specifically you’d like to change about the way Edin looks that we might be able to accomplish by customizing the CSS? Edin has a big hero image up at the top and that’s a little different than the image you have in your header (which is adorable, by the way).
Let me know what specifically you had in mind as far as changes go – some smaller changes are definitely doable.
Here are a couple of others.
https://wordpress.com/themes/visual/ (Free. Dark but that’s fixable. It will allow a header image)
https://wordpress.com/themes/candela/ (Not Free. More playful and will also allow a header image)
Cheers,
Susan -
Hi Susan – Thanks for your help! you went over my head with the CSS and the Hero?? huh? But that’s ok. I have a little Blog Envy of http://missmustardseed.com/ just the
section under “Recent Blogs”…. the reader gets to see a LOT of subjects at once, and each with a Photo and Snippet. With so many Posts visible at once… almost everyone is going to see something that makes them want to stay and read. That is what I am after – that kind of layout – for that reason.If you can make Edin put my posts in a Layout anything like this – I am totally happy with everything else about Edin.
Candela looks like it can do it when I look at the little Example of it in the Themes selector list…. but when I do Preview it does not tile my posts and I dont see any option on the left to make it to it… all I find is Wide vs. Box and neither of those do it.
But if you can assure me that there IS the option once I would really activate it… then maybe.
But I really firmly think that my Categories and my Pages should be visible all the time — not just when they hit “Menu”. I really, strongly want to Grab people and make them stay a while… I have big hope and plans for Wagadilly Times (:Solar looks good in a lot of ways…. it has an option under Theme> choose layout for blog archive… and this Tiles them and puts a nice little frame around each and I Love that part. Could I make a Sidebar that stays visible all the time – and has my Categories and Pages? and if I did – would I still have the Tiling? (or would it take up too much of the horiz. screen space?)
I recently upgraded to “Premier” or whatever it’s called. I don’t know if that gives me anything that can help you customize Edin more. Naturally, I do not want to have to re-size things and re-write things which I think I’d have to do some of if I switch to a different theme…. much much better if we could make Edin do this.
Maybe a little CSS Magic is in order? I, personally wouldn’t DARE to touch that! it looks scary to me!
Thanks tons,
AnnaSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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Hey Anna,
the reader gets to see a LOT of subjects at once, and each with a Photo and Snippet. With so many Posts visible at once… almost everyone is going to see something that makes them want to stay and read. That is what I am after – that kind of layout – for that reason.
Missmustardseed.com is very cute! There are other themes that utilize that “thumbnail and excerpt” model, which is different from the tiling you’re talking about.
Themes that feature those tiles are often taking advantage of Portfolios to create the tiles. That’s why you don’t see it happen for your posts when you preview the theme – you don’t have any Portfolios yet!
You have so many theme choices, you might want to thoroughly explore those possibilities before we try to seriously modify Edin.
What I’d suggest, if time allows, is that you create a second blog and make it private. Export your wagadilly content and import it into your new test blog, then start playing around with some of the free themes and learning how to set them up. You can switch up themes (at least the free ones) all you want and experiment with making design changes that way without frightening your regular readership.
Solar has a lot of different front page layouts (see the theme details: https://theme.wordpress.com/themes/solar/) including the grid plus a sidebar. It might be a good choice for you but read up on it and try to experiment with the customization to preview it before you decide to buy it.
Something like Skylark might be perfect. It’s free, it uses featured images and post summaries, and it allows for a wide header image.
https://theme.wordpress.com/themes/skylark/
Because you have a Premium Plan, as you know, you can make color adjustments and other CSS changes, so don’t be put off by colors or fonts you see in the demo.
Take a look and see what you think!
Susan
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wow This sounds scary to me! with the making a second Blog – I do understand what you’re saying – and why.
When I EXPORT to the “test” blog site – does everything STAY at my “Real” blog site?
It a COPY and not a CUT right?
because after I would do testing — I would DELETE the Test blog site.
I have tons of Links to the “real” one and can not change them.
Another Question — the Themes where the Categories and Pages are accessed by Clicking MENU.. is this unchangeable? Can I not have them be always visible in a Sidebar as it is in my Edin now?
That would be a big factor that would tell me to definitely weed-out those themes.
I’m going to go explore the Theme you suggested now.
Thanks lots
AnnaSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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One more thing — I appreciate you steering me to Themes that are Free…. but I think I am committed enough to this that I am ok with the ones that cost money.
So, if that makes you re-think other ones more… then let me know.
thanksSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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Hi again – ok about the Miss Mustardseed site, you said: Missmustardseed.com is very cute! There are other themes that utilize that “thumbnail and excerpt” model, which is different from the tiling you’re talking about.
Themes that fea
So – what Themes do utilize “thumbnail and excerpt” ??
thanks
AnnaSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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ok – I’ve been playing around a lot and I think I’ve decided what to do. I like SOLAR a lot. Now I have learned how to embed the Read More Tag…. so that give me the “snippet” effect I want. Obviously, placing a picture at the top of my posts gives me the “thumbnail” kind of effect. It does have my Pages and my Categories on the R sidebar – displayed all the time and does require readers to hit Menu. It gives me two columns of my Posts plus the Right Sidebar…. I’m loveing it
EXCEPT FOR ONE THING and I think its a small thing. (and I can not do it myself!!! all the CSS stuff is SO far over my head you have No Idea!!!)
If I buy Solar and go with that… can you (PLEASE) just make it so that the Header is larger Vertically? It sure does NOT need you to increase it horizontally – it goes all the way across the screen and I LOVE that. But Vertically .. well, you KNOW we dont want to loose my adorable doggies and Stores and the Main Street of Wagadilly!
Can you do that one CSS thing?
AND GO CAN IGNORE ALL THE OTHER REPLIES I HAVE MADE TO THIS THREAD…. I WAS ASKING YOU ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS – BUT I THINK ITS ALL RESOLVED IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOLAR THIS WAY.
Thanks SO much
AnnaSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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But Vertically .. well, you KNOW we dont want to loose my adorable doggies and Stores and the Main Street of Wagadilly! Can you do that one CSS thing?
Wagadilly has been the highlight of my day, Anna!
I’ve checked with our CSS guru here and he said that forcing Solar to display your big header image will cause it to break a bit when it’s viewed on smaller screens like phones.
He suggested that if you must keep your original artwork (and I hope you do), you start with a theme that will allow a bigger header image and the grid-style post presentation you want, then make smaller tweaks. Responsive themes make adjustments more complicated but they’re very good to have because so many of us use our phones to access websites.
I realize that sort of puts you back at square one with your searching, but I want to encourage you – there’s a good fit for you there in the theme repository somewhere.
Keep me posted!
Cheers,
Susan -
Thanks for liking Wagadilly (:
Here’s what I think – I think that on Phones, the tiny little details of the Dogs and the Houses and Main Street… that’s all going to be lost anyway on phones.
And, really, I don’t think I have the patience to look more and test more.
And I am just about 100% Sold on everything else about Solar.
There is very little I would need to do or to alter – and that’s what I need.About the Header, the good news is… I made that, and all the graphics and images myself. And I can re-do the Header – I can make it much narrow than it was… so I dont need a LOT more vertical space… but a bit.
He probably thought I meant to make it so that the Proportions of my Graphic would not change and that I was asking for it to be tall enough to accommodate it at the ratios it is. Wow – that would take a LOT of space.
But I dont need that much
I AM ATTACHING FOR YOU HOW IT LOOKS AT THE 1920 X 210 PIXELS IT SAYS THE HEADER CAN BE.
I can re-put everybody on there differently. I can make Main Street be a longer Street – I’ll make more Stores. and I can re-do the Text.Here’s an idea – and he might like this…. I had my Tag Line “Hidden” – because it would overlay the Wagadilly Header and be stupid.
So I typed my Tag Line into the Art itself. “Saving Dogs by Making Ownership More Affordable so We All can Adopt More Shelter Dogs and Save More Lives”IF HE COULD LET MY TAG LINE BE DISPLAYED UNDER MY HEADER – INSTEAD OF OVERLAYING IT – I could Cut it out of the Header Art picture – and then I could live with the Header being what it’s supposed to be, 1920 x 210 pixels. EVERYBODY’S HAPPY !!
Can he do that?Of course, he probably wonders why I dont just have a Header that is not so Wide — but, of course, that’s because I am trying to replicate the look of the Front Page of a News paper – and that Heading would go across ALL of the paper. I dont know if you had him actually look at that.
BEG him !!
(:
Anna
picture Attached of how it looks at 1920 x 210 pixelsnd how it is currently in EDINSAVING DOGS by making OWNERSHIP MORE AFFORDABLE & EASY
Email: (email visible only to moderators and staff)
FB: Wagadilly TimesSHOP WAGADILLY’S!
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Anna, the following should work with any header height, give the following a try with your new header. In fact, you can try it now, with the larger header. Go to Appearance > Customize > Site Title, Tagline & Logo and click to display the Header Text (I’ve hidden things with CSS instead). I’ve shortened up the search box so that the header text can stay beneath the mid left of the header image and done some other adjustments on margins and such. I’ve also included a Media Query (the last part) that adjusts things below 600px in screen/window width to keep the site description where it should be.
.site-title a { display: none; } .site-description { position: relative; bottom: 50px; } .search-wrapper, .search-wrapper .search-form { float: right; width: 40%; } .search-wrapper .search-form { width: 100%; } .header-search { margin-right: 30px; margin-bottom: 0; } .site-title { margin-bottom: 0; } @media screen and (max-width: 599px) { .site-description { bottom: 0; } .search-wrapper, .search-wrapper .search-form { width: 100%; } }The above may need some tweaking once you get your new header done, uploaded and activated, and I’m happy to help with those tweaks.
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OMG !! scares me to death! if I tried to do that, I’d probably blow-up all of WordPress! you’re way over my head. I think I should go ahead and upgrade to the SOLAR Theme, make the changes I do know how to make (the simple things!) and then check back in with you and ask you to hand-hold me thru the rest. Sound like a plan? I expect to buy this theme in the next few days.
Thanks lots
Anna -
Anna, I’ll be around, so feel free to ask any questions you have and I’ll help you along. :)
With CSS, if something goes wrong, all you have to do is delete it and save and everything is back to the original, so don’t worry about breaking things.
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