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Okay now we are going to go from the assumption that you have already downloaded the .zip file that the style came in. Once you have done that, find the file on your computer and double-click it. It will then open with WinZip (default). |
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In WinZip, it should give you a list of all the files in the style as well as the Installation Instructions. Do not highlight any of the files, merely click Extract. It will ask you where you want to extract the files to. Find a place where you can easily remember where the files are.
This tutorial will also assume that you know how to upload images to your webhost. I suggest either Photobucket.com or Imageshack.com.
When you have uploaded all of the images to your host, return to LiveJournal's front page. Keep a list of the URLs for your uploaded images handy. Also, please go ahead an open the Installation Instructions .txt file at this time. It is best read with Notepad. |
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On LiveJournal's main page, click on the link to Edit Style. |
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That will bring you to a list of styles that your account has created. Now, we are going to create a new style. Click on create a style where you see it in the red box in the image to the left. |
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Now switch over to the Installation Instructions and take a look at what information we have here. You will see that there are two "views" that you have the numbers for. The first is LAST (your recent events) and FRIENDS (your friends list).Copy the number of the view you want to create at this time. |
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Back on LiveJournal's site, pick which view you are creating. Check off the little corresponding dot and in the box paste in the style number. Do not include the # sign. At this time style numbers are only six (6) digits. |
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Once you have put the style number in the corresponding box, hit the Edit Style button as shown. |
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This will bring you into the editing screen for the style you have just created. In the red box, please type in a name for your style or a brief description. This will help you distinguish between styles later and make more than one style without getting an error for more than one default-named style. |
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When you've done that, go back to your Installation Instructions. In them you will see a few instructions on which images you will need to replace in this style with your own uploaded image URLs.
On top you see the names of the images that have to be replaced. Below that it shows the sections of the style editing screen that the images are located in. At this time it would be advisable to get your list of image URLs ready. |
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At the very bottom of the style editing screen you will be presented with a useful list of Convenience Links. These will allow you to easily navigate to the section you need to replace URLs in. Go to the first link listed on the bottom of your Installation Instructions. In this case, it would be LASTN_PAGE. Click to be taken there.
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Once there, you need to find the URL that is a placeholder at this time. If you see, the image to be replaced is named background.gif. On your own server, get the URL to that picture and replace the given URL with your own. Make sure you only replace from "http://" to ".gif" and not anything else.
You will have to repeat this step for each section of the style that needs to be edited and for each image. Depending on the number of images to be replaced, this may take awhile. |
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Once you feel you have successfully edited your images to replace the placeholder URLs, go ahead and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you can Save Style and |
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LiveJournal will then give you the option to view your completed style with your edits. Click on the link and it will open the style in another window. If it looks satisfactory you can either begin again for the other view of the style or move on to the next step. |
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Now you need to set it so that your new styles are the default styles for your journal. You do this by clicking on the Modify Journal link under Your Settings. |
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There you will be given a pull-down menu of all the LiveJournal styles and your own custom styles. Pull down the box and go down to the User Styles, choosing the name of the styles that you just created. |
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You will have to do this for each view that you have created. |
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When you have chosen the styles you want to use, go ahead and click Save Changes. You have now successfully installed a style and it should show up when you click on your own Journal or Friends List.
Remember if you have any questions to pose them to the Help Thread. I hope this Tutorial serves you well. |