How to Design a Blog Background in Photoshop: Part TWO

Continuing our 6 part series on Blog Design in Photoshop… Let’s chat about how to design a blog background in Photoshop.

PREREQUISITES:

1. I recommend before going through this tutorial that you already have a basic understanding of the Photoshop tools. If you have never used Photoshop before, I recommend you watch my Photoshop Tour of the Tools Tutorial. I can sometimes get going pretty quickly, and I don’t want to confuse you. So please be sure to have a basic understanding of the tools before we start.

2. I also recommend that you have completed the first tutorial in this series, and that you have already created your blog template. How to create your blog design in Photoshop >>

TOOLS:

As with all other tutorials in this course, you will need access to Photoshop. Here’s a handy link where you can get Photoshop for FREE for 30 days! Grab Photoshop for FREE >>

In this tutorial, I use stock images to create my blog backgrounds … and I recommend you do the same.  Learn how I use BigStock.com and how you can get 35 amazing stock images for FREE >>

THE TRAINING:

There are many options for your background … you can use a solid color, a simple white, or even an image.   In this video tutorial I walk you through creating your background using a small, seamless image.

I have found it best to use small, seamless images for your background as they keep your site loading faster than using a large image in the background.  Also … when using a large image, it will not look the same on all screens.  There’s nothing I dislike more than when I go to a site and the full image is too big for the screen … so we get that ugly scrolling bar at the bottom. You don’t want that. So be sure to always use a small, seamless image for blog backgrounds.

UPDATE: Yes … some responsive themes DO allow for larger background images to automatically adjust to fit all screens … but not all themes do this. So be sure to check if your theme is fully responsive if you are using a larger image in your background. If you are unsure … stick with a smaller, seamless image so it will look AWESOME no matter what screen or device your viewers are on.

Check out the tutorial to learn more on creating your blog background in Photoshop: