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Website Themes
Overview
One of PhotoShelter's core features is a configurable website that you can tweak to fit your needs and visual preferences. You can use our customization tools to set up a fully functional photography website in a matter of minutes.
There are two different types of customization: Themes and Manual Customization Mode. Themes allow the user to select a pre-designed look from a library of templates, while Manual Customization Mode allows users to re-skin their PhotoShelter pages from scratch.
How do I know whether Themes or Manual Customization mode is better for me?
If you do not have a pre-existing website or if you do not know HTML/CSS, use our themes. Themes can have you up and running in seconds.
If you do have a pre-existing website into which you would like to seamlessly integrate your PhotoShelter pages, head over to our Manual Customization tutorials for more information.
Website Themes
Read on for help getting started with your website using our premade themes.
First things first, let's pick a theme.
You can preview the various theme options by clicking through the list. Make sure to note the "Theme Style" section in the right hand column, where you can browse through different color schemes for each theme.
When you've found a theme you like, click "Save Changes" to commit your change. (You can always change this later, and your settings are saved between themes, so this is generally a no-risk move.)
Now, feel free to further adjust your site using the settings in the right hand column, such as image sizes and where you'd like to see your site's contact link displayed.
You'll note that when you save your site's theme, you'll see additional options below the theme library:
Site Logo
You may display a logo at the top of your customized pages using this tool.- You may upload a logo to display on your site. Note the size guidelines, which vary based on the theme you've selected.
- Alternatively, you may source your logo from another place on the web (could be on your personal website, a publicly available PhotoShelter image, or another image hosting site like ImageShack.us). In the latter case, enter the direct link to the image in this box, and it should automatically populate on your customized homepage.
- "Link my name/logo to this URL." If a visitor to your site clicks on your logo or your Site Name (see Global Customization Settings), where would you like them to be directed? By default, we set this field to be your PhotoShelter homepage, but if you have a personal website into which you are integrating your PhotoShelter pages, you'll likely want to enter the URL of your personal website into this field.
- Click "Save Changes" to commit any changes you make to your logo.
Navigation
This section dictates the links that appear at the top of every page of your site, also called your "navigation bar".- Pages to include. PhotoShelter websites support a number of different pages, some of which you might not want as options. You can enable/disable the navigation options here.
- Blog URL. If you have a blog, enter its URL here and a "blog" item will appear in the master navigation.
- Custom Pages. If you want to enable additional pages for your website, fill out the names as you'd like them to appear in your site navigation. Simply clear the field to remove the page from your navigation.
- Click "Save Changes" to commit any changes you make to site navigation.
Footer Text
- We suggest putting contact and copyright information here. Buyers love being able to find your contact info easily.
- This field supports HTML using our Rich Editor, but you don't need to know it: We auto-format the text as HTML unless you use the "HTML" tab to submit custom code.
Click the "View Site" link at any time to view a real-time look at your customized site. (Your website will open in a new browser window.)
Website Pages
Each theme has a set of different page options. Click the "Website Pages" button to further refine the look, feel, and functionality of your customized website.
Browse through the individual pages displayed at the left-hand menu and adjust the options to fit your preferences.
Be sure to click the "Save Settings" button when you are finished making changes on each page!
To see the effect a particular change has on your look and feel, check out the "Preview This Page" button at the top of the page.
Please note that the available Page adjustments will vary based on the Theme you select -- not all Themes allow the same degree of flexibility at the individual page level. If a given page is not adjustable for that theme, it will either be hidden from the left-hand menu, or you will see a message that says "The currently selected theme does not have any options for this page."
FAQs
What if I like the theme, but I want to change a few more things than are offered in the "Pages" section?
Great question! You may achieve this by starting with a Theme and adjusting the look and feel to match your preferences as closely as possible. Then, if you'd like to make just a few more tweaks and you're handy (or brave!) enough to tinker around with the HTML and CSS, you may switch to Manual Customization mode from the Theme page. If you have never attempted Manual Customization before, the code base from your most recent theme will populate into the templates, and you may use this as a starting point for further refinement.If you *have* tried Manual Customization before, you'll see a warning and prompt when attempting to switch over to Manual Customization. At this point you must confirm that you would like to override any previous Manual Customization code you may have entered. If you do choose to override your previous Manual Customization code, please make sure that you have a copy of it or no longer need it, because this action is not recoverable!
What if I want to upgrade from a Theme to Manual Customization?
No problem -- you may switch back and forth between Theme and Manual Customization easily by selecting the mode/theme of your choice and clicking "Save Settings."As described in the previous FAQ, if you are switching from a theme to Manual Customization for the first time, the code base from your most recently used theme will be copied to serve as your Manual Customization starting point. This is a great way to make small but detailed changes to a given look without having to design a template from scratch. However, if you have already tried Manual Customization, switch to a theme, and then attempt to switch back to Manual Customization, we'll warn you to make sure that you are okay with overriding your original Manual Customization code. (You are only able to keep one version of Manual Customization code in your account at one time.)