Changing a page background

[Theo]

I have changed the colour fill to the background of all my pages. It shows beautifully in the editing screen but not at all when I preview the site.

What have I missed?

Nick

Using WD MX

[Drwyd]

Hi Theo

What method did you use ?

Normally to change the colour (in WDMX) is to drag from the colour bar to either the page or pasteboard.

[Theo]

I switched off all the layers except page background the then did a linear graduated page fill.

The work around that I done is to insert a layer immediately over the page background, draw a rectangle and fill that then make it a repeating object. That worked but it is not very satisfactory.

BTW do the programmers at Xara get feedback from this forum?

Thanks for the help so far.

Nick

[Drwyd]

Graduated background fills require a different method to solid ones.

Create a tall thin object
Apply the desired fill
Right click it and select create bitmap copy
Open your bitmap gallery
Select the bitmap and press background

[Theo]

Graduated background fills require a different method to solid ones.

Create a tall thin object. It was the height of the page and about 2cm wide on the screen
Apply the desired fill
Right click it and select create bitmap copy
Open your bitmap gallery
Select the bitmap and press background

Hm...

I did that but with little success. Here's exactly what I did:

1. Turn off all the layers except the page background.
2. Draw my vertical narrow rectangle and give it the correct graduated fill.
3. Select rectangle, right click and then Create Bitmap copy
4. Go to Bitmap gallery and find required fill.
5. Left click on required fill and get a black border to show that it is selcted.
6. Right click and choose "Set page background".

Result: a narrow filled vertical rectangle on the background of the current page only. I want a complete fill on all the pages of the site.

I will now try it again but draw the rectangle on another layer and create the bitmap from there.

Here goes...

[Drwyd]

No need to hide or lock any layers, just create it on the MouseOff layer. You can delete it after you are finished turning it into a bitmap or just move it off the page.

If the page already has a colour applied drag "no colour" onto it before you set the background. (next to the colour picker)

[steve.ledger]

I want a complete fill on all the pages of the site.

[1] Create your graduated image

[2] Create bitmap copy (CTRL+SHIFT+C)

[3] Save as background.png (True color +alpha)

[4] Create an object on the pasteboard (anything and any size you like)

[5] Select newly created object and press CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+A then browse to and select the background.png from step [3]

[6] Add this code to the Web Properties>>Website>>HTML code (head)

<style type="text/css">
HTML
{
background-image:url('index_htm_files/background.png');
}
</style>

This will apply the image to all pages of your site, even if you add more pages later.

[Theo]

No need to hide or lock any layers, just create it on the MouseOff layer. You can delete it after you are finished turning it into a bitmap or just move it off the page.

If the page already has a colour applied drag "no colour" onto it before you set the background. (next to the colour picker)

Hello again.

I repeatedly tried Drwyd's method on the site that I already have built but with no success. I ensured that I had dragged "no colour" on to the page background layer and done all of the other things that you said.

Having nearly given up I tried the method on a new blank document and it worked perfectly. What might I not be doing with my present site that I should be doing? I have made sure that the background is not being obscured by a filled white rectangle by making all of the other layers invisible.

It is so frustrating! I could go with Sledger's method but I would rather beat this one!

Nick

[Drwyd]

Drag no colour to both pasteboard and page. That should clear anything that is residing on those layers. (actually it will remove the layers themselves.)

[Theo]

Now I am getting somewhere!

But at the moment I am having to apply it (with success!) to each page in turn.

Is there a way of applying it to all pages?

Nick