The Official ActiveRain Guide

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Really Make Your ActiveRain Blog Stand Out With A Custom Header and Background!

I'm sure many of you have seen the blogs here on ActiveRain with custom headers and backgrounds and wondered how you could get your own. Brad Andersohn put together a great tutorial on how to use the ActiveRain Blog Customizer - The "NEW" ActiveRain Blog Customizer - Version 2.0 - and in it he mentioned a great site, Picnik.

Many people have asked me "James, how do I get a COOL ActiveRain blog like you?" and before Picnik existed I would have had to say use a program like Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, or any other image editing program. Well I am thankful to say that is not the case and today I am going to give you a video tutorial on how to use Picnik to crop your own photos, add text, effects, and upload them to your ActiveRain Blog.

So sit back and enjoy. If after the video you have any questions please let me know!

21 comments • James Shiner • February 02 2009 12:15PM

Comments

It's so nice of you to create and share such a great how-to video.  I will agree, through, Picnik is a great tool!

Posted by Vickie Nagy, 925-407-7987 Broker for San Ramon, Danville, Dublin, Pleasanton (Vickie Nagy, Broker Associate BMC Real Estate DRE#01363932) over 3 years ago

good video on simple header edit function.  I think people need to treat their blog like a nice restaurant.  You can't go too long between renovations if you want to stay fresh and current.

Posted by Robert May - Lethbridge REALTOR ® and Mortgage Broker (Verico Canada First Mortgage/ Rainbow Realty) over 3 years ago

Vickie - Picnik is a great tool. So easy to use and best of all it's FREE! Glad you enjoyed the video.

Posted by James Shiner (Zipvo) over 3 years ago

Robert - I agree. You need to always be updating your blogs and websites look to keep it interesting and keep people coming back.

Posted by James Shiner (Zipvo) over 3 years ago

Rich - thanks for sharing this informative video. Well done.

Posted by Robert and Lisa Hammerstein, Realtors® Coldwell Banker, Pascack Valley Area (Bergen County New Jersey Homes For Sale 201-218-6802) over 3 years ago

Thank you so much for this! I love learning how to use new tools. I am off to picnik now!

Posted by Steve Jones Team (Re/max Specialists) over 3 years ago

I was about to create a post about picnik and how to create headers and banners for outside Blogs on AR but you have done a great job with this one James. Thanks for taking the time to do this, and thanks for being our newest contributor to the ActiveRainGuide.com Group Blog.  I really appreciate all your time and efforts.

Posted by Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) over 3 years ago

Wow!  Thank you for adding that valuble information.  I am going to upgrade my site now.  Yours is amazing.

Posted by Mandy Richmond (Exit Realty) over 3 years ago

Hi James-Thank you for the time and effort you put into creating this post. A lot of valuable info went in to this.

Posted by Sharon Lee (Sharon Lee's Virtual Assistance) over 3 years ago

James:

Thank you, thank you , thank you.  I see how picnik will also work to help customize my website.

Tere

Posted by Tere Rottink (CoastalVa Realty Inc) over 3 years ago

Thanks James.  I've been looking for the ways to design my page with custom headers, etc.  Great info - I'll definitely be making use of it!

Posted by Tristan Emond, Rapid City Homes Sales Specialist (Prudential Kahler Realtors) over 3 years ago

Thank you James!  I have been trying to figure out how to make my own header.

Posted by Zilkia Olmeda-Martins, GRI, Realtor San Antonio Texas Luxury Homes (Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper) over 3 years ago

Hi James, You are 'da man'. I appreciate your attention to detail in creating this post. I have wanted to create a header.

Posted by Marian Gregor ~ Ann Arbor area Real Estate ~ (Keller Williams) over 3 years ago

Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge.  I have added Picnik as another one of my many tools for my toolbox.  Your tutorial was great!  Onward and upward.  Now I can share with all those I know to continue to pay it forward.

Posted by Atlanta Communities about 3 years ago

James,

Thanks for creating this easy to follow tutorial.

Posted by Walter Grewe III, Realtor, SFR, A-REO Roanoke Homes and Real Estate (Long and Foster Realtors) about 3 years ago

Thank you James for the video. I knew about picnik and am a fan, but your instructions made it easy to follow. Check it out..I just created a new header using picnik.

Posted by Pat Starnes (Pat Starnes Real Estate) about 3 years ago

This is so amazing!  Thank you for sharing this information... I have been trying for weeks to get the header finished... now it will take me minutes!!

Posted by Kym Wright (Prudential California Realty) about 3 years ago

Thanks for the tutorial on Picnik and the blog header lesson. I updated my blog today with your easy to follow instructions...

Posted by Christianne Gordon, REALTOR® e-PRO CDPE SFR Carson Valley Real Estate Specialist (Carson Valley Homes and Land - RE/MAX Realty Affiliates) about 1 year ago

Thank you!!  As a newbie, I just found this & I am going to suggest this one as well.  Thanks for such a great video.

Posted by Pam HillsASP®/IAHSP® Stager Miami, FL Creative Minds Innovatively At Work (Innovative Artistry) 9 months ago

I know this is an older post-- but it was really helpful to me today!  Thanks so much!  Kathy

Posted by Kathy Schowe~ La Quinta, California 760-333-8886 (SchoweProperties@msn.com) 9 months ago

James - great blog and video instructions.  Thank you.

 

Posted by Sunset Properties - Maryland and Delaware Farm & Land Sales 9 months ago

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