Blogger Template Designer

Google launches Blogger Template Designer for Blogger on March 11, 2010. Blooger Template Designer allow greater customization on design layout and appearance. The Blogger Template Designer also include 15 (and growing) new professional templates and hundred of free professional background images to choose from. I particularly found the custom blog layout useful. I can customize the layout in one, two or three columns (previously was one one). And yes, the new designer also make it easier to customize the colors and fonts. To use this template designer, you need to log in at http://draft.blogger.com/ to see this type of in-development new feature.

Here is the preview of the Blogger Template Designer from Blogger in draft blog,

Another customization worth mentioning is, the blogger template designer allow designer to add custom cascading style sheets (CSS) to change your page appearance for the template. You can also add your own background picture via CSS.

1) Compress the picture size under 250K.

2) Upload to a filehost like picasa, photobucket or other online picture service.
3) Add the image background CSS snippet

.body-fauxcolumn-outer {
background: url(http://www.example.com/image.png); }
.body-fauxcolumn-outer div {
background: none;
}

4) Apply to blog.

(Notes: Template with gradient might conflict with the use of background picture)


06/11/2010 Update - Google announces the template designer has graduated from Blogger In Draft and is now available to everyone by default.