| Web page backgrounds are to web sites what | | | | Most beginning web masters will head for free |
| wallpaper is to your computer's desktop: a | | | | clip art sites when they first decide to use |
| great way to add a background image, texture | | | | a background on their web page. That's |
| or pattern to your virtual presence on the | | | | exactly what I did for my first web site and |
| Web. Regardless of whether you use a PC or a | | | | the results were, well, somewhat uneven. What |
| Mac, adding or changing your desktop's | | | | they frequently lack is a truly first class |
| wallpaper is a simple point-and-click | | | | image that doesn't show any seams as the |
| exercise. But adding a background to a web | | | | image tiles across the browser window. You |
| site requires a little more than basic | | | | may also discover that the web page |
| point-and-click skills. Luckily, changing a | | | | backgrounds on clip art sites are often just |
| web page's basic white background into | | | | too garish or even worse, too tacky. |
| something more appealing doesn't have to | | | | |
| qualify as rocket science. | | | | While researching this article, I found it |
| | | | fascinating that a fairly large percentage of |
| The most demanding of these is to create your | | | | people trolling the search engines for "web |
| own backgrounds. To do this, you'll need to | | | | page backgrounds" are actually looking for a |
| have a basic knowledge of some kind of | | | | professionally designed web page template. |
| graphic design software, so you can create | | | | |
| the good-looking GIF or JPEG images your | | | | The third way to ensure that your web page |
| backgrounds will need. Although you don't | | | | will have a great-looking background is to |
| need an expensive program like Photoshop, if | | | | start with one of these professional-grade |
| you're a quick study you can download a free | | | | templates. These ready-to-use web templates |
| 30-day trial copy of Photoshop from Adobe and | | | | are not only easy to use and customize, they |
| dive right into the process of creating your | | | | also look fabulous and include beautiful |
| own web page backgrounds. Remember, too, that | | | | pictures and backgrounds that will absolutely |
| you'll also need a basic understanding of | | | | put your site head and shoulders above the |
| HTML to add the HTML tags to your website | | | | competition. If you start with a template, |
| that will make your background images appear. | | | | all that's left is to add relevant content |
| | | | that gives your site its own unique voice. |
| If you don't feel you should have to learn | | | | |
| the basics of graphic design to give your web | | | | That's why, in the long run, choosing a |
| page a background, another approach is to | | | | template is the fastest and easiest way to |
| find web page backgrounds on the web. | | | | get your web site up and running while also |
| | | | giving it the professional look you want. |