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ID&D KB How-to

-GuideCreating Visually Appealing Pages

Guide

Working together to enhance teaching & learning. If you need additional assistance, please reach out to the ID&D team.

In some cases, you might want to create a whole different look for a specific page, adding some visually appealing design or color

. In this example, we will start with a fairly plain layout such as seen in the image below

.

Image Removed

Anchor

List

Menu

List

Menu
In this article we will

give you

provide step

-

by

-

step instructions

on the following

about:

Summary of Steps
AnchorStyleEditor

StyleEditor

In this example, we will start with a fairly plain layout such as seen in the image below.

Image Added

With the changes made to background colors, borders and spacing, our page now looks like this!

page 4.pngImage Added
title
Tip

Tip!

You can click on the images in this article to see them larger and with more detail.

Anchor
Style-Editor
Style-Editor
Editing with the Style Editor

Tip

To complete the changes described in this page you will be using the Style Editor which is one of the Advanced Tools. Before beginning make sure you have enabled the Style Editor (see KB article Advanced Styling and Design Techniques) .

Note

NOTE!

When using the Advanced Editing Tools, it is very important to ensure you are editing the correct element!

  1. First open your page in Edit mode and open the Sidebar.


section


ColumnImage Removed
Column
width80%

    1. Select Advanced

tools ColumnImage Removed
Columnwidth80%

    1. Tools using the icon at the top of the Sidebar

    2. Select the Style Editor

      style1.pngImage Added
Expand
titleClick to continue Step-by-Step instrucitons...

  1. Place your cursor into the element on your page that you want to edit.


Section


  2. At the top of the Style Editor a list of elements in the content area will appear.

  3. Hover your mouse over each element to determine which element you will be editing

  4. Select the element you are modifying

    select1.mp4

Back to

List Tip
titleTip!
You can click on the images in this article to see them larger and with more detail.

Menu

Anchor
Background-Colors
Background-Colors
Changing/Adding Background Colors

After you have selected your element following the steps above, you can change the color of the background for that element.

  1. To change the

page element:
Section ColumnImage Removed
Column
width80%

  1. color of an element on a page, place your cursor on the page where you want the color added, and open the Style Editor:

    1. Scroll down and open the Colors panel

in the Style Editor.


    2. Select the Background Color

item

    1. icon from the bar at the top of the Colors panel

.

    1. (

the

    1. first icon)

    2. The current background color of the element will display below the item

    3. Open the Basic Colors panel if it is not open

    4. Select a new color from the Basic Colors, or

    5. Open the Color

picker

    1. Picker and select a color you want

      color1.pngImage Added
Expand
titleClick to continue Step-by-Step instructions...

  1. Repeat this process for any items you want to add a background color

to ColumnImage Removed

  1. . For example, you can add a background color to the heading of the content block:


Section


Column
width70%

    1. Place your cursor in the heading element of the content block

    2. Select the heading element at the top of the Style Editor

    3. Select the Background Color

item

    1. icon from the bar at the top of the Colors panel

.


    2. Select a new color from the

Basic

    1. Basic Colors or open the Color

picker Image Removed

    1. Picker and select a color you want.

      color2.pngImage Added

  2. In this example using the page pictured previously, we changed the background color of the page heading, the background of the heading for the content block, and added a background color to the text in the first content block.



  1. page 2.pngImage Added

Tip

Tip!

Be sure to preview your modifications using the “Preview Content” from the settings menu before saving!

Back to

ListTextColor

Menu

Anchor

TextColor

Text-Colors
Text-Colors
Changing Text Colors

As you can see in the image above

In some cases, after changing the background color of the content block heading, the text does not contrast well and is difficult to read. You can change the color of text to make sure it is accessible.

  1. To change the color of text using the Style

editorcolumn

  1. Editor, first select the text you will be changing:


Section


Image Removed
Column
width80%

    1. Place your cursor in the field of the element you want to change (in this case the content block header

in this case

    1. )

    2. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style

editor

    1. Editor

    2. Highlight the text you want to change

      text1.pngImage Added
Expand
titleClick to continue Step-by-Step instructions...

  1. Then determine your color choice in the Style

editor:
Section ColumnImage Removed
Column
width80%
Select the “Text Color”

  1. Editor:

    1. Select the Text Color icon from the Colors panel (

the

    1. second icon)

    2. Select the color from the Basic Color table or the Color Picker

.Back to List


Tip
titleTip!

Be sure to preview your modifications using the “Preview Content” from the settings menu before saving!

    1. text2.pngImage Added

Back to Menu

Anchor
Borders
Borders
Adding Borders

Adding borders around a content block can draw attention to it.

  1. To add a border

in section

  1. using the Style Editor:



ColumnImage Removed
Column
width70%

    1. Place your cursor in the content block

.

    1. you want to add a border around

    2. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style Editor – make sure it is for the entire block

.


    2. Scroll down and

open

    1. open the

“Border

    1. Border and

Background” panel in the Style Editor (if it is not open) ColumnImage Removed
Columnwidth80%

    1. Background panel

      borders1.pngImage Added

Expand
titleClick to continue Step-by-Step instrucitons...

  1. Determine how you want a border to appear. Using Border Direction, select where a border will appear:


Section


    1. All sides (for a border around the whole item)

,

    1. or

    2. Any combination of individual borders: Top (T), Bottom (B) Left,

Left

    1. (L), or Right (

you can select any combination of these)

    1. R)

      borders2.pngImage Added

  2. Customize your border using the following options:

Section
Column

Image Removed

Column
width80%

    1. Determine the width of the border:

  (

    1. Small (S), Medium (M), or Large (L), or set a specific size using

number of

    1. pixels

    2. Select a Border Style for the line: Dashed, Dotted, Solid

line

    1. Line, or Double Line

    2. Select a

border color

    1. Border Color from the presets

.

    1. (You can change later)

    2. If you want the bordered area to have rounded corners, select a Border

radius

    1. Radius: Small (S), Medium (M), or Large (L), or set a specific size

using number of

    1. in pixels

      borders3.pngImage Added

  2. Customize the area surrounded by the border:


Section
Column

Image Removed

Columnwidth


80%

    1. Select a background color if you want the area to have a background color (in this example we

will

    1. do not select one)

    2. Select a shadow if you want the bordered area to appear to float on the page

      borders4.pngImage Added

  2. In this example, we have added borders and a shadow to change the appearance of the second content block:

Image Removed 
  1. page 3.pngImage Added

Back to

List

Menu

Anchor

Margins

Adjusting

Margins

Adjusting
Adjusting Margins, Spacing and Alignment

Sometimes when you add background colors or borders to a content block, the text runs right up to the edge, making it more difficult to read. You can adjust the margins of an item – in other words the space around the item on the page, the padding – the space inside the edges of the item, and the Alignment of items within the item.

  1. To make these modifications

:
Section
Column

Image Removed

Column
width80%

  1. , using the Style Editor:

    1. Place your cursor in the content block. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style Editor

–

    1. - make sure it is

for

    1. the entire block

.


    2. Scroll down to the

“Spacing

    1. Spacing and

Alignment”

    1. Alignment panel

in the Style Editor


    2. To set the margin (space between item and edges of page), you can either

elect to

    1. set them all equally with a preset

of

    1. (Small

(S)

    1. , Medium

(M)

    1. , or Large

(L

    1. ) or set each margin individually by selecting the cross icon

.


    2. To set the padding within the area (space between edges of item and the content), you can also

either

    1. select from a preset (

S

    1. Small,

M

    1. Medium,

L

    1. or Large), or set each edge individually

    2. You can determine how the items are aligned, floating items to the left, center or right.

With the changes made to background colors, borders and spacing, our page now looks like this!

Image Removed

Back to List

AnchorSummarySummary Panel
borderColor#8A0000
bgColor#FFDD80
titleColor#FFC420
borderWidth1
titleBGColor#8A0000
borderStylesolid
titleSummary of Steps
Expand
titleEditing with the Style Editor
  1. First open your page in Edit mode and open the Sidebar.
    1. Select Advanced tools using icon at the top of the sidebar
    2. Select the Style Editor
  2. Place your cursor into the element on your page that you want to edit.  
    1. At the top of the Style Editor a list of elements in the content area will appear.
    2. Hover your mouse over each element to determine which element you will be editing
    3. Select the element.
Expand
titleChanging/ Adding Background Color
  1. After you have selected your element following the steps above, you can change the color of the background for the page element:
    1. Scroll down and open the Colors panel in the Style Editor.
    2. Select the Background Color item from the bar at the top of the Colors panel.
    3. The current background color of the element will display below the item
    4. Open the Basic Colors panel if it is not open
    5. Select a new color from the Basic Colors, or
    6. Open the Color picker and select a color you want.
  2. Repeat this process for any items you want to add background color to. In this example using the page pictured above, we changed the background color of the page heading, the background of the content block, and added a background color to the text in the first content block.
Expand
titleChanging Text Colors
  1. To change the color of text:
    1. Place your cursor in the field of the element you want to change (the content block header in this case)
    2. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style editor
    3. Highlight the text you want to change
  2. Then determine your color choice in the Style editor:
    1. Select the “Text Color” icon from the Colors panel
    2. Select the color from the Basic Color table or Color Picker.
Expand
titleAdding Borders
  1. Adding borders around a content block can draw attention to it. To add a border in the Style Editor:
    1. Place your cursor in the content block.
    2. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style Editor – make sure it is for the entire block.
    3. Scroll down and open the “Border and Background” panel in the Style Editor (if it is not open)
  2. Determine how you want a border to appear. Using Border Direction, select where a border will appear:
    1. All sides (for a border around the whole item), or
    2. Top (T), Bottom (B), Left (L) or Right (you can select any combination of these)
  3. Customize your border using the following options:
    1. Determine the width of the border:  (Small (S), Medium (M), or Large (L), or set a specific size using number of pixels
    2. Select a Border Style for the line: Dashed, Dotted, Solid line, or Double
    3. Select a border color from the presets. (You can change later)
    4. If you want the bordered area to have rounded corners, select a Border radius: Small (S), Medium (M), or Large (L), or set a specific size using number of pixels
  4. Customize the area surrounded by the border:
    1. Select a background color if you want the area to have a background color (in this example we will not select one)
    2. Select a shadow if you want the bordered area to appear to float on the page
Expand
titleAdjusting Margins, Spacing and Alignment
  1. To make these modifications:
    1. Place your cursor in the content block. Select the appropriate element from the item list at the top of the Style Editor – make sure it is for the entire block.
    2. Scroll down to the “Spacing and Alignment” panel in the Style Editor
    3. To set the margin (space between item and edges of page), you can either elect to set them all equally with a preset of Small (S), Medium (M) or Large (L) or set each margin individually by selecting the cross icon.
    4. To set the padding within the area (space between edges of item and content), you can also either select a preset (S,M, L) or set each edge individually
    5. You can determine how items are aligned, floating items to the left, center or right.

Child pages (Children Display)
alltrue
page(New) DesignPLUS Tools for MyClasses

Page Properties
hiddentrue
Related issues
    1. margins.pngImage Added

Page Tree
rootDesignPLUS Tools for MyClasses
startDepth1

Visit the DesignPLUS Training Series Tutorials for more videos. For more step-by-step guides, visit the DesignPLUS User Guide. (These links will overwrite this page.)