Tutorial: how to create a signature for your Blogger posts

Hello Lovely Planetarians! I hope you’re still enjoying the festive season with your loved ones. The Sydney-to-Hobart yachts keep streaming into Hobart – the old girl is abuzz. Back on PB, the pixies and Mr PB are all sleeping soundly. And I’m still feeling a little Christmassy. This post has been rattling around in my head for a while since I lent someone a hand. How about I give you a belated Christmas present and share with you something I’ve learned – how to automatically add a fancy signature to the bottom of your Blogger posts.

Creating your signature

I created my signature using MyLiveSignature at http://mylivesignature.com/ (I have no affiliation with this free website). Now, please don’t be daunted by the numerous steps involved – I’m taking your hand (here’s mine, see?) and walking you through it. Okay?! Let’s go!

1. Click on http://mylivesignature.com/. Register your details to create a new account and then use them to log in.

2. Click on the top tab ‘New Sig’. You have three options from which to choose – using the signature creation wizard, hand drawing your signature or using a scanned image. This post only deals with ‘using the signature creation wizard’ so left click on that hyperlink.

3. Enter a name for your signature – I’ve chosen ‘Jane’. Click ‘next step’.

4. Select your preferred font. I’ve chosen font #1. Click ‘next step’.

5. Select your preferred size for your signature. I’ve chosen size #3. Click ‘next step’.

6. So now you’ve worked out the font and size of your signature. Next, you have to choose its colour.

See where you need to insert the codes for the colours of the background and the text? To make the signature consistent with the rest of your post, you need to use the same colours you use for your posts.

If you don’t follow these extra steps, your signature will ‘stand out’ from the rest of your post as it will be encased in a box with a different coloured background to your post text. That’s not going to look as professional and fancy as it could.

Okay, so let’s keep going – squeeze my hand. See – I’m still here with you!

7. To find the colours of your post background and post text, open a new tab with your browser and go to your blog.

8. Open 'Design', then 'Template Designer' and then 'Advanced'.

9. Click on 'Background'. The code in the second option, 'Main background', is the colour of the background of your posts. Grab some paper and write that code down – mine is #f4f7ff.

10. Click on 'Body text'. The code in 'Text colour' is the colour of the text of your posts. Write down that code – mine is #1e4263.

11. Now return to Step 4 of MyLiveSignature and paste your two colour codes written on your piece of paper into the boxes requesting the 'background colour' and the ‘text colour’, just like I have. Still with me? Good! Click ‘next step’.

12. Choose the slope for your signature. I’ve chosen slope #1. Click ‘next step’.

13. Choose a name for your fancy signature. I’ve chosen ‘Jane’ (inventive, I know!). Click ‘Finish’. And hey presto! You’re now the proud owner of the *fanciest signature in town*!

Now let’s insert it into your Blogger template so it’ll turn up automatically at the bottom of your draft posts. Squeeze my hand again and let’s go!

Using your signature

1. Now in MyLiveSignature, click on the top tab ‘Use sigs’ and then ‘Generate HTML code’.

2. Left click on ‘Generate a code for your handwritten signature’. Select the name of your signature (you may eventually have several choices so hence the prompt) and right click ‘Generate code’. Then this box will turn up.

3. Here’s the lovely HTML code you’ve worked so hard to create. Left click and highlight all the code. Then right click and hit ‘copy’.

4. Now open a new tab with your browser and go to your blog. Click on 'Design', 'Settings' and then 'Formatting'.

5. Scroll right down to the bottom to the empty box under 'Post Template'. Right click and then hit 'paste' to insert the HTML code from MyLiveSignature.

6. Click on 'Save settings' and voila! Now your *fanciest signature in town* will appear at the bottom of every ‘new post’. Just magic.

7. To check that it's working, click on 'New Post'. If the signature is attaching properly, it will load up in your new post before you start typing.

Just move the cursor to the left of the signature and return a few times to make the space to type your post.

When you've finished your post, make sure there aren't any extra spaces under the signature as that will leave a blank space at the bottom of your post.

So, now you can let go of my hand!

I hope this little Chrissy present is useful. Do let us know if you’ve mastered it so we can admire your handiwork!