part 8: the template

With that in mind, let's go ahead and design a template for our site.

Create a new page

If you are using a design template, you do not have to create a new page. Go straight to saving.

Press the new page button () to start. If asked, choose to start on a New Blank Page.

Save the page

Immediately save this page to your disk (the A:\ drive) as "template.htm".

Get into the habit of immediately saving a page when you start to work on it. This will save you many headaches later if (and when) you accidentally save right over your template.

It will happen, trust me.

Edit the page's color scheme

Use the menu: Properties - Document

This will open up the Document properties window. From here, you can control many aspects of the page, including the color scheme.

(If you do not have a window that looks like the one above, click on the tab marked "Appearance" near the top of the window.)

	Choose the option "Use custom colors and save in document"
	Use the big buttons to the left of the labels "Normal Text", "Link Text", etc. to open the color picker.

To use the color picker:

	Click on the color you want to use.
	Click "OK"

For now, use the colors that are provided on the main Color screen, like you see to the right. These colors are standard system colors and will generally look right in all browsers.

The colors that you are picking refer to:

	This is the default color of the text on your page. Although you can change font colors at any point on the page, if you do not, the text will appear in this color.
	This is the color that hyperlinks will appear in on your page.
	This is the color that links will change to at the very moment that they are clicked. (To see this in action, click on this link and hold your mouse button down. Notice that, while the button was down, the link turned yellow. That is the active link. If the link is another point on the page, as this one is, then the link will stay that color.)
	This is the color of a followed link. A followed link is one that the user has already clicked on and visited.
	This is the color of the background of the page.

You will notice that the big preview box on the right changes as you choose different colors. Use this guide to help you decide if the colors you are choosing are appropriate.

Netscape comes with some pre-made color schemes as well. You can access these by using the drop-box labeled "Color Schemes."

You will also notice an option called "use image." If you already have a background image that you wanted to you, click this option and find it on your floppy disk (the A:\ drive).

When you have chosen all of your colors, click the box marked "OK" to return to the main screen.

PART 7 PART 9

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