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This applies to Joomla 1.0.13 and 1.5
When Joomla is first installed, the default template that is
used is called “rhuk_solarflare_ii,” generally just called “Solar Flare.”
If you decide to build your website using this template then
you will no doubt want to change the main banner or logo of the site to replace
it with your own. This banner is a
graphic image, and to change it you need to create a new graphic to take its
place.
This requires a few tools other than Joomla to
accomplish. First of all, you need to
have some type of graphics editor in order to modify the graphic (or create a
new one).
Next, you will need to upload your modified graphic to your
Joomla website to replace the original graphic.
This cannot be done from within Joomla itself without the installation
of an add-in (available for free). In
this example, I will use an FTP program to re-upload the image to the web
server, but you could also use your hosting account control panel file manager,
if you have access to that.
Note: while these
instructions refer specifically to the default template of Joomla 1.0.13, the
same principles are used with almost all other templates.
Step 1: Figure out the name and location of the logo image
file
The first things to do is to get a copy of the image file
onto your computer and find out the name and location of that file. To do this, hold your mouse over the graphic
and do a right click. On the right click
menu, choose <View Image> in Firefox, <View Background Image> in
Internet Explorer.
This will load that single image in your browser
window. In the browser address bar you
can see the name of the graphic file and you can also see where in the Joomla
directory structure that file is located.
So, for example, this graphic is called header_short.jpg and
it is located in the /templates/rhuk_solarflare_ii/images/ folder. That is the file we need to modify.
Step 2: Save the file
onto your computer
Next we want to save this file onto your computer so you can
edit it. Do a right click on the image
and choose “Save As …” and save the file (keeping the same name) onto a folder
on your computer. I recommend making a
folder just for your Joomla edits, perhaps in “My Documents” or in “My
Graphics” so you can easily find these things.
Step 3: Edit or
Create Your Graphic File
Once you have the file on your computer, you can open that
file using a graphics editor and modify it as you see best. You may even want to erase everything on the
image and start totally from scratch, or start with a totally new image. If so, then create a new image file with the
same dimensions as the original logo file that you going to replace. In the case of the header_short.jpg, the size
is xxx by xxx pixels.
After you have edited the picture, save it with the same
name as the original graphic file that you downloaded.
Need recommendations for a graphics editing programs? See this article.
Step 4: Save the
changed graphic back up to your web server
The final step is transferring the changed graphic file that
you have edited back up to your web server.
As I mentioned earlier, this cannot be done from within Joomla itself
without an add-in extension.
Let’s see how to do this using an FTP program.
Log into your account using your FTP program, and navigate
to the \templates\rhuk_solarflare_ii\images folder. Next, do a right click on the folder name and
choose “Upload.” In the next box,
specify that you want to upload a file, and then point the program to the
graphic file that you have edited that you want to transfer to your
webserver. Confirm that you want to do
the upload. You may be asked if you want
to over-write the file on the webserver.
Answer “Yes”
Once this is done, you should go back to your Joomla
site. Refresh the page by pressing
<F5> (or even better, <Control> <F5> to force your browser to
reload all graphics). It may take a few
refreshes, but your new graphic file should appear in place of the old one.
It often takes several tries to get the graphic right and to
get things to properly. And, you will certainly want to develop some
skill with your graphic editing program.
But, that is the basic process.
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How Do I? 
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web guy
By: Tayloe Nickey (Guest) on 23-07-2008 19:22