If you've surfed the web much before, you've probably noticed the fancy backgrounds many pages have. Backgrounds that are made up of pictures or other images are called wallpaper. There are a number of websites where you can get wallpaper to use yourself. A list of good ones is linked below.

When surfing for wallpaper, it is important to do two things:

  1. Record where you got the design when you download it (you must credit the site when you put the wallpaper up on your own pages).
  2. Be sure to consider how text will look against the wallpaper - many patterns will make it hard to read your pages.
You'll take care of #1 with a worksheet below. As to #2, many sites will provide preview pages for each background, which have text in one or more colors to show you how it looks. Some do not. After a while, you will develop a feel for how text will look on a given background.

Check out one of the wallpaper sites listed here (clicking on this link will open a new window for you to surf in). When you find a pattern you like, right-click on it with the mouse, and select "Save Background As" from the pop-up menu. When the "Save" window comes up, click on the window which says "Save In" and scroll up until you see "Desktop." Select that, then click the create folder button (it has a file folder and a little sunburst on it), and name the folder "Temp."

Remember to clear out the temp folder before you leave the computer!!

Open the Temp folder and save the wallpaper in it (you may change the wallpaper's filename to something related to its appearance [like bluedrip.jpg] if you want to - it may make it easier to find later). You've just downloaded your first graphic!

Before continuing, go to the Wallpaper Worksheet (linked below), print it out, then use your "Back" button to return to this page.

Wallpaper Worksheet

Fill in one of the table rows with the information for the wallpaper you just downloaded. As you continue to look for good wallpaper, keep track of each file you download. Sound like a lot of trouble? Do it anyway - it will save you a lot of hassle later on.

Now you need to upload the wallpaper to your site. After you've collected several patterns, use an FTP program or your host's online uploading to put the wallpaper files on your server.

You now have wallpaper at your disposal! To put wallpaper on one of your pages, alter the <BODY> tag by adding BACKGROUND= and the file name (be sure to put the .gif or .jpg extention!). When you click "Preview," you will be able to see how the wallpaper looks.

Put wallpaper on all three of your pages. Be sure that your text can be read with the wallpaper behind it! Use the "Preview" button frequently!

Now, go to your "Credits" page and credit the sites you took the paper from (remember that Wallpaper worksheet?). When crediting a site, it is polite to link to them. Here's a sample credit:

<P>
<B><A HREF="http://users.vnet.net/f1help/wall001.htm">F1</B></A> - where I got the wallpaper on my home page.
</P>
Notice that when linking outside your site, you must type in the entire URL! This is important.

When you have all the credits set up, have your instructor look your site over and mark on your completion form that you've completed this lesson.

You now know all the tags for creating a simple, but neat-looking website! As the course continues, you will learn more advanced tags to make your site just the way you want it.

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