Blog Tutorial: Template Designer

This is your Blogger Dashboard. To get to your Dashboard, go to Blogger.com.
Find the name of the blog you want, then click Try It Now on the pop-up or Design to get started with Template Designer.

Next, click the Template Designer button.

This is Template Designer. The first tab, Templates, enables you to change the kind of background your posts and widgets are on. I have my posts on a white background, but not my gadgets (or widgets). If I wanted everything to be on a transparent background, I would click Picture Window. You can change your background image in the next tab. Don't forget to click the arrow to see more layouts.
Next, click on Background.

Here you can change the colors on your page. (Individual colors and fonts of posts, titles, etc. can be changed in the Advanced tab at the bottom left.) If you want to use a pre-made theme, click the colored boxes to see which one you like best (recommended); otherwise you can click the box directly under "Main color theme" to customize it. Note: it's best to pick out your background image (explained in the next screen) and then change your colors to go with the picture. 

Here you can change your background image. Click the tabs (abstract, the arts, etc.) to see different background pictures- don't forget to scroll down to the bottom! If you want your background to be a solid color, click "No Image" (highlighted in blue), then pick the color you want (explained in the previous screen). When you find the image you want, click on it, then click "Done".

Here you can change the layout of gadgets on your page. For example, if you wanted all your gadgets at the bottom and top of your page, you would click the layout with a red border in the picture. If you wanted one column of gadgets on each side of your posts, you'd click the one beneath it. NOTE: changing your layout will re-arrange your gadgets.

Here you can choose how many columns of gadgets you want in your footer.

Here you can change the width of parts of your blog by dragging the sliders, or typing in a number in the boxes next of the sliders. Keep in mind that the width of pictures, videos, and other things you may want to post, as well as the width of your gadgets. Also, some people's monitors might be to small too small to fit the entire blog on their screen.

This is the last part of Template Designer. Here you can change the fonts and colors of parts of your blog, such as backgrounds, text in your posts, and the titles of your gadgets. Note: you can change the fonts and colors of individual posts while you are writing them. What specific tabs (page text, backgrounds, etc.) do will be explained in a separate post. Another note: when you click on Page Text (or background, etc.) the part of the page that will be affected by changes you make in that screen will be highlighted by a red checked border.