1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

One of the best ways to customize your social networking pages on the web is to add a cool looking background. You can't do this on Facebook, but MySpace offers a way to change your background color and design, to make your page your own. The first thing to do is go to your MySpace editing page, and if you are still using Profile 1.0, upgrade to Profile 2.0 to expand your options.

Once you have done this - or if you are already using Profile 2.0 - you will see a banner which offers 140 page themes, a vast difference from the mere 18 page themes offered on Profile 1.0! You can choose from several colors and color combinations, such as watermelon, a pink and green theme, and crayon, which puts bright primary stripes on your background. The themes offered are plentiful and you are sure to find something you like, such as the popular Twilight themes, a starry background called zodiac, or nature themes.

But maybe you don't want a custom theme that thousands of other MySpace users will be using as well. You want to upload a photograph or image that is yours alone, that makes your MySpace page unique. Click on Advanced edit on the themes banner, and you will see the background Edit box. Copy and paste the URL of your chosen image (on Photobucket, Flickr or Myspace, or other source) into the box, and click on the reset button. You can set the image to scroll and repeat as you wish.

But your chosen background image does not have to be just a photo. If you are adept with software like Paint Shop Pro or Illustrator, you can design your own background theme! Just open up a new image box in your graphics program, and create your own unique background. Choose a color, and use the fill tool to create the background color, then either draw, or copy and paste an image onto the background that you like, and change its quality with the special effects utility. You can turn it into a drawing, a colored pencil sketch or an oil painting. Try different effects on your image to get the effect you want.

You can also just choose the Text tool and write on your background, perhaps a favorite phrase, saying or nickname in a contrasting text color, or mix text and images. In most of these programs you can also choose to fade and blur the image so it does not look too overwhelming on your page. If you don't know how to do this, get a graphics savvy friend to help you.

You need to keep the image small, around 70-100 pixels, so it will upload on the web faster, and then upload it on MySpace as you would any background image in the steps outlined above. It will scroll and repeat in the same way, giving you a really unique background for your MySpace page.

Learn more about this author, Gail Kavanagh.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to add background color to MySpace?
We want to hear your view. Write now!