Marg McAlister

Whether you use XSite Pro or a completely different software program to create your website, I recommend that you download XHeader and give it a try.

This is a terrific program that is really easy to use. (And believe me, I've spent HOURS creating headers using expensive, much more complex programs - yet XHeader's graphics look just as good!)

Let me show you a few headers that I have created using XHeader. Then I recommend that you head on over to the XHeader site and download your own copy!

In my various articles on creating a writer's website, I use a fictional writer called... (drum roll): SUSIE WRITER. Susie has come in handy when I'm explaining how to create pages and headers. So I'll use Susie again.

I haven't taken a lot of time with the headers you see here, because I want you to realise just how simple it is when you're in a hurry. If you want to take a bit more time, you can create really sophisticated header graphics for your website.

1. When you open Xheader, you can choose whether to create a NEW header graphic or open one that you've already saved from a previous session.  You can also import any image from your hard drive to use as a basis for your header. For this quick show-and-tell session, I chose 'NEW', and then 'LOAD FROM THE TEMPLATE LIBRARY'

2. I then browsed through the hundreds of ready-made headers in the various categories, and found a header I liked. This one happened to be in the LITERATURE category.

3. In the two headers I have created below, you can see how I used the same template to create two different 'looks' for Susie Writer's site. You can play around with font, colours, and semi-transparent overlays as I have done to create just what you want.

4. In this example, all I've done is add a white rectangle to overlay the brown header, then sent it behind the image of the book and quill. You can see that this has given the header a much 'lighter' look, and brings the book forward.

5. Finally, two more examples... the ghost and the images of the children came from two different categories, so it's worth browsing to find just what you need for your site!

Take some time to play around with Xheader. You can make the header any size you want, so you can even make banners for your site later. You'll find that you can save your headers in different resolutions to make the file size smaller (the software shows you exactly what it looks like before you save it.)

Click here to go the page where you can download XHeader. The XHeader site also has excellent 'how to' videos walking you through the whole process. EASY - AND FUN!