AstraRed is yet another simple template made available to the USD community. Featuring the classic red, this sexy template boasts a total image file size only 13.3 kb. As always, a fast loading template for the casual blogger.

I've been working on a fairly decent template for a couple days now, but then I hit designers block... or something like it. So I started over with this one and pushed it out the door in a couple hours. I plan to have a blue version out the door in a couple days, maybe a purple version to. If you would like, post a request below for a version of this template in your favorite color.

How do I get the Template

You can either download the template package and install it yourself or you can request installation by sending me an email at jesse.bethke@usd.edu. If you do install this template, please leave a comment below letting everyone know that you have set up this template on your blog. Make sure you enter your blogs URL so that everyone can go checkout your new blog template.  Leaving a comment is also a nice courtesy so that an interested blogger will know how many times a template has been used.

How do I install the Template

After downloading the template package, you will need to decompress or extract the contents to your hard drive.  The package will contain two HTML files, a CSS file, and a folder containing the images.  That folder and the css file must keep the names I gave them, otherwise linking may not work correctly for you.

Set your Blog to Customization Mode

If your blog isn't already in customization mode, goto the theme tab under preferences and click "Customize."  This will allow you to modify and create custom templates.

Create your Image Folder and Upload Images

In the template package, there is a folder called images_sundering.  Goto "File Uploads" and create a folder called images_astraRed.  Inside that folder upload all the images that were in the images folder.

Upload Stylesheet File

In the root of your resources, upload the style_astraRed.css file.  It should keep this name because your template will reference it by this name.

Add Template

1. Goto the "Templates" tab. 
   
2. Under the Add New Template section, add a new template called astraRed.  Make sure you use that name exactly.
   
3. Click edit for that template.
   
4. Open the html file in the template package with notepad and then copy and paste everything in that file into the template editor window.
5. Click Save; click done
   

Add Supporting Day Template

All templates require a day template that defines what each post should look like. You likely already have one. Follow the same steps for the previous template file, only replacing your _day template with the contents of day.html

Switch Blog Over to Use New Template

1. In the templates tab, click edit on the Weblog template
2. Select everything in that file and backspace or delete it out so that it is empty.
3. Add the following line; then click save

  #includeTemplate($model.weblog "astraRed")

Your blog has now been installed, you can now start adding entries for the world to see.

Mix It Up With These Suggestions

Move The Side Column to The Left

With relative ease you can move the side column to the left. Make these changes to the stylesheet:

1. Line 86: Replace left with right.
2. Line 91: Replace right with left.
3. Line 93: Change 20px to 5px.
4. Line 113: Replace left with right.