Each of my clients have a unique combination of webhost, circumstances and needs. As a result, I have been compelled to learn different ways to install WordPress. In this tutorial, I explain my 3 "go-to" methods. All of them are remarkably simple and, in most cases, should take less than 5 minutes! Before Installing WordPress Before diving into the … [Read More...] about 3 Best Ways to Install WordPress
Top 14 Stock Image Sources
Having spent 20+ years in print design and 10+ years in web design, I've learned a thing or two about where to find the best images. There are basically three categories of stock images: rights-managed, royalty-free, and free. In this post, I share what I consider the top 14 stock image sources. Rights-Managed vs. Royalty-Free vs. Free RIGHTS-MANAGED Rights-managed pricing is based on an end-use formula: print quantity, physical size, resolution (300 ppi for print, 72 ppi for web), … [Read more...] about Top 14 Stock Image Sources
4 Ways to Create Columns in WordPress
Columns are a great way to organize and display the content. Their structure enhances the user experience by improving readability, prioritizing information, and presenting material in attractive ways. Fortunately, creating columns in WordPress has become easier and easier over the years. Types of Content for Columns Instead of using one wide line length, break up the text into narrower columns. This is especially helpful on wide web pages without sidebars. Usually, separating the text … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Create Columns in WordPress
Can’t Login to Your WordPress Site?
There are lots of reasons why you may suddenly find yourself unable to login to your WordPress site. It could be due to something as simple as you forgetting your password. Or, perhaps it's because of web host maintenance, a database issue, a plugin conflict, etc. In this article, I describe the 5 most common problems and what to do to regain access to your site. 1. Forgot Your Password SOLUTION: reset your password. Go to the login page (usually mywebsite.url/wp-login.php or … [Read more...] about Can’t Login to Your WordPress Site?
Lessons Learned in Florida
Our time in southwest Florida is nearing its end, as Peggy (my partner) and I are moving back to Massachusetts in a couple of weeks. We've missed our community of family and friends, as well as the familiarity of places and offerings, more than we imagined. It's been a mixed experience in Florida: unusual circumstances, like friends moving away within months of our arrival; disconnect with aspects of the culture that don't resonate with us; surprises and delights with the ecology; learning … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned in Florida
What Should I Do to Protect My Site from Hackers?
WordPress is the most popular content-management system in the world. For that reason alone, it is vulnerable to hackers who delight in finding large pools of potentially insecure websites. Cleaning up a hacked site is not fun or easy. So, it's important to take some simple measures to protect your site. My Recommendations Choose a reliable webhost that ensures a safe platform for your site.All user accounts should use strong passwords: at least 12 characters, including a number and a … [Read more...] about What Should I Do to Protect My Site from Hackers?
20 Best Google Fonts
So Many Choices! According to Extensis, there are at least a half million fonts in the world today! No wonder we sometimes labor over which typeface to use. Let me ease that task a little bit by sharing with you what I consider the 20 best Google fonts. Why Google Fonts? For web work, Google Fonts are my primary source because they are open-source and free, and offer a huge number of typefaces. All of these offerings are viewable through a user-friendly interface with filters to help … [Read more...] about 20 Best Google Fonts
How Can I Change the Typeface in WordPress?
While the terms "typeface" and "font" are often used interchangeably, there are clear distinctions in their actual meaning. "Typeface" refers to an entire family of type styles: Neuton, Garamond, Goudy Old Style, and Lato are examples of typefaces. "Font" is the individual member of a typeface family: roman (or regular), italic, bold, and bold italic are font examples. It's very simple to change the font in WordPress. You just have to select the word(s) or sentence(s) and click on the "B" (bold) … [Read more...] about How Can I Change the Typeface in WordPress?
How to Build a Book Cover in InDesign
There are several ways to build a book cover in InDesign. I'll show you my tried and true methods, honed from years of experience working at an educational publishing company (Houghton Mifflin, now Cengage Learning). While there, first as a book cover designer and then cover design manager, I was involved in more than 500 books! We had to assemble and use accurate and flexible templates with all of the specifications required by various book printers. Specifications For each of my … [Read more...] about How to Build a Book Cover in InDesign