I decided to join the herd (not my usual style) and sign up for Twitter a few months ago.
I had picked the brand name of "MsWonka", so also chose this as my Twitter name.
I was happy to see the name was still available.
Twitter is very user friendly in guiding you to make a Twitter profile.
I filled in the blanks, updated my settings and presto, I was ready to Twitter.
While I was happy with the results of my Twitter profile I had created, the blahsay background image was lacking.
I messed around with Twitter's available images and color schemes to find something to differentiate myself from the sea of other "tweeps".
I wanted my background to "pop", as they say in the designer's world.
I decided to take the matters into my own hands and looked at several other profiles of people I was following.
It was amazing to see how diverse everyone's Twitter backgrounds were.
It was obvious they, too, had decided Twitter lacked any real style to their background images.
I searched Google for how to make a custom Twitter background and found a great Twitter template download for Apple's Keynote software at The Closet Entrepreneur.
They also have the Twitter template available for PowerPoint users.
After downloading this template, I then did the following steps: 1.
Double clicked on the download to open up the Twitter template in my Keynote '09 software.
2.
Chose a theme from the Keynote "Themes".
(On a side note, this is where I decided to set my background color as a custom solid color.
The Keynote themes weren't all that exciting to me.
I did the custom background as the last step since I wanted to see the Twitter outline while aligning the images and text boxes.
) 3.
Inserted my desired text via the "Text Box" button and changed the text colors and fonts to my liking.
I further manipulated the text by adding a picture frame via the "Inspector" > "Graphic Inspector" > "Stroke" > "Picture Frame" functions.
I was also able to rotate the text box via "Inspector" > "Metrics Inspector" > "Rotate".
4.
Inserted my pictures via the "Media" button and used the "Inspector" functions as I did with the text boxes.
5.
At this point I wanted to see how I did with the sizing of the text and image boxes on my actual Twitter page before adding my custom background color, so I saved my work.
To save your file, go to "File" > "Save As" > "Name of File".
Then go back to "File" > "Export" > "Images" > "JPEG" > "Next" and save to your desired folder, then "Export" and you are done.
6.
Logged onto my Twitter account and uploaded my new Twitter background via "Settings" > "Design" > "Change Background Image" > "Choose File" (from where you downloaded it) > "Save Changes".
7.
Viewed my new Twitter background on my Twitter account and noted any size and alignment changes (if any) I needed to make on the text and image boxes.
8.
Went back to my Keynote software and made the necessary changes.
9.
Added my custom background color via "Inspector" > "Slide Inspector" > "Appearance" > "Background" > "Color Fill" (there are other neat color options here you can experiment with, i.
e.
, "Gradient", "Image", "Tinted Image".
10.
Saved my file again and uploaded to my Twitter account.
Done! I LOVE IT! Check out my Twitter background and see for yourself how professional it looks.
I highly recommend customizing your own Twitter background.
It's fun and relatively easy to do.
I hate to admit I spent about 4 or 5 hours on mine because of my annoying detail-oriented brain, but I think it was time well spent.
Give it a try! LESSON LEARNED: Never settle for the basic options if you can do it yourself!