All solutions to Typominima headaches

Ok, not all. Not even most. But a lot, I hope, of that some which is really troublesome about this gorgeous but exasperating template.For this last emotion see the comments here or here where I am involved.

Typominima is a single wide column template created by Blogsessive for Wordpress (sometimes it seems all good designs are created for Wordpress) and adapted to Blogger by Vikas Bhargava (I think) of Besttheme.net.



It has minimum of graphic elements to distract(hence the name Typo -minima). However that also creates problems for those who love this design but are rankled by the lack of options. You love it, you hate it! It feels like your spouse!

The elements missing in the original template include the post date, author stamp, link to comments, labels, quick edit icons, share links etc (that is, all the goodies in a post footer). There is also a loneliness at the top,  at least for me. I love big, colorful and striking blog header images. And I just can't live without sidebars. Where else to put ads, shameless self-promotions and other thingamijigs?

After great inhuman exertions ( so great that if someone of finer intellect had put them to task in a higher field, he might have come up with the Super Grand Unification Theory of the Universe), I believe I have managed to solve some of the most entangling tangles of this lovely template.
(Ok, I'm kidding - about the effort, I mean. But it was exasperating at times).



An index of the stuff in this post so far (there will be more surely)-

i) SINGLE COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED

ii) SINGLE COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED AND WITH HEADER IMAGE
How to replace header image with your own

iii) 3-COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED AND WITH HEADER IMAGE
How to replace header image with your own

iv) 4-COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER - NEWS SITE OR MAGAZINE LOOK

v) ANSWERS TO SOME ANNOYANCES
how to change site description

So without more ado, here we go-

1) SINGLE COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED

No fuss or sweat. Just download from here-
http://www.mediafire.com/?q5jkacd9x96l7ws
It has all the post footer missing elements and post date added. There are also some stylistic modifications for a 'better' look. (But that is subjective, no?) The major style modification is in the styling of Blockquotes. Also post footer elements and the post date have been given a muted look so as to maintain the original intent of the designers.

However no header image in this one. For that see no.2)

A screenshot-

Click to see a larger image.

IMPORTANT! - There are several images used in the template. You will find the links in the template. They are easily seen long lines that go something like-

 url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBAagiGFvmMrHcFPhzECPfcct0aTsl6MdDNdkCBgwQUPFfkpZD8CLr_OWXGPRq8lFHMtweFMHuFq9V1s6_yG3H8lgF0VWQc99ZoeqJKKaigjirQBHDFb2RbaLx6UJxE1t5IKXdHsCG7PO/s800/typominima_1col_header_770px.jpg)

 I strongly suggest you download these images and upload them to your own preferred site. You may use Picasa which probably you are already using as images uploaded on Blogspot blogs go to Picasa albums. Hosting your own images will give you control and safety. Change the links in the templates accordingly

This is true for all downloaded templates.

To view and make changes in the template I suggest using a good text editor with syntax highlighting like Notepad++ . Makes life a little easier.








2) SINGLE COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED AND WITH HEADER IMAGE


The same template as above but now with a header image added. The download link includes psd file so that you may create your own header image with an inverted crest. Or you may use any other image 770 px wide. I very much suggest using your own image for the sake of standing out and making your own statement.


A screenshot -

Click to see a larger image.

Download Template, psd and instructions -
http://www.mediafire.com/?oq1a86fq95jvf3m


How to replace header image with your own-
Find this bit in the template-

#sitename {
    padding: 40px 0 110px 0;
    text-align: center;
    height: 235px;
    background: url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBAagiGFvmMrHcFPhzECPfcct0aTsl6MdDNdkCBgwQUPFfkpZD8CLr_OWXGPRq8lFHMtweFMHuFq9V1s6_yG3H8lgF0VWQc99ZoeqJKKaigjirQBHDFb2RbaLx6UJxE1t5IKXdHsCG7PO/s800/typominima_1col_header_770px.jpg) no-repeat bottom center;
}

and replace the image link with your own. Set the height attribute in code above according to the actual value of your image.





3) 3-COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER WITH MISSING ELEMENTS ADDED AND WITH HEADER IMAGE

All the above goodies and a couple of sidebars too! This is my favorite and is currently the design of this blog you are reading. It is fairly wider (960px vs. 770 px) than the single column templates above to take in the 2 sidebars.

A screenshot just in case if in future the design of this blog changes(unthinkable now! but life brings strange twists)-

Click to see a larger image.

Here's what I wrote when this template was implemented here-

However for my own purposes the minimal look -while a killer -was simply too inadequate for this blog. A couple of sidebars for all the gadgets and neon signs were indispensable. So there went a few long, wasted days. This is the only 3 column version of Typominima as far as I know. It was widened from a single column of 770px to a three column width of 960px. The central column was reduced to 616 px to keep to this width. Also the usual Blogger stuff that had been left out like comments, labels, timestamp, author name et al was restored. I expect this to be a happy compromise of beauty and utility.

Download from here-
http://www.mediafire.com/?cns1aab5651e056

How to replace header image with your own-
it is similar to the steps given above in (2). However your image has to be 960px and set the height attribute according to actual value.




4) 4-COLUMN TYPOMINIMA TEMPLATE FOR BLOGGER - NEWS SITE OR MAGAZINE LOOK


Yes, a 4 column Typominima! No, you are not dreaming.


 A restrained 'journal' like feel to it. I created this to cram in a lot of interesting links while maintaining the grace of Typominima. A huge amount of modifications including font and font effects. No comments or labels under the posts. In fact nothing but share buttons to keep uncluttered what is other wise a very busy look. Not even post titles and dates.


A Screenshot-

See the actual working site here.

Answers to some annoyances:

HOW TO CHANGE SITE DESCRIPTION-
In Typominima this cannot be done from the Blogger -> Dashboard -> Design -> Page elements

 So find this bit in the template (open it in Notepad++ or any other text editor)-

<div id='sitename'>

<a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'><data:blog.title/></a><br/><span>~ This is your site description ~</span>

</div>

 and replace

 ~ This is your site description ~

 with your own words.

 Easy!




Ok, that should cover most problems, hopefully, with Typominima. There are other niggles - like font replacement technique used. Actually these are not bugs but were intended as design features of a minimalistic template. But we are unfulfilled and sniveling souls - we demand more.

I shall get down to font replacements and other annoyances later when I can in this post itself. So do check back.

You may also see the comments here and see if a solution to your problem has been posted.



And lastly, though this sounds cheap, cheeky and a shameful plug- if you can afford to do consider purchasing some of my art which you may see here-
 http://gurmeetart.freeprohost.com/

 Thanks!