Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Pop Quiz: How can I reduce the space between sidebar gadgets?

Answer:  Because sidebars and footers can quickly fill up with gadgets it is sometimes nice to find a way to have less space between each one to fit more in a small space.  For HTML gadgets there are a
couple of easy ways to do this.

  • For some banners, such as the 125 x 125 buttons, you can use a table and insert the button codes (this is what I have up now for the sponsor spots and affiliate sponsors at Simply CVS).  For instructions on tables check out:  HTML Table Generator ~ Quickly Design a Table.  On the one for my Sponsor Spots I changed the color of the border to white so it would not show up.  You can also alter the space between them—I made mine very tight.
  • You can also group several together in one HTML gadget.  
    • Choose a gadget and put in several HTML codes in the same one.  
      • If displaying them one on top of the other, it is best to hit enter a couple of times between each code if you have many so you can easily find them to change later if necessary.  This way makes it easy to group them together with titles. 
      •  If you are putting them side by side in a wider space enter one right after the other with just one space between them.
  • To make more space between the banners I have used the post editor as an HTML generator (since I am not adept at HTML) and I put in the banner codes and then between them I enter any character and make it the same color as the background it will be on so it does not show.  Then I go to the HTML editor and copy this code and paste it in a gadget.
  • The same can be applied to text.


Just play around and see what works for you.  Check out all the Pop Quizzes here at Simply Blogging University for other quick tips for blogging.

2 comments:

Rosebuds and Ladybugs said...

Ha Ha.... this is actually one of the things I was trying to google the other day! Also, thanks for stopping by Deals and Dishes. I'm sure you've seen I moved the Link Up Lounge there. =) Hope you stop by often and share your links!

Cheryl @ Simply Shoeboxes said...

Well, great, D&D! Yes, I love how you switched the Link Up Lounge to there. I need to take time and swap out the links I have in my lists here.