How to Create Drop Caps (Big First Letters) in Blogger/Blogspot

Here's another way you can customize your Blog. In this case, your Posts and Comment's first letter. The effect is a large first letter stretching down three or four lines with the text wrapped around. The drop cap letter can also use a different font and can be a different color to the rest of the text. You often see this style in newspapers, literature, magazines. In this tutorial i will show you how to apply automatically Magazine text style in Blogger Posts and Comments. So let's start adding it!

-> Add Drop Caps For Blogger Posts

drop caps, blogger blogspot, tutorials

-> Add Drop Caps For Blogger Comments

drop caps, first letter, blogger

Big First Letter for your Blogger / Blogspot Posts

Step 1.
  •  If you are using the old Blogger interface:
Go to Dashboard - Design - Edit HTML - Expand Widget Template (make a backup)
  • If you are using the new Blogger interface:
Go to Dashboard - Template - Edit HTML - Proceed - Expand Widget Template (make a backup)

Step 2. Search (CTRL + F) for this piece of code:

]]></b:skin>

Step 3. Just above it, add the following:

.capital:first-letter {
float: left;
display: block;
font-family: Times, serif, Georgia;
font-size: 40px;
color: #000000;
margin:0px 5px 0 0;
padding:0 0 0 10px;
}

Customize:

Color - change the color highlighted in blue with the value of your desired color
Size - to change the letter size, increase/decrease the value highlighted in pink.

Step 4. Now search for this code:

<data:post.body/>

Step 5. Then immediately before and after add the red fragments you see in the example below:

 <div class='capital'><data:post.body/></div>

Step 6. Save your template.

Important! If the above code is not working, add one of following codes from this example:


<p class="capital"><data:post.body/></p>

Or

<span class="capital"><data:post.body/></span>


Big First Letter For Blogger/Blogspot Comments

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger account, then go to Design (Layout) >> Edit HTML >> check the "Expand Widget Templates" box

Step 2. Search (CTRL + F) for this piece of code (if you have already added this code, skip step 2 & 3):

]]></b:skin>

Step 3. Add the following code just above ]]></b:skin>:

.capital:first-letter {
float: left;
display: block;
font-family: Times, serif, Georgia;
font-size: 40px;
color: #000000;
margin:0px 5px 0 0;
padding:0 0 0 10px;
}

Customize:

Color - change the color highlighted in blue with the value of your desired color
Size - to change the letter size, increase/decrease the value highlighted in pink.

Step 4. Then Search for this piece of code:

<data:comment.body/>

Step 5. Add the red codes before and after <data:comment.body/> as you can see in my example below:

<p class="capital"><data:comment.body/></p>

Step 6. Save your Template.

That's it! Now you have a cool drop cap first letter on your blog.
If you have any question, leave a comment below!

Numbered comments on threaded comments for Blogger/Blogspot

In a past tutorial, I've been talking about how you can add numbered comments to your blogger blog and today we'll learn how we can add numbered comments along with comment bubbles on the threaded comments as well.

What the following CSS trick will do for you:
  1. When the general block of comments is initiating (.comments-content) a counter called countcomments activates and starts with an initial value of 1. 
  2. Then, each time the code flow goes through a review of any level, either a principal or a reply comment (.comment-thread li), content will bring us in front (:before) of the body of the comment, the number that is the counter at the time.
  3. Then is incremented in one unit the counter (counter-increment).
See the screenshot:
count comments, comment bubble, forum, blogger

Isn't that great? Well, i'm pretty sure many of you have been waiting for this cool trick. So let's begin applying it for our threaded comments system.

Steps to add bubble comments count

Step 1: Go to Dashboard - Template - Edit HTML (click on Proceed if needed)

    ...Expand Widget Templates:



    Step 2: Search (CTRL + F) for this piece of code:

    ]]></b:skin>

    Step 3: Add the following code just above it:

    .comment-thread ol {
    counter-reset: countcomments;
    }
    .comment-thread li:before {
    content: counter(countcomments,decimal);
    counter-increment: countcomments;
    float: right;
    z-index: 2;
    position:relative;
    font-size: 22px;
    color: #555555;
    padding-left:10px; 
    padding-top:3px; 
    background: url(
    https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCw9rU7p3v0ZW-HD_fNIoGKAqUiN62B27ZkAGsju2voz16TVpq2FsazUXzzEgrOjymaRUKuUDXt9HtqDBF5Rq-NPKaeZfiVyHFoB7nxHP80BZTq0ayqLj8i6Q3Prr_Lk8dIW_Ifexgqua/s1600/comment+bubble2.png) no-repeat;
    margin-top:7px; 
    margin-left:10px; 
    width: 50px; /*image-width size*/
    height: 48px; /*image-height size*/ 

    }
    .comment-thread ol ol {
    counter-reset: contrebasse;
    }
    .comment-thread li li:before {
    content: counter(countcomments,decimal) "." counter(contrebasse,lower-latin);
    counter-increment: contrebasse;
    float: right;
    font-size: 18px;
    color: #666666;
    }

    Note:
    • for no bubble icon, remove the code in red (including the blue code)
    • to change the comment bubble, replace the code in blue with the URL address of your own icon. If you're not sure what icon you should use, you can find some cool icons in my previous posts (see these tutorials here and here)
    • to change the position of comments count, increase/decrease the values (3 & 10) from padding-top and padding-left
    • to change the position of comments bubble/icon, change the values (10 & 7) from margin-left and margin-top
    Step 4: Now Save the Template and you're done!

    If you enjoy reading this blog, please share and subscribe. For any questions, leave a comment below.

    How to add “Email Subscription Form” to Blogger Blogspot

    email subscription form, blogger blogspot, gadgets
    When you are providing useful information in your blog, then many times some readers will need to get the latest updates from your blog. For that purpose, you need an Email Subscription Form in your blog, so that the interested visitors can easily get the latest updates.


    To add email or Feed Subscription Form to your blogger blog (blogspot) is very easy.
    Just follow the next steps:

    1. Log in to Blogger, then go to Layout > click on "Add a Gadget" link:


     2. From the pop-up window, scroll down and click on the "HTML/JavaScript" gadget:


     3. Paste the following code inside the empty box:
    <style>
    .hl-email{
    background:url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnDmEP4I_TBFq9E1NYr_cTLZYxLNTxYfflbU3BenP1A8-CNdMnn0rC8M7Y_1_pXw0PYtPf4eaPINalC8cb1oW1PhFo0tWcq3_koOkantRM16GGkG-iSNpUkOZ8XL8xHRJOue2fCDtPBI/s1600/mail.png) no-repeat 0px 12px ;
    width:300px;
    padding:10px 0 0 55px;
    float:left;
    font-size:1.4em;
    font-weight:bold;
    margin:0 0 10px 0;
    color:#686B6C;
    }
    .hl-emailsubmit{
    background:#9B9895;
    cursor:pointer;
    color:#fff;
    border:none;
    padding:3px;
    text-shadow:0 -1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);
    -moz-border-radius:6px;
    -webkit-border-radius:6px;
    border-radius:6px;
    font:12px sans-serif;
    }
    .hl-emailsubmit:hover{
    background:#E98313;
    }
    .textarea{
    padding:2px;
    margin:6px 2px 6px 2px;
    background:#f9f9f9;
    border:1px solid #ccc;
    resize:none;
    box-shadow:inset 1px 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
    -moz-box-shadow:inset 1px 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
    -webkit-box-shadow:inset 1px 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); font-size:13px;
    width:130px;
    color:#666;}
    </style>
    <div class="hl-email">
    Subscribe via Email <form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" id="feedform" method="post" target="popupwindow" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=helplogger', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true">
    <input gtbfieldid="3" class="textarea" name="email" onblur="if (this.value == &quot;&quot;) {this.value = &quot;Enter email address here&quot;;}" onfocus="if (this.value == &quot;Enter email address here&quot;) {this.value = &quot;&quot;;}" value="Enter email address here" type="text" />
    <input type="hidden" value="helplogger" name="uri"/><input type="hidden" name="loc" value="en_US"/>
    <input class="hl-emailsubmit" value="Submit" type="submit" />
    </form>
    </div>

    Settings 
    • Replace the url address in green to change the email icon
    • Increase/Decrease the 130 width value for a wider text area
    • Replace http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=helplogger with your Feedburner Email Feed link. You can get it by visiting your feedburner account then navigate to Publicize and then to Email Subscriptions.
    • Replace helplogger with your feed title. It appears at the end of your feed link. In my case it is http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=helplogger

    4. Now Save your widget and check your blog. Enjoy!