Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to set background color outside the container for posts and widgets. I'm really looking for an effect similar to this forum or http://thehappiestmom.com/ so the layout width is around 80%, the background for the posts and sidebars is still white, but the area outside that 80% has a background color. I know how to change the layout width but can't figure out where to set the color for the page margins. Please help.

That is in the Atahualpa Theme Options (ATO)>Body, Text, & Links. You just set the background color.

Thank you for your quick response, but I don't want to change the background color on the body. I want it only on the margins like on http://thehappiestmom.com. She's got a white background on the body and posts but turquoise in the margins. If I set layout width to 80%, is there a way of setting the color for the 20% outside margins?

Thanks!

Sonya

The turquoise color you are referring to is the body color. Try putting a color in ATO>Body, Text & Links and you will see what I mean.

Hi Larry,

I changed the background color before I ever posted to the forum. It changes the background color of everything, my posts, the sidebars, widgets, ...everything. I just want the margins to have background and for everything else to stay white. What am I missing?

Thanks!

The site is made of layers. You have the body or background. The sidebars, posts, center column sit on that. So in some cases you have to add background colors to those items so they aren't transparent. If you start by going to ATO>Style and configure Sidebars and put a white background there you will see what I mean.

I definitely do see what you mean and I really appreciate you sticking with me on this one. My problem is that I'm not trying to change the background color of the posts, body, sidebars or anything I can manage to find in any of the layout options.

If I change the layout width to 80%, how do I configure only the 20% outside of the regular layout so that it has a color background? Or if I have to set the color background, how do I keep everything but the 20% outside the sidebars and posts white?

When I go to http://thehappiestmom.com I see hers in turquoise, on http://www.happiness-project.com/ I see light purple. How do they do that?

Sorry this is being so difficult for me to grasp. I am grateful for your help.

What Larry was saying is that unless you set the sidebar and center area colors, you will see the page background color. Think of several sheets of transparent paper. The first you lay down is the background and you paint it blue. Next you lay down the sidebar sheet which is cur a little smaller than the background sheet. All you see is blue, but you can now paint it red

So now you see a blue margin, red on the two sidebars and blue again in the center. You lay down the center sheet (which exactly fits between the sidebars) and you paint it yellow.

Each layer is independent of the others and you can have post containers another color, widgets containers different, the text block in a widget container could even be different again.

Thank you for your explanation. I totally understand this layer concept and have figured out where to set background for sidebars, widgets, posts, etc. But I can't figure out where I can configure background for areas outside the sidebars. If layout is set at 80%, where do I set the color for the 20% margin?

Thanks!

That 20% (10% left and 10% right) is the background and is set in ATO>Body, Text, & Links. You put a background color or image in the box there. For instance if you wanted a black background you would use...

background: #000;

There is an example of how to put a background image on the top of that page.

Thanks Larry, your first response was perfect - short and precise. Worked nicely for me!