Sometime things happen that you don't expect. The following are common errors and fixes while working with the Site Builder Toolkit. If any of the following questions/answers don't apply to your specific problem, please contact the Web Specialist Office.
- Why does my text format with fonts and colors I don't expect?
This happens when you delete a space with one format into a paragraph or word that is formatted differently. Your paragraph automatically takes on the characteristics of the format of the space you are trying to eliminate.
Fix:
If you can't undo the change, you either have to go into the code and change the positions of the formatting HTML tags, or you can start from scratch. Cut the content of your page, re-paste it as plain text, and start formatting it again. Avoid the problem by making sure your curser is not deleting into a paragraph with a different format. If a "forward delete" doesn't work, undo the change and try "backspacing" into the previous paragraph.
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- Why are my tables duplicating at the bottom of my page?
This is the result of old HTML from a previous Site Builder system messing up the works. Content will mysteriously duplicate and no matter how many times you delete it, it reappears.
Fix:
Contact the Web Specialist office. We'll go in and remove the offending code.
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- Everytime I try to fix the spacing my text suddenly becomes all blue or all bold?
This happens when you delete a space with one format into a paragraph or word that is formatted differently. Your paragraph automatically takes on the characteristics of the format of the space you are trying to eliminate.
Fix:
If you can't undo the change, you either have to go into the code and change the positions of the formatting HTML tags, or you can start from scratch. Cut the content of your page, re-paste it as plain text, and start formatting it again. Avoid the problem by making sure your curser is not deleting into a paragraph with a different format. If a "forward delete" doesn't work, undo the change and try "backspacing" into the previous paragraph.
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- I want to add a Gallery of images to my page, how do I do it?
There are templates with pre-formatted tables set up specifically for creating a thumbnail gallery. Consult the "Working with Templates" download to learn how
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- I've copied my content from Word (or another application) and it's lost all the formatting. What did I do wrong?
Nothing, in fact you did it right. Other applications tend to bring in HTML code with it that will cause the other problems listed here. Not to mention that font formatting will be different than the official fonts we're using on the MSMC website.
Fix:
Make sure you are pasting your content as "Text" in the editor. Format your text using the tools in Site Builder.
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- I want to format my text with different colors and fonts, how do I do that?
Please don't try to do this. Mount St. Mary's College is trying to establish a look and feel for our website and adding colors and fonts that don't conform disrupts our efforts.
Fix:
There are always exceptions! We're not trying to stifle creativitity, so please contact the Web Specialist Office for help with special pages.
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- I've made a mess, and don't know what I did or how to fix it. Help!
Messes are usually caused by an excess of HTML on a page. Site Builder doesn't have a "code sweaper" that clears out the bad HTML but there is a work around: select all your existing content (the top most left button of the Site Builder Tools) and cut your content off the page. Repaste it as text. This will bring your content back without any formatting and you can start again using the Site Builder Tools. Unfortunately, this will eliminate any graphic or links you had previously added, but unless you can edit the HTML code behind what you are seeing, you don't have much choice.
You can also start from scratch using the "Title and Text" template.
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- Why are my photos so fuzzy, squished, or not looking good?
There can be several reasons for "fuzzy" images but on a web site they are usually caused by either having incorrect resolution, too much Jpeg compression, or increasing an already small image.
Fix:
The correct resolution for web based images is 72 pixels per inch (ppi or dpi). Make sure that your files are set correctly.
Jpeg resolution reduces pixels to shrink a photo. When the file is saved you lose quality, and your pictures get fuzzy, fix this by choosing less compression when you are saving your files. Stay in the "high quality" end of the compression rate. (90 or above using MS Photo Editor)
Finally, you should never increase the size of an image. It may display your image bigger, but what it's doing is blowing up the pixels and when you do that your picture gets fuzzy. If you need a bigger picture, rescan, reshoot, or find another, larger picture.
Squished, or distorted pictures are caused by resizing your image out of proportion. This can happen in your photo editor, or in the Site Builder editing tools.
Fix:
In your photo editor, when you resize your width and height, make sure the measurements are linked, so that when you change one, the other makes a relative change. If you need your picture to fit a specific size for a page template, for instance, if you have a rectagular picture that needs to be square, don't force the image to be square by resizing it to be the same width and height. That will "squish" your image. Crop the image to be square first, then resize it to the proper measurement.
You can also change the size of your image using the "Insert/Edit Pictures" tool in Site Buider. Make sure that the "lock" icon is on before you change the measurements. This will make sure that both numbers change in proportion to each other. Remember, as stated above: never increase the size of your image.
Note: The Web Specialist office does not recommend doing this, if you need your picture to be a specific size, it's better to make it the size you need before you place it, rather than changing the width and height in the code.
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- Can I edit more than one page at the same time?
No. If you have two browser windows and are working with the Site Builder tools on two different pages, the moment you publish one of them, it will replace the content for the second page with the content you just published. Work on one page at a time.
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- How do I create a single line break in my text?
By default hitting "enter" on your keyboard will automatically give you a double line break. To create a single line break hold the "shift" key, and then hit "enter" (shift/enter).
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- I've uploaded a file but the link doesn't work.
If you've uploaded and linked to your file using the site builder tools, the link should be pointing towards the correct location, if it's not working it may be a problem with the file itself. Check to make sure that the original opens correctly on your Hard Drive. Try deleting the file from your online folder and re-uploading it. It may not have uploaded properly the first time.
Check the name of the file. Don't use any spaces in your file name. Use underscores (_) or run the name together. Don't use any "Special Characters" in your file name. (#, @, /) Some characters are used for HTML coding and can confuse a browser.
If none of the above changes work, contact the Web Specialist office.
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- Tip: Copying pages - an easy way to keep formatting the same from page to page.
If you are making several pages that all have the same format; same sections, same picture position, same paragraph spacing, same table layout, and so on. Rather than making new pages and trying to duplicate what you've already done before, copy the first page and replace the content in the new page.
The "middle" button at the bottom of your correctly formatted page, will make a duplicate called "Copy of [original page name]." Once you are in the editor for the duplicate page, simply select the text you want to change and replace it with the new text. Don't forget to "paste as text" if you are copying from an outside application. Select an existing photo and "Edit/Insert" a new one in it's place. Leave common elements untouched; sub-headers, table rows and columns, or any other part of the new page that is the same as the old page.
Change the name in the Navigation section so that it doesn't say: "Copy of...", and once you've published the new page it will have the same formatting as the other.
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