Bebo Backgrounds

1. Log into your bebo account. On your profile, click "Change Skins" under your display picture, then "Roll Your Own" and "Read the Detailed Specification".
2. You can now also read the notes on bebo on how to make a skin, however it's easiest to just play around on your program to get a feel of what works and what doesn't.
3. Make sure you have a decent idea for a skin for bebo, and search for it before you start spending hours on it! Think of something really original, and it's far more likely to be accepted.
4. Open up your chosen program. Don't bother trying to make one unless you have a decent program like Macromedia Fireworks, or Photoshop. Unless it's a very simple design, Paint just ain't gonna cut it. If you insist, see the video on how to make the most of Paint.
5. Read the specification again, and make your canvas size the correct size. It must be the exact size specified on bebo, or it will not work.
6. Go down the list of graphics needed and make each one. Take your time and make it look nicely done.
7. When you have finished one, save it. Save it as the exact name they specify on the list. It must be saved as either a .jpg or .gif
8. When you are done, go back to Bebo>Change Skins>Roll Your Own>Add a New Skin. Type in what you would like the skin to be called, and some tags to make it show up when people search for that word.
9. Now click on Upload Graphics and Browse, and find all the files; make sure you get the right one as their names are quite similar.
10. Upload them. If it's worked there will be a tick by each file, if not a red cross and the reason why. The most common reason is that the file is too big, if so fix it.
11. Now you have all the graphics uploaded, you must Edit Stylesheet so that the font is a fitting colour and the skin is arranged correctly. Go through each point and change it to fit your skin, you'll have to experiment and see what it changes if you don't know what something means. Make sure you pick good colours for everything. There's nothing more annoying than a pale pink background and white font which makes it completely unreadable!
12. When you've edited it, and you think it looks polished, check you're happy with the name and tags then click Use this Skin.
13. Choose what you want to do with the skin (self explanatory when you get there).
14. You've successfully made a bebo background! If you wanted it to be featured, you'll have to wait for them to accept or reject it. They rarely accept them - it must be a original idea, great colours and graphics. They will tell you why it was rejected in the email, so take note and try again with a new idea if you want!
15. Since Bebo only accepts a few skins to be featured, submit your new bebo backgrounds to be shared with more users!

Bebo has introduced a new design option for bebo skins. Following the lead of MySpace, Bebo introduced a 2.0 skin layout. This is basically a variation of the bebo backgrounds we've been creating all along. The new 2.0 bebo backgrounds feature a user's stats and basic information off to the side, with the header module as a big featured picture on the top of the background. They are pretty snazzy, check out the latest 2.0 bebo skins and learn how to tweak your bebo background.