Baffled by blocks – background image? change font? how?!

  • I am really confused by the new blocks editor. It isn’t clear until I start clicking where the block outlines are – am I looking at two paragraphs, or two blocks? A block within a block? And selecting blocks is trial-and-error – it would be so much better if all blocks had a faint outline so you at least knew the visual layout of blocks, where they interact and where to select them etc.

    But mainly, I’m just having ridiculous amounts of trouble doing the most basic things. I want to change the font in my paragraph block. I can’t. I want to change the heading font. I can’t.
    I have a parallax header with text over an image that would look GREAT if I could just grab the bottom handle and resize the block so it is wide and shallow. I can’t. I can’t resize any of the blocks.
    I want to make the column block (which houses two different blocks) have a semitranspaernt background. I can’t do this either. I can’t even change the background colour. But why can I change the background colour of a paragraph block?

    I really, really want to like blocks, and I’m usually a fan of UI overhauls – but blocks is utterly appalling from an ease of use, intuitiveness point of view. I have no idea how to do the most basic things – resize and move blocks, change font and background, colours etc.

    Could someone help me out?

    • This topic was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by wilx.
Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

  • Hello Wilx, I will do my best to help out with some things that are available.

    If you are comfortable with markup code, you can get to that immediately by (in either a post or page) going to the options (accessed in the upper right hand corner). See illustration

    https://alluringmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Post_options.png

    Also, there some options (after you click on a block) that appear on the right hand side. More illustration

    https://alluringmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Right_side.png

    A big help will be adding classes to your elements within the blocks. This can be achieved by adding classes to them . . . another illustration . . .

    https://alluringmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Classes.png

    I’m sorry I’m unable to answer the rest at this time. Must run but good luck. I hope this helped

    Thread Starter wilx

    (@wilx)

    Thanks Graham, that’s very helpful. I’ll have a look at CSS too, hopefully that will help me out

    I am sure there are other how-tos with Gutenberg out there, this one I found the most helpful so far:
    how to

    Also take a look at Block plugins, there are several that do allow you to color and change text etc

    For me, I am coming into this kicking and screaming.. I think wp should of waited until they had a fully functional wysiwyg page editor, like those they are trying to compete with. And they should of created a detailed how to, but that’s just my opinion. I already see that using this will mean dozens of more plugins to deal with just to write a simple post.

    Fantastic link @dragonsjaw! Thank you for the share.

    For me, I am coming into this kicking and screaming.. I think wp should of waited until they had a fully functional wysiwyg page editor, like those they are trying to compete with. And they should of created a detailed how to, but that’s just my opinion. I already see that using this will mean dozens of more plugins to deal with just to write a simple post.

    I’m stunned by the massive amount of complaints and support requests (EVEN TO DO THE MOST BASIC OF THINGS) to figure it out!
    I’m just lost with it all!

    I agree! I can’t believe I have to spend HOURS trying to figure out how to change a font size, or add some copy next to an image in a block that can’t be resized. I am new to WP but it’s been a nightmare. I could have been done with my site already but it’s so un-user friendly and has no logic in so many aspects. It’s unbelievably frustrating. I don’t see how it has gotten to be so popular…

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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