Header image size

If you take a look at the theme’s CSS, you’ll see something like this:

.header-image {
    -webkit-background-size: cover;
       -moz-background-size: cover;
         -o-background-size: cover;
            background-size: cover;
}

That sets the background image is set to “cover.” That pretty much means that the background image would stretch to cover its container.

If you want the image to stay as you upload it, what you can do (if the theme doesn’t have the option built-in) is to overwrite that with something else in your child theme’s style.css or another Custom CSS method with “auto” instead of “cover”:

.header-image {
    -webkit-background-size: auto;
       -moz-background-size: auto;
         -o-background-size: auto;
            background-size: auto;
}

You would then need to add some more lines to your custom CSS in order to re-style the entire header area because we’re breaking out of the theme’s default.

If you aren’t confident in your web development skills, I’d recommend using another theme or hire someone.

Thanks for that. I don’t think users should have to do this! They specify the size and then it doesn’t work, so they should correct it. As you say, I’ll use a more friendly theme I think.

I just tried that on my localhost version and it works fine – thanks. Editing css is not possible in wordpress.com sites of course.

Hi Kevjon – glad that worked on your self-hosted site.

This forum is actually for folks running WordPress on their own hosting. For help with WordPress.com sites, feel free to post in the forums here: https://en.forums.wordpress.com/

Here are some tips on getting help in the WordPress.com forums: https://en.support.wordpress.com/getting-help-in-the-forums/

It’s possible to add custom CSS to WordPress.com sites with the Custom Design upgrade.

I don’t want to crop it, it is already the right size (1200×240) and I want the whole image.

The reason your image doesn’t look right is that it’s too short. The theme info page for Pictorico on WordPress.com states that “Featured Images work best at a minimum of 1200 wide and 590 high.” but yours is only 240px high.

If you need further help, please do feel free to post in the WordPress.com forums.