ShipScript has been an eBay Community volunteer since 2003, specializing in HTML, CSS, Scripts, Photos, Active Content, Technical Solutions, and online Seller Tools.
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The default value in the text tools will display as Arial 14, but that does not mean the text is tagged that way. In fact, if you change the dropdown value to 18 and start clicking around, you will find that it will show 18 everywhere, except where the text is actually tagged. Unfortunately, that's the way eBay's text editor has always worked.
To make styling stick, the text editing tools must actually be changed from one value to another. So, if you want 14pt text, highlight the text you want to change, click something like 18, and then click back to 14 so that the editor sees a change in the value in the droplist. Same with the font.
Your template was a good workaround to this problem. Unfortunately, your description has always been outside your template, but you never noticed because your browser had its default text changed from Times to Arial. It wasn't until your browser updated or changed, and reverted back to Times, that you noticed this issue. The browser's defaults are used whenever text is not styled.
To add to the confusion, eBay's editor shows unstyled text in Arial font, just as your browser used to show unstyled text in Arial font, so sellers think that is what they will see in the listing.
If you want to fix your current 34 listings, I think one option is to open each one in HTML view and add this to the very top of the HTML view:
<div style="font-family:arial; font-size:14pt">And add this code to the very end of the HTML code:
</div>That should style anything that is remains unstyled.
Going forward, I think it would be safer to modify your template to include a placeholder for the description text.
This is what I see:
Does your template consist of only the boilerplate?
Looking at your listing code, it appears that your description was pasted outside of your template, so it is not controlled by the styles in your template.
You may want to modify your template to include an XXXXXX placeholder for your description. Paste your template first, and then add your description at the placeholder. In your modification process, you may want to clean up some of the code errors in the template. I'll be happy to help with that.
I just tried to revise one of the listings from today with the wrong font & it shows up in the revision description box as Arial, but when I save, it reverts to Times New Roman.
I think I already said this, but I HATE IT lol.
The default value in the text tools will display as Arial 14, but that does not mean the text is tagged that way. In fact, if you change the dropdown value to 18 and start clicking around, you will find that it will show 18 everywhere, except where the text is actually tagged. Unfortunately, that's the way eBay's text editor has always worked.
To make styling stick, the text editing tools must actually be changed from one value to another. So, if you want 14pt text, highlight the text you want to change, click something like 18, and then click back to 14 so that the editor sees a change in the value in the droplist. Same with the font.
Your template was a good workaround to this problem. Unfortunately, your description has always been outside your template, but you never noticed because your browser had its default text changed from Times to Arial. It wasn't until your browser updated or changed, and reverted back to Times, that you noticed this issue. The browser's defaults are used whenever text is not styled.
To add to the confusion, eBay's editor shows unstyled text in Arial font, just as your browser used to show unstyled text in Arial font, so sellers think that is what they will see in the listing.
If you want to fix your current 34 listings, I think one option is to open each one in HTML view and add this to the very top of the HTML view:
<div style="font-family:arial; font-size:14pt">And add this code to the very end of the HTML code:
</div>That should style anything that is remains unstyled.
Going forward, I think it would be safer to modify your template to include a placeholder for the description text.
The placeholder should be inside your template, not above it. The purpose of the placeholder will be to ensure the description is added to the correct location.
Below is a makeover of your template. When you click your template name, select "manage". Then get to the HTML view of the template editor to replace your existing template code with this new code and save the template. You should then be able to insert the template in new listings and add your description where the placeholder text ("add description here") shows. If you use sell-similar on a description that contains your old template, simply delete the description, insert your new template, and add your new description text.
<div style="font-family:arial; font-size:14pt; border:1px solid black; padding:2em">
<div>
Add description here
</div>
<br>
<br>
<div>
<b><u>
WHERE DID WE GET THIS FABULOUS ITEM?
</u></b>
<br>
<br>
All of our items are salvaged from structures deemed
for demolition. All items are described to the
best of our ability with our limited or nonexistent
knowledge of item history prior to our possessing it.
<br><br>
All items sold "As is" for these reasons but rest
assured they will be properly packaged to assure
a safe delivery.
<br>
<br>
<b><u>
COMBINED SHIPPING:
</u></b>
<br>
<br>
Combined shipping available but please contact
us <i><b>PRIOR</b> </i> to checking out so
we can let you know what the combined shipping total
will be and work around eBay's fixed forms that
try to force separate shipping for separate listings.
Also, please allow us 24 hours to respond.
<br>
<br>
<i>
If we receive no contact prior to payment, we will
ship items separately using listings' stated shipping charges.
</i>
<br>
<br>
**NOTE: If combining items will crowd fragile items,
not allowing for proper padding and posing a risk to
the fragile items, we <i>must</i> ship them
separately instead of combining.
</div>
</div>
Yes, those were the good ole days. Bob and I became good friends on the HTML forum. That forum was his lifeblood until he passed in 2008. There were many truly good people there, and it was fun being creative with HTML. Thanks for the memory.
