---
title: "Getting started with Essential Portfolio"
canonical_url: https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/7c1354ca-e16a-11ea-ac9c-3248f2465248
short_url: https://dpg.support/apib
category: "Guides > Tutorials"
locale: en
updated_at: 2021-08-09T15:18:33Z
source: Digital Photo Gallery Support
---

# Getting started with Essential Portfolio

In this four part video course you'll learn everything you need to build a portfolio website with the **Essential Portfolio** template.

You don't need any experience using DPG or building websites previously, so this is a perfect first project to introduce you to the system and teach you the basics of using your new account. I'll be taking you through every step of uploading your content, creating a website, organising your work, customising the design and finally launching your new site. 

> 💡 **Tip:** In the videos we’ll be making a photography portfolio, but it’s simple to adjust the instructions if you’re working with video or other visual media like art or illustration. DPG supports all standard digital image files and both native and external video.

#### Contents

* [Part 1 - Uploading and creating a new site](#part-1-uploading-and-creating-a-new-site) 

* [Part 2 - Organising your work with sets and pages](#part-2-organising-your-work-with-sets-and-pages)

* [Part 3 - All things Design ](#part-3-all-things-design)

* [Part 4 - Finishing touches and launching the site](#part-4-finishing-touches-and-launching-the-site)

### Before you begin

🧰 required tools & assets: 

* You need a DPG account - this can be the free account, or you can [upgrade to the Standard plan](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/cd57b2c6-ab7c-11e2-afc8-b8f6b11825bb) before getting started
* Some of your high resolution images to upload to your site
* It may be helpful to prepare any other assets such as logo files or information text for the About page ahead of time

📚 skill level: easy / beginner

Underneath each video tutorial you can find support article links relevant which you may find helpful for quick reference. 

💌 **Got stuck?** Need any help or advice? Drop an email to [support@digitalphotogallery.com](mailto:support@digitalphotogallery.com?subject=Essential Portfolio Course) and we'll be happy to help you out!

### Part 1 - Uploading and creating a new site
[▶ Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqIcvFUHcfw)
Let's get started! In Part 1 we'll be looking at uploading images and creating your new Essential Portfolio site. By the end of this video you'll have a working website, ready to fill with your work and customise further. Not bad for under 10 minutes!

Reference materials:

* [Preparing your images for upload](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/ce9d3a34-d611-11e6-a00c-6e61028599f7)

* [The Upload screen](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/304db388-ab34-11e2-aeb3-b8f6b11825bb)

* [Essential Portfolio - Examples and demos](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/e2388ac8-3ab7-11e9-a265-eac5b11bc458)

* [Essential Portfolio - Template overview](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/58284310-8975-11ea-b882-8a29d2b8c452)

### Part 2 - Organising your work with sets and pages
[▶ Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB4hywPV5z0)

Part 2 is all about the content. We'll be looking at different ways to organise your site, by using sets and pages to create different sections and more complex gallery hierarchies.

Reference materials:

* [Creating sets](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/25fcb16e-aa1b-11e2-8405-d49a20fffecc)

* [Adding images to sets](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/7b889c02-ab37-11e2-afa4-b8f6b11825bb)

* [Removing images from sets](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/8ec157aa-ab37-11e2-afa4-b8f6b11825bb)

* [Choosing the set cover image](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/c044ed5a-ab37-11e2-8ffe-b8f6b11825bb)

* [Page types](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/8482ed12-c097-11ea-bfbc-d6336a578750)

* [Gallery hierarchy](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/923f931c-9cd9-11e8-b6bf-3225061e24b0)

* [Adding pages](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/196bbd9e-ac1b-11e2-b218-f23c91703874)

* [Controlling navigation items](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/a4ad2c9c-d6cb-11e6-a00c-6e61028599f7)

* [Adding social icons](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/4abdc864-b27a-11e2-9f9e-22b8e83b8e79)

* [Keyboard shortcuts](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/b6917b6e-649f-11e6-974d-be279144b405)

### Part 3 - All things Design 
[▶ Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_xK7N-W7k0)
In part 3 we'll tackle the Design section where you can choose from pre-set themes, or customise every single element to your heart's content without ever needing to edit any code. 

Reference materials:

* [Gallery page styles](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/5fe6811e-c202-11ea-8de0-3248f2465248)

* [Anatomy of the page](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/188b93ee-c21c-11ea-8de0-3248f2465248)

* [Arranging media order in Design](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/89a756b4-b789-11ea-9771-3248f2465248)

* [Adding a logo](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/dc4c37f8-ad11-11e6-89d4-be279144b405)

* [Hiding set information](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/eb9dd1d0-b78f-11ea-9771-3248f2465248)

* [Using the lightbox](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/3336b342-c102-11ea-8de0-3248f2465248)

* [Masonry layouts explained](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/99b44604-c137-11ea-8de0-3248f2465248)

* [Configuring the Splash page](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/475c0018-c1d7-11ea-8de0-3248f2465248)

### Part 4 - Finishing touches and launching the site
> 💡 **Tip:** You can use a free DPG domain on your site such as yourname.dpg.gallery. To use your own domain, [upgrade](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/cd57b2c6-ab7c-11e2-afc8-b8f6b11825bb) ​to a paid plan.
[▶ Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CizxFG-iuQ)
Our site is almost done, so in this final part we'll look at a few final tasks such as adding policy text, meta description and website icons. With all that done, we'll add a public host and our site is ready to show to the world!

Reference materials:

* [Customising the Consent Banner](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/a9354122-c1c9-11ea-9012-d6336a578750)

* [Adding website icons](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/a675335e-ac1c-11e2-a89f-f23c91703874)

* [Host types](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/acf006a6-f69b-11e5-a5da-16474ff850f4)

* [Ask DPG support to configure a domain](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/72bbc7e0-cbce-11e7-8025-d28524ac7d86)

### One last thing
We hope that you found this tutorial helpful and would love to hear any feedback you might have. Get in touch at [support@digitalphotogallery.com](mailto:support@digitalphotogallery.com?subject=Essential Portfolio Course) 👋👋👋