Here be a sample post with a custom background image. To utilize this “feature” just add the following YAML to a post’s front matter.

image:
  background: filename.png

This little bit of YAML makes the assumption that your background image asset is in the /images folder. If you place it somewhere else or are hotlinking from the web, just include the full http(s):// URL. Either way you should have a background image that is tiled.

If you want to set a background image for the entire site just add background: filename.png to your _config.yml and BOOM — background images on every page!

Background images from Subtle Patterns (Subtle Patterns) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Syntax Highlighting Post

Syntax highlighting is a feature that displays source code, in different colors and fonts according to the category of terms. This feature facilitates writing in a structured language such as a programming language or a markup language as both structures and syntax errors are visually distinct. Highlighting does not affect the meaning of the text itself; it is intended only for human readers.1

Highlighted Code Blocks

To modify styling and highlight colors edit /_sass/_syntax.scss.

#container {
    float: left;
    margin: 0 -240px 0 0;
    width: 100%;
}
<nav class="pagination" role="navigation">
    {% if page.previous %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.previous.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.previous.title }}">Previous article</a>
    {% endif %}
    {% if page.next %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.next.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.next.title }}">Next article</a>
    {% endif %}
</nav><!-- /.pagination -->
module Jekyll
  class TagIndex < Page
    def initialize(site, base, dir, tag)
      @site = site
      @base = base
      @dir = dir
      @name = 'index.html'
      self.process(@name)
      self.read_yaml(File.join(base, '_layouts'), 'tag_index.html')
      self.data['tag'] = tag
      tag_title_prefix = site.config['tag_title_prefix'] || 'Tagged: '
      tag_title_suffix = site.config['tag_title_suffix'] || '&#8211;'
      self.data['title'] = "#{tag_title_prefix}#{tag}"
      self.data['description'] = "An archive of posts tagged #{tag}."
    end
  end
end

Standard Code Block

<nav class="pagination" role="navigation">
    {% if page.previous %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.previous.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.previous.title }}">Previous article</a>
    {% endif %}
    {% if page.next %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.next.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.next.title }}">Next article</a>
    {% endif %}
</nav><!-- /.pagination -->

Fenced Code Blocks

To modify styling and highlight colors edit /_sass/_coderay.scss. Line numbers and a few other things can be modified in _config.yml. Consult Jekyll’s documentation for more information.

#container {
    float: left;
    margin: 0 -240px 0 0;
    width: 100%;
}
<nav class="pagination" role="navigation">
    {% if page.previous %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.previous.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.previous.title }}">Previous article</a>
    {% endif %}
    {% if page.next %}
        <a href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.next.url }}" class="btn" title="{{ page.next.title }}">Next article</a>
    {% endif %}
</nav><!-- /.pagination -->
module Jekyll
  class TagIndex < Page
    def initialize(site, base, dir, tag)
      @site = site
      @base = base
      @dir = dir
      @name = 'index.html'
      self.process(@name)
      self.read_yaml(File.join(base, '_layouts'), 'tag_index.html')
      self.data['tag'] = tag
      tag_title_prefix = site.config['tag_title_prefix'] || 'Tagged: '
      tag_title_suffix = site.config['tag_title_suffix'] || '&#8211;'
      self.data['title'] = "#{tag_title_prefix}#{tag}"
      self.data['description'] = "An archive of posts tagged #{tag}."
    end
  end
end

GitHub Gist Embed

An example of a Gist embed below.