Title: please add HEADER_IMAGE filter
Last modified: August 19, 2016

---

# please add HEADER_IMAGE filter

 *  [Rolf Allard van Hagen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ravanh/)
 * (@ravanh)
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/)
 * Working on a child theme for Twenty Ten, I want to set a different default header
   image. I managed to register new default images but the default image is defined
   in a constant:
    `define( 'HEADER_IMAGE', '%s/images/headers/path.jpg' );`
 * It would benefit this theme as a framework template if that would be altered 
   to something like:
 *     ```
       define( 'HEADER_IMAGE', apply_filters( 'twentyten_header_image', '%s/images/headers/path.jpg' ) );
       ```
   
 * (similar to filters twentyten_header_image_height and twentyten_header_image_width)
 * This way, a child theme can change the default header image with this in its 
   functions.php:
 *     ```
       add_filter( 'twentyten_header_image','mychildtheme_header_image');
       function mychildtheme_header_image() {
       	return get_theme_root_uri() . "/" . basename(dirname(__FILE__)) . '/images/headers/newheader.jpg';
       }
       ```
   
 * (tested)

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

 *  [JOTAKI, Taisuke](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tai/)
 * (@tai)
 * [15 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569847)
 * I was just thinking exactly the same thing.:)
    Why don’t we make a ticket on 
   Trac?
 *  Thread Starter [Rolf Allard van Hagen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ravanh/)
 * (@ravanh)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569879)
 * I notice it is not incorporated in the latest version and I cannot find a way
   around it ;( except defining the constant in child theme functions.php before
   the parent theme does:
 *     ```
       add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'my_child_theme_setup_0', 0 );
       function my_child_theme_setup_0 () {
       	define( 'HEADER_IMAGE', get_theme_root_uri() . "/" . basename(dirname(__FILE__)) . '/images/headers/ana-lagragna.jpg' );
       }
       ```
   
 * But this WILL result in PHP throwing a notice :
 * `PHP Notice: Constant a already defined...`
 * Can anyone suggest a better way ?
 *  [Digital Raindrops](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adeptris/)
 * (@adeptris)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569880)
 * I have a child theme and wanted the default header in an images folder in the
   child theme, and my headers in a sub folder, if this helps.
 * All I did was in the function for ‘after_setup_theme’, added the code this worked
   with no PHP error?
 *     ```
       define( 'HEADER_IMAGE', get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory') .'/images/header.png' );
       define( 'HEADER_IMAGE_HEIGHT', apply_filters( 'twentyten_header_image_height', 75 ) );
   
       function jorbin_remove_twenty_ten_headers(){
       	unregister_default_headers( array(
       		'berries',
       		'cherryblossom',
       		'concave',
       		'fern',
       		'forestfloor',
       		'inkwell',
       		'path' ,
       		'sunset')
       		);
       }
       add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'jorbin_remove_twenty_ten_headers', 11 );
   
       // Add our own custom headers packaged with the child theme. in the child theme template directory 'images/headers/'
       	register_default_headers( cms_theme_headers() );
       ```
   
 * This now picks up the default header fine on my website from the local folder,
   I then use the function from Arron Jorbin to unregister the headers.
    added a
   function after the ‘after_setup_theme’ to loop through the local /images/headers/
   folder and add all images to the array, and register these.
 *     ```
       /* Build the Header Array from the theme headers */
       // No need to code the headers just loop through the folder and return a list
       function cms_theme_headers() {
       	global $themename;
           $list = array();
       	$imagepath = STYLESHEETPATH .'/images/headers/';
       	$imageurl = get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory');
           $dir_handle = @opendir($imagepath) or die("Unable to open $path");
           while($file = readdir($dir_handle)){
               if($file == "." || $file == ".."){continue;}
               $filename = explode(".",$file);
               $cnt = count($filename); $cnt--; $ext = $filename[$cnt];
               if(strtolower($ext) == ('png' || 'jpg')){
          	 	  if (!strpos($file, '-thumbnail') > 0) {
       				$header = array(
       					'url' => $imageurl .'/images/headers/' .$file,
       					'thumbnail_url' => $imageurl .'/images/headers/' .$filename[0] .'-thumbnail.' .$ext,
       					'description' => __( $filename[0], $themename )
       				);
       				array_push($list, $header);
       		  }
               }
           }
           return $list;
       }
       ```
   
 * David
 *  [Digital Raindrops](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adeptris/)
 * (@adeptris)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569881)
 * BTW.
 * I had to nest the ‘after_setup_theme’ code to de-register the headers inside 
   the child themes function ‘after_setup_theme’
 * That was the only way I could get it to work,
 * David
 *  Thread Starter [Rolf Allard van Hagen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ravanh/)
 * (@ravanh)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569882)
 * David, that boils down to the same approach as I use in my child theme… Only 
   I do not use that neat and clever cms_theme_headers function you did to automate
   register_default_headers. Do you do that so users can throw in new images which
   will then be auto-detected? But what after a theme update? Won’t these be overwritten
   again? Or do you use it for your own convenience? But then, that function will
   run on each server request so does it not create unnecessary load?
 * Anyway, what I had so far is
 *     ```
       define('MY_CHILD_THEME_URL', get_theme_root_uri() . "/" . basename(dirname(__FILE__)) );
   
       add_filter( 'twentyten_header_image_width', 'my_child_theme_header_image_width' );
       add_filter( 'twentyten_header_image_height', 'my_child_theme_header_image_height' );
   
       function my_child_theme_header_image_width () {
       	return 548;
       }
       function my_child_theme_header_image_height () {
       	return 40;
       }
   
       add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'my_child_theme_setup_0', 0 );
       function my_child_theme_setup_0 () {
       	define( 'HEADER_IMAGE', MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/newimage.jpg' );
       }
   
       add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'ana_lagragna_theme_setup_99', 99 );
       function ana_lagragna_theme_setup_99 () {
   
       	register_default_headers( array(
       		'newname' => array(
       			'url' => MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/newimage.jpg',
       			'thumbnail_url' => MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/newimage-thumbnail.jpg',
       			/* translators: header image description */
       			'description' => __( 'New Name', 'twentyten' )
       		),
       		'anothername' => array(
       			'url' => MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/anotherimage.jpg',
       			'thumbnail_url' => MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/anotherimage-thumbnail.jpg',
       			/* translators: header image description */
       			'description' => __( 'Another Name', 'twentyten' )
       		),
       	) );
       	unregister_default_headers( array(
       		'berries',
       		'cherryblossom',
       		'concave',
       		'fern',
       		'forestfloor',
       		'inkwell',
       		'path',
       		'sunset'
       	) );
       }
       ```
   
 * but I suppose you are right about the define(‘HEADER_IMAGE’, … ) not having to
   be inside a after_setup_theme call. It can just be defined nude. And for the 
   deregister to work, you do indeed have to call it AFTER the parent theme has 
   done, so 11 or higher 🙂
 * The only concern I had left is that PHP will throw that Notice error the moment
   the parent theme will try to define HEADER_IMAGE again. I suppose it depends 
   on your server setup whether you get to see that notice (in log file) or not…
   At any rate, I suppose – since it is not a Warning or Fatal Error – it will not
   be a show stopper on any setup.
 * Or will it?
 *  Thread Starter [Rolf Allard van Hagen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ravanh/)
 * (@ravanh)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569883)
 * Oh, and I even tested another trick:
 *     ```
       add_filter( 'theme_mod_header_image', 'my_child_theme_header_image' );
   
       function my_child_theme_header_image() {
       	return MY_CHILD_THEME_URL . '/images/headers/header.jpg';
       }
       ```
   
 * but that will override ANY selected image so quite useless in combination with
   allowing a configurable header image 😉
 *  [Digital Raindrops](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adeptris/)
 * (@adeptris)
 * [15 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569884)
 * Hi RavanH,
    I am still learning WordPress, and the only messages I see are on
   screen when I forget to close something ‘}’
 * You are correct the function makes the headers dynamic, I always try to use this
   for stylesheets, headers, social icons etc:, it saves editing to change anything,
   as I do not include the default header in the headers folder, I can then add 
   seasonal headers or the like in the headers folder.
 * I also make all the headers available on each page, so I can set a different 
   header from the folder, on any page without having to upload a ‘feature image’.
 * I just define the new height inside the main ‘after_setup_theme’, the code above
   works for my twenty ten child theme.
 * Stylesheet path and url also work ok I would use:
 * `define('MY_CHILD_THEME_URL', get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory'))`
 * For Parent theme location I use:
 *     ```
       $imagepath = TEMPLATEPATH .'/images/headers/';
       $imageurl = get_bloginfo('template_directory');
       ```
   
 * For Child theme location I use:
 *     ```
       $imagepath = STYLESHEETPATH .'/images/headers/';
       $imageurl = get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory');
       ```
   
 * David
 *  [herbert](https://wordpress.org/support/users/herbie4/)
 * (@herbie4)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569898)
 * I added some code to RavanH’s code to automaticly create a thumbnail for a header
   image… So no need to create them by hand.
 *     ```
       if (!strpos($file, '-thumbnail') > 0) { // exclude thumbnails from list
                       if (!strpos($file, '-thumbnail')) { // create thumbnail
                           image_resize( $imagepath.$file, 240, 48, true, 'thumbnail');
                       }
                           $header = array(
                               'url' => $imageurl .'/images/headers/' .$file,
                               'thumbnail_url' => $imageurl .'/images/headers/' .$filename[0] .'-thumbnail.' .$ext,
                               'description' => __( $filename[0], $themename )
                           );
                           array_push($list, $header);
                       }
                   }
       ```
   
 *  [Tomas](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spotlife/)
 * (@spotlife)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569935)
 * Hi, would it be possible to set the height of the header to auto?
    I want to 
   let users decide the height themselves. Possible?
 * Thanks

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

The topic ‘please add HEADER_IMAGE filter’ is closed to new replies.

 * 9 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [Tomas](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spotlife/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/please-add-header_image-filter/#post-1569935)
 * Status: not a support question

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