A WordPress "Theme" is a pre-designed "skin" that you apply to your WordPress blog to change its appearance without changing the content. You can be Blue Meanie one day and Cutline the next day.
You can also further customize any theme by making your own edits to the theme files. You may want the blog's columns to be a little wider to accommodate larger photos. You may want the font for post title headings to be a different color, or a different size.
Here's a little background on understanding how themes work, so you can begin customizing:
As you browse through blogs, take a few moments to notice the basic uniform elements all blog share:
Header. The header can be text only, an image only, or text and image together
Main content column
One (OR MORE) sidebar columns
Footer.
Now, go to your WordPress Dashboard, and click the Design, then Theme Editor tabs (In WordPress versions below 2.5, it is Presentation, then Theme Editor)
Take a look of the list of Theme Files. Each of the various components has its own file. The Main Index Template includes the PHP code that pulls all the various components together. Plus there are style sheets that specify design elements such as colors, and font styles across the board. Column widths can also be changed via the style sheets.
I'll look at making edits to the Style Sheet next.
I'll be using Cutline 1.3 2-Column (original version) for anyone who'd like to follow along.
The blog illustrated is Bloodhound Blog, a national real estate industry marketing and technology weblog written by, for and about real estate professionals. The authors are sometimes controversial, but always committed to excellence and independence.
I speak for the masses when I say "Huh?"
I say ditto "huh" with an add on of keep it coming, I'm actually starting to see me apply this in my lifetime. thanks cw
Cheryl,
I was looking for a "cheat sheet" with my wordpress. You have provided excellent & valuable information to someone who is trying to figure it all out.
Leolinda: You might find this post I wrote a couple months ago useful: http://activerain.com/blogsview/465469/Modifying-A-WordPress-Theme
John: WordPress.org is a popular blogging platform outside of Active Rain. Many members here maintain WordPress blogs.
It is powerful, it allows unlimited customization, but it can also be a big headache.
As part of my little contribution to Project Bloodhound II, I'm putting together some basic level WordPress stuff. This post will probably be part of that.
Very nice post. In the long run we all have to work to make our posts the best. It will take work and no "Free Ride"
Good post
Tony
Themes do make it a lot easier if you can find one that matches your other marketing materials
Cheryl, great information; however, I have yet to be able to figure out how to upload my plugins..;-)
@Teri E
Here is the basic procedure
Download the plugin zip file
Unzip it
Use an FTP program to upload the newly unzipped plugin folder (I still need to write the other two posts of this trilogy - gee, thanks for reminding me.):-)
The spot you want to upload the folder to is:
wp/wp-content/plugins
After uploading, go to your WP Dashboard, click the Plugins link, and activate the new plugin
Cheryl, thanks. Remember we discussed this one before? I gave up until you figured out the answer. ;-)