Template Designing How to make a good template?

	Template Designing - How to make a good template?
	Discussion by friso with 14 Replies. Last Update: April 6, 2005, 11:46 am

friso

Hi all,

I just started making my own website, and i plan to make it as cool as possible, without spending any money

I think I'll start with making a nice template, and then I'll see what I'll do.
Just a question for you guys: how to make a nice template? without spending money that is, because I'd like to see how cool a site can get without spending a thing. And I don't use things I *should* pay for, either

Fri Jan 14, 2005 Reply New Discussion

Bobo

Well, first, what image program(s) do you have? If it's a good one, you can just put together the site layout in the program, then separate the images into the template and then do the HTML for it.

Fri Jan 14, 2005 Reply New Discussion

friso

All I got is Pixia, someone at this forum said something about it at a topic about Best Free Graphics Programs? , and I’m just learning how to use it. But this topic was more about the designing part of making a template, I’ll see about the HTML later. I just don’t know how to make a template, and not the software part, but what colors to use, the sizes etc. etc. If any of you could tell me that, thanks!

Sat Jan 15, 2005 Reply New Discussion

ChronicLoser

hmm, it's hard to simply tell you what you should do because there are a lot of parts to it. Colors should be pleasent to look at. Don't mix and match colors simply cause they're your "favorites." Make sure that it looks smooth in the end.

Sizes...i personally think that all sites should be compatiable to a 800x600 resolution screen if they plan to use pixels as their way of measurement. Percentages fixes that problem, but i think they really limit the possiblities you could do. And with html...there are a lot of parts to it, so i recommend simply research for a tutorial on google or something ^_^

Sat Jan 15, 2005 Reply New Discussion

silenx

I recommend using GIMP (www.gimp.org). It is free and has Photoshop-like functions. Although I have never actually fully evaluate the program I have heard many possible reviews about it. The main thing is, it is free and a whole lot better than using Paint

. As for free webauthoring programs, u can use Netscape Composer, Frontpage, etc. There are many free ones out there, but only a few have visual layout.

I recommend keeping in mind the following:

COLOR: Dont use too many colors, stay away from making ur site look like a bag of skittles... unless that's what the site calls for. Limit your palette.

CONTRAST: You may want to make areas of focus to stand out from the rest. Usually, web designers will have a midtone (DARKEST---<midtone>---LIGHTEST), and the text or content will be either light or dark. A good example is the skin/template for this forum.

ORGANIZATION: I think this area speaks for itself. You want your links/content to be legible and easy to find.

I hope to see your work soon.

Mon Jan 17, 2005 Reply New Discussion

friso

Hey, thanks for your posts, but i'm just getting an idea while reading through your posts... what about black, grey & white? would that look good? maybe just a few colored dots, how do i say this? anyway, what do you think?

EDIT: Do you know the game "N" or ninja? His Webpage kinda like that game, mostly grey, with good contrast

and just a little bit of color.

even if you're not interested in my template, have a look at that game, its a nice game

Mon Jan 17, 2005 Reply New Discussion

Ploforia

If you don't want to spend anything one option is to download Flash Macromedia MX at www.macromedia.com with a 30 day trial and search the web for some pre made templates and just customize them to your needs. The only problem with this approach is that there will be no way, after the 30 days is up, to update your site - unless of course you pay for flash or find "some other" way to make it work. There are plenty of programs you could use that are on the net for free though too. You may also already have MS OFFICE - If you do you may have FontPage - You could use that to do your site also - though it isn't the best it will work and it also has a bunch of pre-existing templates.

Good Luck

Tue Jan 18, 2005 Reply New Discussion

samwize

Could someone post links with real cool, and free, templates?

I tried searching but always end up with sites that requires payment...

Sat Jan 29, 2005 Reply New Discussion

Space Orangutan #2

If I were you I'd plan out my site on paper on how I want the elements organized and what I want to incorporate in my site. Only after that then I would code or create the images. I've gone into many sites with just a thought in my head and they all turned out really bad.

Mon Jan 31, 2005 Reply New Discussion

wedjarl

QUOTE

Could someone post links with real cool, and free, templates?

I tried searching but always end up with sites that requires payment...

http://www.templatesbox.com/ offers wide array of high quality templates. You could edit it too since the PSD source file is provided. But expect some site to look like your site.

Fri Feb 4, 2005 Reply New Discussion

phoenix47

Draw it out on paper first. Then draw it on comptuer Then use ur imagination to add colors.

remember to divide parts of layout first! Use grids on photoshop to get accuracy!

Mon Feb 21, 2005 Reply New Discussion

rapisten

you could try to go to zymic.com he got free templates all are very well designed. some of them you got the psd then you can redisgn and then send him a email then he say to you if you could say that you have designed the template. He also got tutorials for templates without slicing.

Tue Mar 29, 2005 Reply New Discussion

hast-webben

Hi,

Does any know any freeware Smarty editors? As I really do think that Smarty is smart, but not always as easy to handle without scripting. So therefor did I thought if there was any editor programs that supports Smarty. I went into Smarty's homesite and did hope that I could find something there, but no. Please help if it's possible.

Thanks
Cheers!
Jens

Wed Mar 30, 2005 Reply New Discussion

rapisten

You could start to design your website in photoshop on a document wich is 800x600. First you should use layers and dont color them so much only have it solid. For every layer when you want to color it use blending opitions and if you want to add details use another layer. Then you should slice the website up into slices so everything is ok. The save for web then select html and pictures. Use medium quality so it will not take so much place and is easy to load. In dreamweaver use an iframe if you want it easy to add information if you dont know php. very easy

Wed Mar 30, 2005 Reply New Discussion

finaldesign

First of all choose your colors. Try to use as little as possible colors, like 2 or 3 colors max. Then Choose tints for that colors. Eg.: You can use blue color, and then all variations of blue - from light blue to very dark blue (ok?)... Then use a piece of paper and try to draw as simple as possible how would you like your website to look (That is Page layout)... Then scan that paper (or capture it with digital camera or webcam or anything digital that can transfer image to your computer) and put it in your image software (Like photoshop, photopaint, gimp or any other you use.)
Now goes the hard part of job... You must draw. You must draw on top of your page layout. Keep that layout on bottom as a reffering image, to where what goes... Try to go on some tutorial pages where you can findout how to make some cool effects in photoshop or similar image editing programs... Try to use that effects in your page layout. Now apply your color selection to your page... Choose some cool font for your page. Use that font, and finally flattern whole image (blend all layers in one composite layer) and save that kind of image in separate file... Now you have to slice it up. It's easy task to do in Photoshop but hard to do in many other programs. That is basicly you cut an image to smaller image parts and then make matching table in dreamweaver or whatever program you use for editing html - and finally insert your slices images in that table. Everything should fit in it's own place.
Now you have your fist Template done....