Suggested Themes for Beginners

  • Can anyone make some recommendations for themes that would be relatively easy for a beginner to work with as far as changing headers, etc?
    I put up my first blog using “Default” thinking it would be easier to work with. Wrong. Just upgraded to 2.2 and I STILL can’t get the header back to the way it was. Files seem to have changed drastically with the upgrade and I don’t feel like wasting the time looking for that one line of code to make a “simple” change.
    I’m not insterested in becoming a programming expert. But I would like the capability to change the header graphic and alter the menu panel, for instance. Nothing major, just little things to give a different “look.”
    I remember seeing something about some themes being more user-friendly than others when I first loaded WP, but I can’t find the threads or the info. And looking from theme to theme is a daunting task.
    And if there are some things I should look for in the theme specs, that info would be helpful as well.
    Thanks.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

  • I ended up sticking with the Default/Kubrick and learning how to change it up. But it’s not the easiest, some people say it’s the hardest to change. However I am sure the Header is easy to change, so post again if you just want help with that on the Default.

    For other themes:
    https://themes.wordpress.net/
    Look around that site a lot. Maybe search in the left-column for themes with “Options” panel, that might help you customize. Or look for themes that are popular & downloaded a lot. Or look for really new themes. Otherwise just any that catch your eye.

    May I jump in here, and ask for that advice on customizing the default theme in 2.2?
    The site is for someone else who wants to keep her logo. I changed that for her and changed to compatible text and link colors when we set her up in 2.1.7
    Am I missing some obvious changes to the style sheet, or in the directions for doing this? Has something changed in the way the images are stored or linked?
    thanks.

    Okay, I’m taking back my request for that advice. With the help of a patient host, I’ve found out what I needed.

    Uploading 2.2 meant that the permissions on the default theme files were changed. The host temporarily changed the permissions while I loaded the header image, then changed them back.

    Everything else was handled with the theme editor (Under Presentation –> Theme Editor).

    May I say that it’s much less scary for us non-techies to tinker with the .css online than the old way?

    So, if this helps the original poster: It’s not hard to customize the default theme in 2.2… just that you won’t be going about it in the same way as before.

    May I say that it’s much less scary for us non-techies to tinker with the .css online than the old way?

    That’s quite a false statement. Don’t forget, you don’t have an UNDO button if you screw up your files ??

    Thread Starter joevtoo

    (@joevtoo)

    Ain’t that the truth. I replaced the big blue panel completely with my own image–before the upgrade. Now, the best I can seem to pull off is to get the image up there, but big blue surrounds it on the left and right and to the top. No amount of changing file names and changing sizes seems to have any effect. And I’ve run out of places to look. The line of code I originally changed is no longer where it was, if that makes any sense.

    I vastly prefer the Theme Editor, over the ‘old way’ which was text editor & FTP for me.

    Not having an “UNDO” isn’t a problem for me, I have back-ups around if needed for reference & I usually am just making 1 or 2 small changes, then immediately loading the page to see the effect. If wrong, I change it back. The net time savings and reduced hassle is well worth it.

    Maybe if I had a more expert environment for coding… I don’t know what people use, some nice text editor that colors the code so it’s easy to read, and maybe has a built-in FTP that remembers your folder locations? I’d try something like that, but haven’t learned a nice method like that yet.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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