The mechanics of building templates for XSitePro are determined by the architecture of the software itself. The standard Xsitepro template includes a header panel, left and right panel, a footer panel and the main panel. So no matter what path you take you need to end up with graphical elements that align with the main panels.
The only method that allows for the precision fit of these graphical elements is to slice an existing graphic into discrete panel components and then reassemble them inside Xsitepro. No matter what you do, that part remains constant.
So the problem then becomes, not so much how to do it, but how to make the initial graphic. If you are not a Photoshop expert then you have very limited options, and even if you are a Photoshop expert, do you want to be spending all of our time designing templates or building internet marketing sites?
I recommend studying the full step by step guide showing how this is done from scratch, but here is the essential point. Use a tool that generates beautiful custom website templates and then slice those images into Xsitepro panels.
Not only does the tool create beautiful, contemporary templates, but it helps you design the templates by providing design suggestions in a fully interactive Office 2007 like interface. It’s slick, powerful and so easy to use that it can make even the worst graphical designer look great. Trust me, I know!
I start with a basic design template and then proceed to customize every feature imaginable; backgrounds, colors, header graphics, footer graphics, gradients, rounded boxes, sheets, fonts, widths, height, layouts – absolutely everything. I can start with any of the dozens of base templates and have a beautifully designed template ready in less than an hour. I can save the design and create variations of it for various reasons – seasonal, events, holidays etc. The ability to customize your templates is boundless.
For those that have trouble with color coordination it provides color themes that you can apply to the whole design giving it that professional designer quality that all of us recognize, but few of us can do properly.
I call this the “What You Want Is What You Get” approach to design.
The end result is a top quality, professional looking, and beautiful, completely custom website template.
Then it’s simply a matter of slicing the final design into Xsitepro ready images and creating an Xsitepro template. Again, the complete step by step guide is documented completely and clearly at http://xsitepro.rapidwebdevelopment.ca.
Mark Hogan
Xsitepro Design Expert
http://xsitepro.rapidwebdevelopment.ca
Ottawa Web Marketing
Rapid Web Development

















