This document provides information on choosing WordPress theme providers and creating child themes. It lists and describes popular commercial theme providers like ThemeForest, WooThemes, Elegant Themes, and Studiopress. It also explains how to create a child theme by making a new directory with style.css, which imports the parent theme's styles, and allows for customizations without modifying the original theme. Functions can also be added via functions.php without overriding the parent.

1. Theme me UP
Scotty

2. Choosing Theme
Providers

3. Important Stuff
Kept up to date with Wordpress
Secure
Easy to customise
Well documented
Good support
Reputable

4. Who’s out there?
In no particular order...

5. Wordpress.org
Themes all vetted
Free
Over 1400 themes to choose
from

6. Themeforest
http://themeforest.com
Hundreds and Hundreds of
themes
Competitive Prices
New themes daily
Buy on a per theme basis
Downside - need to be
discerning about the theme
and provider
Marketplace, not a theme

7. Woo Themes
http://woothemes.com
Excellent Reputation
99+ themes
Easy to use theme backend
options
Up to date
Professional Themes
Not cheap - but subscription
available for access to all
themes

8. Elegant Themes
http://elegantthemes.com
Lots of themes to choose from
Easy to use theme backend
options
Updated regularly
Active support forums
Inexpensive - $39 per year
PSD files provided
Downside - LOTS of users

9. Themify
http://themify.me
Theme backend options
Active support forums
$39 per theme (2nd free),
theme club available
Embracing responsive design
Designed by Nick La of Web
Designer Wall
Only 19 themes

10. Studiopress
http://studiopress.com
Themes built on Genesis
Framework - Security and
SEO built in
Inde dev studios also building
themes
Excellent support forums &
expert advice
$59.95 for Genesis Framework
- or + theme $79.95 - Dev
Packages $300
Learning curve to get across
Genesis

11. Honourably
Mentioned
Theme Garden http://www.themegarden.com/
(lots of Genesis themes)
Mojo Themes http://www.mojo-themes.com

12. Parenthood

13. Child Themes - Why
Inherits functionality from a parent theme -
non-destructive
Preserves the original theme
Updates to parent themes do not write over
your modifications

14. 3 steps to a child
theme
1. Create a theme directory in wp-content/
themes
2. Add a style.css file
3. Select your child theme in the theme chooser

15. style.css
/*
Theme Name: Twenty Eleven Child
Theme URI: http: //thewebprincess.com/2011_child
Description: Child theme for the Twenty Eleven theme
Author: Dee Teal - The Web Princess
Author URI: http: //thewebprincess.com/about/
Template: twentyeleven
Version: 0.1.0
*/

16. @import - style.css
/*
Theme Name: Twentyeleven Child
Description: Child theme for the twentyeleven theme
Author: Dee Teal - The Web Princess
Template: twentyeleven
*/
@import url("../twentyeleven/style.css");
#site-title a {
color: #009900;
}

17. Going Further
functions.php
Creating a functions file in your child theme
does not override the functions in the parent...
SO - no import is required - all new functions
are appended to the original functions of the
parent theme

18. Going Further
adding templates
Templates behave in the same way as style.css
does - they supersede the parent files.
Duplicate the template into your child
directory and make any edits on the child
template.

19. Go forth and
Multiply