Newbie and templates

Hi, everyone I'm new. I have spent the last few days reading over lots of existing information in the forums and in the Tutorials area. I have downloaded, installed and successfully got a cart up and running and found my way around admin. Was much easier than I thought (yet I've been avoiding it for so long :P).

Being a freelance designer, I want to learn how to get the most out of customizing the look and feel of sites, but I am not a programmer so need to rely on HTML/CSS and tweaking existing code.

I have looked at all the templates in the free add-on area. I have also looked at all the eye candy on template monster but from my reading here, it seems it can be hit and miss as to whether they actually work. I assume the free add-on area here is tried and tested and the safe option. I want to keep bugs and hacks to a minimum in my early days.

I downloaded the freebie version from template monster and it worked. In my ideal world I'd love to be able to use the templates at Template monster for clients and concentrate on admin, but I can see there are some issues floating around so I am going to need to research the design side of things some more. Has anyone ever compiled a list of tried and tested template monster templates? Or other template resources?

My other way of thinking is to use a minimalist theme via the freebie add-on area and customize it myself by way of banners, backgrounds, colors, css. Is there a particular template in this area that would be best suited to further build on, a simple very basic theme and with some tweaks could turn into a unique design.?

At the moment I am enjoying practicing with a mock site. I am going to find a business soon to set a small store up for to have a real life practice.

Any of the free templates can be used as a basis for creating a unique look. They're also great learning tools to see how a template should be constructed.

Template Monster often hardcodes parts of the template disabling changes that can be made from the admin and working against the override system.

Are you looking to make a template from scratch? If so, this tutorial should help:
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=142

That is a basic barebones template. You may be better off modifying an existing one to keep the amount of work to a minimum.

I downloaded the freebie version from template monster and it worked.

You'll find that when you go to make certain changes, it doesn't work anymore, or won't allow the changes.

*Has anyone ever compiled a list of tried and tested template monster templates? *

You'd have to buy them all, I guess at $155+ per.

I'd be inclined to stay away from TM altogether. Their templates sure do look great, but, as afo said, most of them modify core files, and disable admin functions.

I assume that it would be possible to style Zencart using just the override system to look as good as the TM templates do, but I don't know for sure.

One thing I do know for sure - if you were able to do so, you'd make a lot more money than you'll ever make building websites for clients.