Open Directory Site Microsoft FrontPage Tutorials

If you'll remember, in the Microsoft Creating a Single Web Page tutorial, we browsed on the Internet and found nice, colorful, backgrounds to replace the white default background in the web page. 

 

Now, in Microsoft FrontPage 2003, we have the neat option to have a "Theme" background throughout our web site.  The theme uses the same color scheme for each web page its buttons and links (you can change them page by page later if you desire). 

 

Let’s try this.  First, you’ll need to be in Microsoft FrontPage 2003.  So, click-on the FrontPage “button” in the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen, like you have done before.

 

 

 

 

 

It is best to be in Design view when you apply your themes – so that you can see your themes as you apply them to your web site. 

 

First, make sure you are in the Navigation view.  If you are not, click-on the Web Site tab at the top of your screen.

 

 

Then click-on the Navigation button at the bottom of the screen.

 

 

 

When you see your web site organization chart, double-click quickly on your home page at the top of the chart.  As before, this will take you to the Design view and your home page.  When we apply a theme to our web site, we will be able to see each theme as we apply it to our home page.

 

 

 

Now, click-on Format in the Menu bar and then click-on Theme. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you click-on Themes a Theme Task Pane will appear on the right side of you screen (similar to the one on the left).  When it first appears, you will notice that the default is blank (No Theme). 

 

 

 

To view the Theme choices you’ll need to use the elevator bar on the right side of the Theme Task Pane (as shown by the Elevator Bar indicated above).  When you do, you’ll notice that the first Theme choice, Afternoon, is at the top of the “list.” 

 

 

 

 

Move down the list and view some, or all, of the choices.  The first thing you notice is that they are hard to see, but this is not a problem.  Move your cursor over the RIGHT side of one of the themes.

 

 

 

 

We chose the Axis theme. When we moved our cursor over the right side of the Axis theme we saw a down arrow in a blue background appear.  We clicked-on the down arrow (see upper arrow at right), and a drop down menu appeared.

 

 

 

To see what this theme will look like, on our web site, we chose Apply as default theme (see lower arrow above).      

 

Note:  When we chose Apply as a default theme (above) this meant that our theme was applied to All of the pages in our web site.  You can apply a different theme to each page, or one theme to all pages.  You can select a totally different theme at any time you desire – page by page or all pages by using the choice menu above.

 

When you have decided on a Theme you like, click-on Apply as default theme or Apply to selected page(s). It will take a few seconds for the theme to be applied to your pages.

 

 If you chose Apply as default theme, the Microsoft FrontPage 2003 warning screen below will appear.  It indicates that all of your formatting will be changed to the theme you selected.  Click Yes.

 

 

If you chose Apply to selected page(s), you will not see this warning screen.  It will only appear when a theme is applied to every page. You will now notice that the theme you chose has been applied to this page.  Look at it carefully and notice the Title, buttons and links.  They are now incorporated into your theme.

 

 

 

 

If you don’t like this theme, use the above process to choose other themes.  Take you time and find a theme that you like.

 

Our current home page (index.htm) looks like the image below.

 

 

 

Next we’ll look at our pages in the browser we chose, but first click-on File in the Menu bar and then click-on Save All.  Remember, when you are in the Design view, you’ll need to save your changes to each page just like you did in the Creating a Single Web Page tutorial.  You can save each page individually, or all of them at the same time with Save All.  Don’t forget to save frequently as you are editing your individual web pages. 

 

 

 

Now click-on the Preview in Browser button as you did before, or on File in the Menu bar and then on Preview in Browser. 

 

 

 

When your home page appears in the browser notice that as you run the cursor over the links that the small pointy hand appears.  Click-on the About Me text link on the left.  When the About Me web page appears notice that the About Me button at the top is “highlighted” compared to the other buttons.  Also note that as you move the cursor over the buttons they become highlighted to indicate that they are active links.  Browse around your web site and see how it works.  Pretty awesome!  Just a few clicks and look at what you have created!