Customizing Wordpress

dory

I've been playing around with websites for a while now, and I've decided Wordpress is for me. I need a pretty page, and I need it quick!

My question is, are all themes fully customizable? I've found some really nice ones, and it says, 'Comes in 3 different colour schemes'. None of the colour schemes suit me. If I learn enough about code can I change it myself or is that is, it's somehow locked?

Also, I want to add a forum, and WP now has that function too. Would I be able to put this on a pre-made theme?
Is there any site with sort of, before and after shots? I look at some of these themes and they seem awfully boring, but I'm guessing with enough imagination one would be able to make them look great.

I'm looking at one like this: http://www.elegantthemes.com/preview/Lumin/

I also hear that this is a WP creation: http://www.brooklynslate.com/ would love to know how they did that.

Any good books/sites I should be checking out? I'm going to get the book 'Digging into Wordpress' but it doesn't have this info in it.
Thanks!

Axwell

Most of the colours in a theme are set in the css file so if you are familiar with that you can change the css file values for the colours of the fonts and headings etc. You can edit the images with something like photoshop if you want, usually there will be a background image which makes up most of whats on the screen.

dory

Oh great, I just wanted to know that when I do become more technically able I'll have the chance to change things around. Didn't want to find out later that I'm totally stuck to the current colour scheme. Thanks!

Axwell

You will need to be able to read through the css file and understand what you need to change and where but yes its possible.

dory

I've fallen at the first hurdle.

I thought I could upload it straight to WP as a .zip file but it's 17mb and my online tutorial said I have to unzip it and upload it via ftp to my website.
I figured it out before when I made my website on Dreamweaver, but now I'm here with both Filezilla and Core and can't establish a connection on either.

I'm pretty sure I have my username and password correct, I think it's the line that says 'host' that I'm getting wrong. Another tutorial said I should put in the IP address I was given in my welcome email from my hosting but there's none in it.

Any ideas people?

Axwell

Try ftp.yourdomain.ie

Obviously replacing the yourdomain.ie bit with whatever your domain is.

Vikings

Have you looked at the Suffusion theme?

It is one of the most popular on the wordpress site itself, seems very customisable to me. I've been playing around with it a small bit, very early stages but has the ability to be something great.

dory

Yea, I checked out Suffusion there, thanks. I think my problem is my imagination can't stretch to think what it could become. I'd love a 'before and after' gallery to see what people have done with the themes.

In the end I went with the Elegant Themes. For 15 Euro I have a year of great themes. I still have a lot of work to make it look unique but for now I'm happy. It's at www.tuisligh.com if anyone's interested.
Thanks people!

TitoPuente

This is the best WordPress customisation tutorial I've found.

Axwell

+1 for the tutorial above. Looked through it before and its very detailed and explains stuff well.