Title: Absolute Basics – Choosing A Theme ????
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# Absolute Basics – Choosing A Theme ????

 *  [bb_45](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bb_45/)
 * (@bb_45)
 * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/)
 * Hello,
 * I have just installed WP and want to change the theme.
 * I have looked at Platform, Evolve and News.
 * It would seem that “News” would be the theme that would best suit my needs – 
   as I will be starting a “political” blog (of sorts)
 * MY QUESTION – Are these themes capable of being organized into the appearance
   layout described below? (Some sample of themes show multiple columns – others
   don’t. And, not all columned layouts have the columns laid out in the format 
   I would prefer.)
 * The page layout I would like – would consist of:
 * a header – with the ability to add small blurbs at each side.
 * a navigation bar below the header.
 * three columns –
 * Left — would be somewhat narrow and used as a directory
    Center — would be the
   widest and used as the posts action Right — would be somewhat wider than “left”
   and would contain links, hot topics, promos, adds, etc.
 * I know – a very basic question – but my knowledge of WP is less than basic.
 * Thanks
 * bb_45

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * (@chipbennett)
 * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/#post-1989543)
 * You need to [search for Themes](http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/tag-filter/)
   with the tag “three-columns”.
 *  Thread Starter [bb_45](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bb_45/)
 * (@bb_45)
 * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/#post-1989569)
 * Thank you,
 * At the point of being redundant, I am going to assume, then, that the structure
   of the WordPress underlying PHP is such that once a layout has the general format
   that is desired, through the use of CSS styling and some bit of HTML, the actual
   dimensions of the “containers” (columns, etc) can be modified; that being said,–
   if the general layout does not conform to a particular format (number of columns,
   how they’re located, etc) – then rearranging the layout would be a major PHP 
   undertaking?
 * So, I’m off to search for 3 column themes.
 * I have just seen that both “sizable” and “fixed” dimensions are available.
 * Am I limited to “sizable dimemsions”?
 * Dorian Jones
 * Thanks for the information.
 *  [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * (@chipbennett)
 * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/#post-1989574)
 * WordPress isn’t limited with respect to the HTML markup that it outputs. Anything
   that can be done in HTML can be output by WordPress.
 * As for searching: follow the link in my earlier comment, then check the “three-
   column” checkbox, and click “Find Themes”. There will be several, of varying 
   quality, from which to choose.
 * Choose any Theme with the desired, three-column layout. Modifying the column 
   widths is as simple as creating a Child Theme, and modifying the Parent Theme’s
   CSS in your Child Theme’s style.css file.
 *  Thread Starter [bb_45](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bb_45/)
 * (@bb_45)
 * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/#post-1989576)
 * Okay – Got it – I’ll start going through the themes and the “manual” – and I’m
   off and running.
 * Dorian

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘Absolute Basics – Choosing A Theme ????’ is closed to new replies.

 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [bb_45](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bb_45/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/absolute-basics-choosing-a-theme/#post-1989576)
 * Status: not resolved

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