Title: Theme tools
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Theme tools

 *  [kwilliams29](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kwilliams29/)
 * (@kwilliams29)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/)
 * I’ll will start by apologizing if this isn’t the appropriate area to post this
   question.
 * I’ve been using WordPress for a very short period of time, really just using 
   other people’s themes and modifying them (i.e. using my own header image, etc.)
 * I’d like to attempt one from scratch.
 * My question is: what tools do you use to create themes? Do you use some of the
   CSS/PHP/HTML editors out there? Do you code using something like Programmer’s
   Notepad? I have been playing with WeBuilder 2006 from Blumental’s – it supports
   CSS, HTML, PHP, etc. and provides the dandy little reminders of all the properties
   that I can’t remember at this point.
 * What graphics packages do you use for creating backgrounds, headers, etc.? Do
   you find some programs offer features & capabilities that others don’t that are
   important for WordPress development?
 * Are there any other design tools out there that you just can’t live without?
 * Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.
 * Karen

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * (@moshu)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436756)
 * Everybody will have a different answer. Because everybody loves their own tool
   🙂
 * For editing the template files you can use something as simple as Notepad… or
   many more sophisticated editors. See a list of them:
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Glossary#T](http://codex.wordpress.org/Glossary#T)
   > Text editors.
 *  [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/)
 * (@whooami)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436762)
 * _Do you use some of the CSS/PHP/HTML editors out there?_
 * No.
 * _Do you code using something like Programmer’s Notepad?_
 * No.
 * _What graphics packages do you use for creating backgrounds, headers, etc.? _
 * Photoshop. The expensive one.
 * _Are there any other design tools out there that you just can’t live without?_
 * My **necessary** tools (in no order):
 * 1. Patience
    2. FlashFXP 3. Firefox and the web developer extension. 4. Equal
   amounts of motivation and inspiration 5. Google 6. More patience and a willingness
   to learn
 *  [vavroom](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vavroom/)
 * (@vavroom)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436764)
 * Over the years I’ve used Notepad (not the Programmer’s one…), because there weren’t
   editors… BBEdit when I was on a Mac… Homesite… Topstyle… All good options.
 * Nowadays, I use Dreamweaver, Editpad and JEdit, depending on what best suits 
   the day/mood/task.
 * Like Whoooooooooo, I use photoshop, the full version.
 * Also like her, Firefox and web developer extension. Also the Tidy HTML Validator
   extension. And Colorzilla extension. And Fangs (screenreader simulator), and 
   a few more…
 *  Thread Starter [kwilliams29](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kwilliams29/)
 * (@kwilliams29)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436825)
 * Has anyone had any experience with Gimp? It looks fairly comparable to PhotoShop
   and something I can afford ;).
 *  [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/)
 * (@handysolo)
 * [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436828)
 * Image stuff I do exclusively with Paint.Net ([http://www.getpaint.net/](http://www.getpaint.net/))
   Kinda like Paint (ok, not really) with layers and effects and such.
 * Editing, I tend to use NotePad2 ([http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html](http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html))
   for this blog stuff.
 * Definitely couldn’t live without Firefox Web Dev extension.
 * Sometimes I use the “lite” version of TopStyle for CSS editing. ([http://www.newsgator.com/NGOLProduct.aspx?ProdId=TopStyle&ProdView=lite](http://www.newsgator.com/NGOLProduct.aspx?ProdId=TopStyle&ProdView=lite))

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Theme tools’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [Themes](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/themes/)

 * 5 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/)
 * Last activity: [19 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-tools/#post-436828)
 * Status: not resolved

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