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Customizing Themes

Customizing a CMS theme allows you to create a unique and branded website. Whether you’re adjusting the layout, typography, or CSS styles, personalizing your theme helps improve user experience and align your site with your brand identity. This guide covers how to customize a CMS theme using built-in settings, custom CSS, and advanced layout modifications for WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.

Methods for Customizing a CMS Theme

  • Method 1: Using the Theme Customizer – Beginner-friendly

  • Method 2: Editing CSS – For advanced styling adjustments

  • Method 3: Modifying Layout Settings – Adjusting structure and design

  • Method 4: Changing Typography – Customizing fonts for branding

  • Method 5: Using a Child Theme – Making changes without affecting the original theme

Pro Tip: Before making changes, always back up your theme to prevent data loss.

Using the Theme Customizer (No Coding Required)

Most CMS platforms include a built-in Theme Customizer that allows you to make live changes.

WordPress Customizer

  1. Go to Appearance > Customize.

  2. Modify sections such as site identity, colors, typography, and layout.

  3. Preview changes in real-time and click Save & Publish.

Joomla Template Customizer

  1. Navigate to Extensions > Templates > Styles.

  2. Select your active template and click Customize.

  3. Modify layout, colors, fonts, and other settings.

  4. Click Save & Close.

Drupal Theme Customization

  1. Go to Appearance > Settings.

  2. Select the theme and configure layout, color schemes, and typography.

  3. Save the settings to apply changes.

Pro Tip: The built-in theme customizer is ideal for quick adjustments without touching code.

Customizing Theme CSS for Advanced Styling

For deeper customization, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) allow you to control colors, spacing, fonts, and animations.

Adding Custom CSS in WordPress

  1. Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS.

  2. Enter custom CSS (e.g., change button color):

.button {
  background-color: #ff6600;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 5px;
}

  1. Click Publish to save changes.

Adding Custom CSS in Joomla

  1. Navigate to Extensions > Templates > Styles.

  2. Open the active template and find the custom.css file.

  3. Add new CSS rules and save changes.

Adding Custom CSS in Drupal

  1. Open the theme folder in FTP or File Manager.

  2. Locate the CSS file (e.g., style.css or theme.css).

  3. Add custom styling and save.

Pro Tip: Use developer tools (Chrome DevTools, Firefox Inspector) to test CSS changes before applying them.

Modifying Theme Layout

Adjusting the layout structure can improve user experience and content presentation.

WordPress Layout Customization

  • Use Page Builders: Install Elementor, WPBakery, or Divi for drag-and-drop editing.

  • Modify Theme Settings: Go to Appearance > Customize > Layout.

  • Change Header & Footer: Use widgets or plugins like Header Footer Elementor.

Joomla Layout Customization

  • Use Template Manager: Navigate to Extensions > Templates > Styles.

  • Rearrange Modules: Modify positions via Module Manager.

  • Customize Grid Structure: Edit templateDetails.xml for advanced layout control.

Drupal Layout Customization

  • Use the Layout Builder: Go to Structure > Block Layout.

  • Customize Regions: Modify page.tpl.php file in the theme folder.

  • Install Modules: Use Panels or Paragraphs for flexible layout editing.

Pro Tip: If you need advanced layout changes, consider creating a child theme instead of editing the core theme.

Changing Typography (Fonts & Text Styles)

Typography plays a major role in website readability and aesthetics.

Changing Fonts in WordPress

  • Use the Theme Customizer: Go to Appearance > Customize > Typography.

  • Install a Plugin: Use Google Fonts Typography for more options.

  • Manually Add CSS:

body {
  font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
}

Changing Fonts in Joomla

  • Edit Template Settings: Go to Extensions > Templates > Styles.

  • Use Google Fonts: Add custom font URLs in the CSS file.

  • Modify Font via CSS:

h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Lora', serif;
  color: #333;
}

Changing Fonts in Drupal

  • Use Font Module: Install the Google Fonts module.

  • Edit CSS Manually: Modify style.css with new font-family rules.

  • Add @import Rule:

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat:wght@400;700&display=swap');
body {
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
}

Pro Tip: Choose web-safe and readable fonts to enhance UX and accessibility.

Using Child Themes for Safe Customization

A child theme lets you customize a theme without modifying the original theme files, ensuring updates won’t erase your changes.

Creating a Child Theme in WordPress

  1. Create a new folder in /wp-content/themes/ (e.g., mytheme-child).

  2. Add a style.css file with the following code:

/*
Theme Name: MyTheme Child
Template: mytheme
*/

  1. Activate the child theme in Appearance > Themes.

Using Child Themes in Joomla & Drupal

  • Check the CMS documentation for sub-theme or child template setup.

  • Override styles and templates in a custom CSS file.

  • Keep the parent theme intact to allow updates without losing changes.

Pro Tip: Always use child themes if you plan on modifying core theme files.

Summary: Customizing Themes Checklist

  • Use the Theme Customizer for quick changes.

  • Modify CSS to adjust colors, fonts, and styles.

  • Change layouts using page builders or template settings.

  • Customize typography for better readability.

  • Create a child theme to preserve changes after updates.

  • Test customizations before applying them to the live site.

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