Free CSS Website Templates

Help and Information

On this page, I've tried to answer the most common questions about my templates and this site. Please contact me if you have a question that isn't answered here.

General Information
Licensing Questions
Technical Questions

General Questions

What is a website template?

A website template is a premade website design coded in HTML and CSS with its graphic source files in PSD format (Adobe Photoshop). All you need to do is to edit your links, add your page content, insert your page titles and Meta tags, and after that upload the ready made pages on your web server.

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Who made all of these templates?

All the templates on this site are 100% original works and created by me and provided free of charge under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.

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Are they really free? What's the catch?

Under the Creative Commons license, you are free to use them for your personal or non-profit website projects. All I ask is that you include a link back to this site in the page footer of the template giving me credit. If you prefer, you can remove the link by purchasing a commercial license for just $9.95 (USD).

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Can you notify me when new templates are posted?

You can subscribe to my RSS Feed. The feed includes a thumbnail and brief description of each template posted.

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Licensing Questions

What's a "Creative Commons" license?

Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. They provide free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry, so others can share, remix, use commercially, or any combination thereof.

All of my templates are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License. You are free to use them for your personal or non-profit website projects. All I ask is that you include a link back to this site in the page footer of the template giving me credit.

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Do you require any special link back format?

Here's the link format I require:

Template courtesy of DesignsByDarren

Cut/Paste HTML code:

If you prefer, I can waive the link back requirement for a one-time fee of $9.95. Visit the license page for details.

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Do I have to link back on every page of my site?

No. Just a credit link on the footer of your homepage will do.

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What qualifies as "commercial use"?

The Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License specifically restricts commercial use. So, if you're using the template in any manner that is primarily intended for or directed toward making money, you need to purchase a commercial license. If you're uncertain about a particular situation just contact me.

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How do I purchase a commercial license?

You may purchase a commercial license for just $9.95 (USD). This license allows you to use one of my designs for a commercial project, which is prohibited by the standard Creative Commons license. I also drop the requirement to link back to designsbydarren.com. The license is valid for one website.

It's very easy:

  • Head over to the license page and click the "Buy Commercial License" button in right sidebar.
  • Enter your license details and click the "Send Me An Invoice" button.
  • You'll receive an email invoice with a PayPal link to securely process your $9.95 payment.

That's it! Just takes a few minutes.

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What payments do you accept?

I use PayPal as my payment processor. Paypal accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

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Technical Questions

What software can I use to "unzip" the download file?

My templates are delivered in .ZIP files. A .ZIP file is a single compressed file that contains the complete set of program files. Compressed files are valuable in the electronic world because they significantly cut your download time, and they make it possible to download just one file rather than the full set of files (which can often be dozens of individual files).

To decompress (unzip) a .ZIP file, you need a copy of an unzipping utility. I recommend WinZip for windows and Stuffit Expander for Mac.

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What program do I use to edit the HTML and CSS files?

They can be edited in any web page editor or text editor, including:

For best results, we recommend using the latest version of your web page editing software.

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Which version of Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or The GIMP do I need?

The latest versions of these graphics packages will allow you the most flexibility when editing the PSDs, although you should be able to edit them on earlier versions too. We'd recommend at least Photoshop CS, Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, or The GIMP 2.0.

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Are your templates cross-browser compatible?

The templates are W3C standards compliant and have been tested in most modern web browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari. There may be some issues with older browsers due to limited CSS support, but most current browsers should render the template without a problem.

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Still have a question?

Please contact me if you have a question that isn't answered here.

Valid XHTML 1.0 Strict · Silk Icons by Mark James, FamFamFam