MOSS 2007 Branding

MOSS branding a word that usally makes alot of tention around the MOSS developer and administrators. I should be starting this blog with this wide open topic but thats whats currently in my hands.

For quick start i will recommend go slow and steady , dont try to change MOSS 2007 look and feel dramatically.

There are two things which u can do to brand ur MOSS site.

1. Themes (basic colors and layouts)
2. Master page and core.css (Full power)


Themes:
For themes these two sites are great.

http://www.elumenotion.com/Blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=4

Its free and it gives u GUI eniorment to customize the themes. more can be found on the site itself



Second tool is the great HTML theme generator called "Servé's Sharepoint Theme Generator "
http://hermansberghem.googlepages.com/themegenerator.htm

"This tool takes an original style sheet from an existing theme.It then simplifies colors according to the number of colors you want. Remember that a default style sheet easily has 50 unique colors it in. Try to replace those with you company colors. It takes a while. You can tell this tool to simplify the color scheme to for instance 16 colors. Then you start editing the remaining 16 colors, until you are satisfied."

Now lets come to more power full area.
Master page and core.css

First understand the concept of MOSS 2007 Components. The well known MVP heather Solomon http://www.heathersolomon.com discribes its very well.
link "http://www.heathersolomon.com/blog/articles/MOSS07DesignComponents.aspx"

Micrsoft also provides help by providing minimal master page.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa660698.aspx

You will be needing the CSS chart with some pic to tell u where it impact !!!!
you can also find it at http://www.heathersolomon.com/content/sp07cssreference.htm

Now for most of us those things are new but old asp.net 2.0 themes arent.
so here is something for all of us

Using ASP.Net Themes and Skins in SharePoint 2007

http://www.mtelligent.com/journal/2008/2/5/using-aspnet-themes-and-skins-in-sharepoint-2007.html


I know its not in depth but atleast it will take you to proper places for getting started.
Best of Luck in branding MOSS 2007. It can be done , nothing is impossible until u give up too early , all it needs is dedication , time and googling :D