Site Templates

Expression Web has included within it, generic Site Templates which can be accessed via File – New – Web Site – Templates in EW 1.0 & 2.0 and Site – New – Templates in 3.0. However these generic Site Templates leave something to be desired. After I was inspired by a post on the xweb team blog to write an in-depth tutorial on how to Register Custom Templates in Expression Web Pat Geary and I via our joint site Migrating from FrontPage to Expression Web decided it was time to produce some basic layout templates for every one to enjoy within their own Expression Web programs. Based on Eric Meyer’s CSS Sculptor for Expression Web produced by Webassit but no longer in production we have created 12 Site Templates which come with a linked style sheet and dwt and commented in-depth for your ease of use. Included is a search box and contact form with instructions on their usage and full instructions on working with these and other aspects of the site. You can download your very own set at Expression Web Site Templates.

The Site Templates come in four flavours

• One column, with top navigation, header, and footer
• Two column, with left sidebar, top navigation, header, and footer
• Two column, right sidebar, top navigation, header, and footer
• Three columns, left and right sidebar, top navigation

Within each of these basic structures come the following modes;

Fixed to 800px - Page and column widths are set with pixels and do not resize if the browser window or browser text size changes.

Fixed to 1024px – Page and column widths are set with pixels and do not resize if the browser window or browser text size changes.

Liquid – Page and column widths are set with percentages which allows them to resize when the browser window changes with the exception of the three column templates which has the left and right side columns set in pixel widths.

You can download them in zipped packs of 3 for easy use. Full instructions on the precise place to download them to, to ensure you can access them from
within Expression Web itself is provided. These Site Template are FREE and a gift to the Expression Web community. They will work with all versions of Expression Web.

Included are the following pages, which explain why you should have each of these basic pages in site, and how you go about making or writing content for each of them.

• Working With Forms
• Add a Search Box – Add Bing Search Box
• About Privacy Policies on your site
• Site Map page
• Links page
• About page
• Working with a Site DWT

When you have downloaded your Expression Web Site Templates and tweaked the basic layout with your own colours and graphics, please let us know your site link and we will include it as an example of what you can do. If you have any questions or feedback please contact us.

Cracked Ice DWT

A new free Expression Web DWT called Cracked Ice DWT is now available for download. Brought to you from Any Expression Web Designs for Xmas 2009.

Along with the free template you can use it to follow the new tutorial Register your Custom Template in Expression Web 3.0, the tutorial also lets you know you can do the same with the previous versions of EW 1.0 and 2.0. Never have to go searching for your favourite designs again.

NOTE: Watch out for a series of free basic Site templates that you can be sure are well coded coming your way soon. Start off the right way.

Any Expression have also made available at the Microsoft Gallery their three Setting up Expression Web eboooks for each version.