How to Install any Thesis Skin on your WordPress Blog?

Thesis Skins add Beauty to your already-Powerful Thesis Powered WordPress Blog.  Though any clean Thesis Skin come bundled with sufficient Installation information, this post will give you the basics to Install any Thesis Skin on your Blog.

Prerequisites

  • WordPress
  • Thesis Theme (Licensed, of course! If you don’t have one, get it here)

Usual Contents of a Thesis Skin

Though not all Skins are similar, they share some similarity in the way the files are organized.  Here is an example of how a typical structure of a Thesis Skin might look like.

Thesis Skin Structure

Typical Thesis Skin Structure

The custom files are the core of any Thesis Skin and the other files/folders support the customization.

Check the Thesis Theme + Skin Compatibility

One of the thing to check – is the compatibility of the Thesis Skin with your Thesis Theme.   The best source, is the information available on the Download (or Purchase) Page of the Skin.

If it is not mentioned explicitly, contact the Author of the Theme for relevant information.  Make sure not to Buy or Install a Thesis Skin, unless the Compatibility is known.

As of this writing, the Stable version of Thesis Theme is 1.6 and your Skin must be able run with this!

Backup your Existing Thesis Theme Customization

If you are using Thesis Theme for sometime and planning to switch to a New Thesis Skin, it is highly recommended to backup your existing Thesis Theme Customization.

Thesis 1.7 has an in-built backup feature, but it is not yet production ready.  Till theb, you can use the Thesis Import/Export Plug-in for backing up your existing Customization.

Follow the instructions that come with the plug-in and here is how the sample Export screen looks like.

Thesis Export Plugin

Thesis Export Plugin

Make sure to “Download Current Layout” both for Thesis Options and Design Options. These will create 2 files – both with a .dat extension.  Keep them in a safe place – in case you require.

Installing the Thesis Skin

Now the showtime.  Keep the Installation document that came with your Thesis Skin handy and following it “step after step”.

If the Skin author gave your the “Importable” files with a .dat extension – then the above plug-in should do the job for you.  Follow the instructions carefully.

If the Installation must happen by copying the customization files using FTP Uploader: make sure to download your /wp-content/themes//custom folder to your Computer, before overwriting/copying the contents.

In any case – Installation Document supplied by the Author must be used as the Reference and should be followed as is

Something Screwed Up!

Most of the skins start running great at this point.  But if you find that the display of components and hence your Blog is screwed up – don’t panic.  There is a “possible” quick fix!

Go to: WP Admin => Thesis Options => Thesis Options and click on the ‘Big Ass Save Button’.  Do the same for WP Admin => Thesis Options => Design Options

If this doesn’t work out, use the Backup to restore your Thesis Blog and contact the Thesis Skin Author

This is pretty much all you have to do – for installing any Thesis Skin on your Blog.  Have any questions?  Drop in a comment and I will be glad to help.


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Comments

  1. You have not explained how to install a skin!

    • I was about to post the same thing. Basically this tells you to follow the instructions that came with the files. Amazing. On the other hand, the caution to backup specific files was helpful to me. I don’t know but it seems to me that a lot of people from India or Eurasia seem to miss very basic things. Maybe it’s the language barrier?

      To the blogmaster, you might want to redo this post to actually include some instructions on installing Thesis skins (just like it says in the title) or at least change the title.

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  7. Ryan @ Creating a Website

    This is the best walk-through I’ve found online thus far. Usually premium thesis skins will give you readme style directions too when you download them, not sure if the free ones do though.

  8. thanx a lot, i have try it to my thesis skin

  9. Thanks for sharing this blog. Have a nice day.

  10. It’s all clear, simplified and very understandable. Hope some bloggers have the same set up like, no flowery words, no computer jargon, computer newbie like me won’t understand. WordPress is really number one when it comes to pug ins!

  11. rain0506
    Reply

    To the blogmaster, you might want to redo this post to actually include some instructions on installing Thesis skins (just like it says in the title) or at least change the title.

  12. I was about to post the same thing. Basically this tells you to follow the instructions that came with the files. Amazing. On the other hand, the caution to backup specific files was helpful to me. | :P

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