Check your version

This collection covers a topic in Drupal 7 which may or may not be the version you're using. We're keeping this tutorial online as a courtesy to users of Drupal 7, but we consider it archived.

PSD to Drupal Theme

The problem with creating a Drupal theme is—once you know how—it's relatively easy. Experienced themers spontaneously transform design files into complete Drupal themes without realizing all of the little steps their brain takes to achieve the final solution. In this series we'll remove the mystery and teach you the step-by-step strategies and techniques needed to create Drupal themes. If you're new to Web development, this series will expose you to a number of excellent, time-saving tools including grid frameworks and Sass. This series focuses exclusively on the process of converting a static design to a Drupal theme. Having a little bit of Drupal site building experience, and a little bit of Web experience (HTML and CSS) will be helpful but it's not required. Where relevant, lessons have links to additional videos on Drupalize.Me and off-site resources to enhance your understanding of Drupal theming.

In this series you will learn about:

  • the strategies themers use to quickly transform design files into Drupal themes
  • documenting your process so that none of your design decisions are abandoned in static design files
  • connecting Drupal to your design by targeting specific elements
  • which tools will save you time in building out your Drupal theme
  • CSS coding conventions that you can use now which will comply with Drupal 8 coding standards when it is released

Your instructor for this series, Emma Jane Westby, has been teaching people how to theme for years. Her first book, Front End Drupal, was consistently cited as the best book to learn Drupal 6 theming. This series brings the concepts she taught you in Front End Drupal up-to-date for Drupal 7 (and beyond).

Additional Resources

In addition to the lessons in this series, Emma has assembled an extensive FAQ on Drupal theming.