CSS TEMPLATES

As you begin your search for Christian templates, you will quickly learn that this category can be split into further distinctions, including CSS templates and HTML templates. Maybe you're wondering: what's the deal? My aim was to find a church template and now I realize there are these various distinctions I need to sort through. Well, fear not. The following information is designed to help clarify the picture.

What is a CSS template?
Perhaps you've noticed that the phrase "CSS templates" shows up more and more when you're searching for Christian website designs and church templates. What exactly is a Christian CSS template? Is this a brand name? Is this a specific kind of template? Well, in simplest form, this expression refers to preformatted website designs incorporating the use of cascading style sheets.

Strangely enough, many designs designated as "HTML templates" also incorporate the use of cascading style sheets. Confused? Maybe you're wondering: What's the difference then? Fear not. Just remember that when something is categorized as a CSS template specifically, it's most likely because its using the third (or even fourth) generation of CSS techniques. In other words, a design designated as a CSS template is showing off the fact that recent trends in CSS styling are being incorporated into the design. Whereas HTML templates might use a cascading style sheet, and most likely do, they don't necessarily follow the more recent conventions in CSS styling.

Okay, so now you're thinking, hold on, step back: what exactly is a cascading style sheet, anyway? Well, simply put, a cascading style sheet is a page of information designed to handle the presentational aspects of a website- or, in this case, a web template. A cascading style sheet is designed to handle font styles, color schemes, images, graphics, etc. That leaves your actual webpage (what's known as an HTML page) for the actual code and tabular content of your site.

By keeping all of the presentational elements of a webpage separate from these other aspects, browsers can more easily read the code that is the backdrop of your page, and users can download the page more quickly. But just as importantly, in addition to cleaning up the code of your Christian website, cascading style sheets also allow for simple, one time adjustments that can affect the presentational elements on every page throughout your site. Just think, where before one had to make that same change on every single page, now- with CSS, you can make that change one time- and it is reflected universally throughout your site - on every single relevant page! Brilliant idea, don't you think?

Now that you understand the basics, let's delve a little bit deeper into our discussion of CSS church templates. Now, in their earliest incarnation, cascading style sheets were used to handle very basic elements of webpage design. They would handle fonts, colors, and various lengths and widths. And they were, and still very much are, helpful in making your church website render (read: display) the same way across a variety of web browsers. Believe me, this was a very helpful advance. Because, before this time, your Christian website could look vastly different from one browser to another. Back in the day the concern was with rendering in Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Today the real concern is with IE and the new kid on the block- the Firefox browser.

Since those early days cascading style sheets (CSS) have come a long, long way. Now in its fourth generation, CSS is now used to handle almost every imaginable presentational element of a web template. Those elements include: borders, link hover styles, transparent image overlaps, and much, much more. For those of us familiar with CSS there is a virtual universe of fun CSS styling to be discovered- and the list grows all the time. Where HTML was the language of choice for "pure-coders" as they're called, CSS is the language of web designers and online artists.

Ah, but I digress. The question is: what use is a CSS template to you? You're still wondering: Is a church CSS template the way to go for you and your congregation? Well, the shorts answer is: absolutely- provided you're willing to do a little bit of online learning to cover some basics about CSS. Once you get that initial learning under you belt, you'll be amazed at how quickly and extensively you can change and edit the look and feel of your church website. You'll feel like a virtual Picasso! Well, maybe that's going a little far- but you get the point!

So, are we clear? A Christian CSS template is a preformatted website design using cascading style sheet formatting. Honestly, in this day and age, CSS is where it's at- as they say. CSS templates are cutting edge and represent the best way for you to establish consistency in the presentation of your website. And that matters, right? After all, this is your church's or ministry's virtual presence on the World Wide Web.

Christian Templates Online is definitely the place to be (virtually speaking of course) if you're looking for Christian CSS templates. We have an extensive collection of CSS templates that's being added to weekly. And best of all, unlike many template companies, we provide both the "new-school" design represented by CSS, as well as the "old-school" design represented by the table-based, HTML format. That's right- we include both versions with each of the web templates we've added to our collection over the last year.

So, don't be afraid to try a Christian CSS template. With the templates available from CTO, you're guaranteed a failsafe option- even if CSS proves difficult. So give it a go- we firmly believe that once you see how powerful, flexible and time-sensible CSS templates are, you'll never want to see (or use) another table-based layout ever again! If you're interested in staying current with trends in website design then CSS templates are definitely the way to go. These striking, easily-customizable website designs are both the present and the future of the virtual world.