Your Store’s Theme

A theme is a collection of files that determines the visual presentation of your store. You might think of a theme as the “window dressing” of your store. When you first install Magento Open Source, the design elements of the store are based on the “Default” Theme. In addition to the initial default theme that comes with your Magento installation, there is a wide variety of themes that are available “off the shelf” on Magento Connect.

Magento themes include layout files, template files, translation files, and skins. A skin is a collection of supporting CSS, images, and JavaScript files that together, create the visual presentation and interactions that your customers experience when they visit your store. Themes and skins can be modified and customized by a developer or designer who has knowledge of Magento theme design and access to your server.

To learn advanced techniques such as how to use themes, skins, layouts, and blocks, see the Magento Design Guide.