1). Make constant backups of your WB skin in case you have a code foul-up or mess up an image and accidentally save it etc.

2). CODE is not scary…all ‘code is’ is basically just information telling the images in the skin what to do. Look in Skinstudio and take a look at parts of the skin and look down below where it gives you information about the size and if it is stretched or tiled…these are important factors in making your skin look right. Don’t feel intimidated…play with the margins until you get the look you want…that’s what the are there for!

3). Keep your calculator handy and note in other skins that most have 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 etc. images for that particular button so if you want to do a new button by scratch be sure to times it by the default image, so if you want to make a bigger image then be sure to times it by that many you see on the default.

4). Also note that each button may can be very unique…one button might have the ‘hover, default, normal’ thing and others don’t. Keep aware of that and if you keep constant check of yourself you will see. 

5) Trying to utilize transparencies on your side-bars will render your side-window resizing USELESS. Not worth it!

6). The roll up bar will roll up properly as many pixels is your sidebar size. So if you have a realllllllllllly long sidebar size the rollup will be all wonky if it’s toooooooo huge!

7). DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT EVER in (WB4.0) Basic settings and check “Skin window backgrounds”…it will REWRITE YOUR CODE FOR YOUR OWN DAMNED WINDOWBLINDS and every other windowblinds you use as well! DO NOT DO IT and it will slow your system down!

8). The pink parts (transparent parts) should be used at an absolute minimum because they slow down the computer immensely…also (tip from Elvee) tiling an image is more work but a better outcome when necessary and will save much CPU!

9). Experiment and use the ‘refresh’ button a lot on Skinstudio...and if you change your images a lot to try something be sure click on something else and then back to the image involved because for some reason skinstudio does not refresh the image that was changed always without hitting another image and then going back quickly to the image you want to see changed. (Working with imperfect software 101). Hey, I ain’t perfect! Hehe

10). This isn’t rocket science, and if you love art and making it you too can translate your art to the ‘holy grail’ of skinning. I have a long way to go but I want to help as many people as I can realize that there is nothing so intimidating about skinning and that it CAN be done by anyone and that’s why Skinstudio was put out in the first place…for us up and comers…it’s not perfect but it sure is easier than notepad at times.

In closing, skin for the fact that you love it…that you hunger to do it…that it makes you want to be different and creative and not just to pump something out every so often to be noticed…when a quality skin shows up it’s because that author didn’t do it in a few hours…it might have even taken weeks…

So, respect those who are before you but respect yourself as well by doing the best you can so that you can stand proud.

Over and out,

-Shmoops!

P.S. SMILE!