How to create a Magento theme from scratch: A step by step guide
As we all know, Magento is an open-source e-commerce platform used to build and establish unique e-commerce stores. It is written in PHP. It is widely used and trusted worldwide for its seamless functionality and excellent built-in features. However, creating an eye-catching store on Magento is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires professional skills. But don’t worry, we’ve considered all of it. This article will let you know how to create an excellent-looking Magento theme from scratch step by step. The simple steps taken to develop a Magento theme from scratch are enlisted as under.
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Table of Contents
Magento theme folder creation
This is the first step towards creating a Magento theme from scratch. You will need to go to the front end located under the design in-app section. Then you will need to create a vendor folder, and after that, you will make the theme folder.
Theme declaration
After creating the Magento theme folder, the next step is to declare the theme. For this, first, we have to make a file named theme.xml. This file defines basic theme information such as name, preview image, etc.
Composer package
After declaring the theme, now you have to distribute your theme as a package. A composer package manages on which your project depends. In PHP, a composer is used for managing dependency. To distribute your theme as a package, you must add a composer.json file to the theme directory. After that, you need to register the package on the server.
PHP file registration
To register your Magento theme, you need to add some PHP code to your theme directory. You can easily get a sample code for Magento theme registration online. Make sure to register your theme according to your vendor, theme name.
Static files and folders creation
In a theme design, you may have noticed many things and static files such as fonts, images, JavaScript, etc. These static files are stored in the theme package inside separate web folders. Again, the PHP code structure can be found easily online.
Catalog product images configuration
If there is no configuration file in your parent theme, you need to have a configuration file for your theme. You can create a configuration file yourself if you have enough knowledge about PHP. Otherwise, you can always search for the code online. After completing a configuration file, you can add catalog product images to the theme. They will appear at the front end.
Theme logo declaration
In Magento, logos are saved in .svg format. However, you change them in your favorite designs, such as png or jpeg. But first, you will need to declare it. For displaying the theme logo, you have to keep in mind that the logo should be 300 pixels wide and 300 pixels long. You can then change the logo format according to your choice.
Standard layout elements
After declaring the theme logo, layout elements are set according to requirements. Magento theme layout consists of blocks and containers. These are the essential components of a standard Magento layout. Containers contain the content of basic elements such as column, header, footer, etc.