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Setting up an Expression Web template

• All Expression Web templates
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Download .zip file
Locate .zip file on your hard drive
Double click to unzip

Now open Expression Web and select File > Open Site and browse to where you unzipped the download to.

You should see a list of files and folders that make up your site. These will include the Templates folder, images folder, site files and css file.

Global changes to the design can be made through the dwt file. This can be found in the Templates folder. Global elements are typically the header section, menu, news and footer. Tweaks to the design can also be made through the css file. When you double click on the dwt filet you may see a box appear like this

If this box doesn't appear you should still go to Site > Site Settings and in the tab labeled General, check the box labeled Manage the Web site using hidden metadata files. If that is not checked then the dwt file not be able to update dependent files.

Once you have checked the box and clicked "OK" at the bottom of the window you may see another box like this. Click on yes.

You can now start making global changes to your site through the dwt file. Open the dwt file and make a small change. Once you have saved the file you should receive a prompt like this

Select "Yes" and the change you made will now be applied to all the files that are attached to the template. You can now go on and make all the global design changes you need to.

You will also need to make some design modifications on a page by page basis. When you open the page you should see code that is editable with a white background and the code that is governed by the dwt and is not editable page by page has a yellow background.

In design view the editable region is outlined in orange with the name of the editable region in a tab at the top.

You should now be all set to prepare your site in Microsoft Expression Web.

• All Expression Web templates
• CSS based Expression Web templates