To change the appearance of your forum, you can install a new theme. To obtain a new theme, follow the steps outlined below:
- Backup your database and files. It is very rare for anything to go wrong when installing a theme, but it is best to be prepared, just in case.
- Go to the SMF theme site. Choose a theme that is compatible with your version of SMF. Download the theme to your desktop computer.
- Go to the Themes and layout section of your SMF admin panel. At the bottom of the page you will see the "Install a New Theme" section. Click "Choose", which is next to "From a file" to open a dialogue box.
- Within this box, find the theme you have just downloaded and click the "Install" button.
- An alert will pop up. Confirm that you want to install the theme.
- Your theme is installed.
- In "Themes and layout", next to "Overall forum default:", select this theme's name. It will become the new default theme for your site.
Once you have completed this process, and you are happy with the appearance of your forum, remember to backup.
There are other ways of installing themes. If you want to read about those ways, have a look here: Install a New Theme
