Introducing frugal Version 3.2: Making Coding Your WordPress Theme A Thing of The Past
I’m very happy to introduce you to frugal 3.2. Below you will find all the information you need to know about how frugal 3.2 is taking do-it-yourself web design to a whole new level!
Introduction Into A Whole New Level of Website Control:
Here you will see some of the awesome new features in frugal 3.2. Just a few include:
- Full Import/Export control over your many frugal settings. Now, creating a complete backup and restoring that backup to your frugal websites is as easy as a few mouse clicks. Transferring a site is a breeze and implementing custom designs (skins) is now incredibly simple! (For more info into how this option works you can check out THIS VIDEO)
- Built-In Image Uploader. No longer do you need to use an FTP program to upload custom images to your frugal website. Just browse and then upload the images directly to a frugal uploads directory on your server. You then have the ability to rename or delete the image. It’s super simple and amazingly useful when custom designing your frugal site.
- Full Background Control. Before you just had the ability to change the background colors of most any element on your frugal website. But now you have FULL control! Change the type (like horizontal and/or vertical repeating image, static image, color only, transparent, etc..) and, if using an image option, you can specify the image name to be used in that background area. This, with the new Image Upload option, now gives frugal users a whole new level of design control!
- Thumbnails, Thumbnails, Thumbnails! With the latest Image Thumbnail feature in WordPress 2.9 you can now easily add thumbnails to your post excerpts. With frugal 3.2 you now have full control over how these thumbnails display. Change they way they are re-sized and cropped, their alignment, dimensions and even complete border options. And turn them on or off at will.
- SKINS!! Both free and Premium skins are and will be available to make creating awesome designs with frugal super easy!
- Some Option Refinement. I not only re-organized the frugal options pages to make it easier to maneuver around to the different settings, but I completely re-built the way frugal interacts with the WordPress database. It’s much more efficient, but it does require that you use a simple plugin (that I created) to upgrade from a previous version of frugal. No need for new installs, but just a heads up if you are upgrading. (For more information on how to upgrade to frugal 3.2 check out THIS VIDEO)
- Miscellaneous additions and adjustments. I made a few subtle changes like adding independent H1 and H2 font control for your content headings and providing alignment options for logos (both image and text), where before you just had padding to play with.
Preview of The Premium Skins (Coming Soon!!)
Click the image below to check out a demo of a Premium frugal Skin that will be available soon:
If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to give or if you’re a developer or designer who might be interested in creating skins for frugal and making some extra cash (as well as sharing your design skills with the frugal community) you can contact me any time.
Eric Hamm
23 Responses to “Introducing frugal Version 3.2: Making Coding Your WordPress Theme A Thing of The Past”
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Fantastic! Once you use Frugal you will throw away all your other WordPress Themes.
The only problem I’m having is with WordPressMU where the subdomain blogs pick up the style of the main blog or vice versa.
Hey Sam, I appreciate the vote of confidence!
Interesting about the CSS mix up. Not sure why that would be happening. Eric
Great Enhancement!
This theme was already the most useful for setting up a website on wordpress fast and with ease and flexibility. With this version it seems we really enter a new era, like the real jump from 2 to 3. Even knowing quite well how to go deep into the guts of WordPress theme customizations, css styling and all that, it’s so nice to spare the trouble and focus on creativity.
The backup and sharing of skins is also awesome and will make this theme more popular once people see that they can dress-up their seemingly simple layouts in a matter of hours, if they want to express their own creativity… or seconds, if they just pick a skin, or a couple, as an “upgrade”.
I’m a designer myself, so I really appreciate and am inspired (cause I’m also an entrepreneur) by the value of your “Marketplace” idea. I hope I can make myself sometime soon to be able to contribute one or two, free an premium. Thanks for the invite Eric!
Hey David, I love this line:
“Even knowing quite well how to go deep into the guts of WordPress theme customizations, css styling and all that, it’s so nice to spare the trouble and focus on creativity.”
because it hits the nail right on the head! When creating designs with frugal I often get lost in all the fun of the design because I’m not bored with all the coding stuff.
And I definitely agree that once people see how easy (and fun) it is to implement some of the up-coming frugal skins, their excitement level should grow even more. Fun stuff!
And by all means, feel free to contact me about contributing to some of the skins we’ll be introducing soon. Eric
Wow Eric, do you ever sleep? It is just awesome how you are developing frugal. Your premium skin demo is pretty inspiring too!
Donna, sleep is for wimps!! Totally kidding. I’m actually quite tired right now.
I can’t wait to launch the frugal Skin Store. Should be a blast!
Eric
Just switched from Thesis to Frugal, and I gotta say I love it. Having complete control of the design gives me the ability to make my blog what I want it to be — a clearing house for information about Parkinson’s disease, written by a guy who’s HAD it for 10 years. I can keep my most important stuff on the front page and then direct folks into the blog to see everything else.
Kudos, sir! Kudos!
Glad you’re enjoying frugal so much and great site, by the way.
Eric
Hi Eric
Have you created this page with a skin or just with the excellent new interface with 3.2. The Header & footer going across the whole page I really like.
Cheers
Steve
Hey Steve, I just used the built-in frugal settings and the new built-in image uploader. No skin, just a few settings and custom images I made.
Eric
Thanks Eric.
I actually went and found a video you had created on the fluid header and footer after posting my commnent which was great.
I now know exactly how to do it
Marvelous stuff!
The whole Frugal enviroment and community is really looking good, great to be a part of it!
Steve.
Hey Steve, I’m totally with you there! frugal users are an awesome bunch and this community is not only growing in number, but in quality individuals.
Eric
I am so busy and possibly and idiot because I saw the “sleek” skin and I LOVE it and want to use it for my blogsite. Is there a tutorial for this? Do you have a link where this was covered before? If so…please let me know. Thanks!
Hey Andy, this is just one of the Premium Skins that will be available very soon. I’m going to be offering bot Free and Premium skins. The premium ones (ie. Sleek) will cost between $29 and $49 depending on the design and such.
Be sure to sign up to the Newsletter if you aren’t already so you will be updated as soon as the new Skin Store is out. (Oh, and I’m glad you like what you’re seeing thus far.)
Eric
Hi I have been following Frugal for some time now, and have watched it develop into a fantastic product. I will be soon changing my blogs to frugal, 1 question, is it a simple theme change over to get them to frugal just like changing any other theme?. I too can’t wait to see the skin store and will also like to contribute a few. Keep up the great work, and when I can free up a little time to do my re-builds i’ll get in touch.
cheers
Hey Phil, it should just be like changing over from any other theme, but because I don’t know the details of your themes, customizations, etc.. I really couldn’t tell you how easy it will be to change over.
And the Skin Store is very close to launching so stay tuned!
Eric
Hey Eric,
I’m Sid Savara’s partner on BlogcastFM and he had mentioned that this skin store would be coming soon. As you might be aware we built the site on the frgual theme so I’m really excited for the launch of the store because it’ll give us a chance to really “pimp” out our site. Is the launch going to be happen before the end of this month?
Hey Srinivas, I’m definitely planning on launching before months end. I’m shooting for before the weekend. Should be something worth pimping, too!
Eric
Looking forward to one skin in particular… you know what I’m talking about! I’m frothing at the mouth!
Yes, yes I know. Soon, my friend. Very soon.
Eric
Sounds familiar! LOL