Free Web Frame Templates

Picking the Right Kind of Web Frame Template

There are two primary factors to take into consideration in evaluating what kind of web template you need. First is what kind of page you are trying to produce for the site, and second is what kind of program you are using to edit the page.

What Does the Page Need to Do?

The only reason to use frames in a page is to separate the content somehow – usually to put navigation in one section of the page and changeable content in another section. For example, a collection of recipes may have a different page for each category of dessert – one for cookies, one for cakes, etc. A typical frameset would have a left side column, usually about 25-33 percent of the page width, with a list of the various recipes, all of which are linked to pages that will show up in the larger right frame as each is clicked. Or perhaps instead it is a photo gallery, with thumbnail images in a bottom frame that scrolls horizontally, larger versions of each photo showing up above in a separate frame.

Whatever the needs are, they should be considered first before going and looking for the free web frame template. A little forethought can go a long way – because framesets are "hard-coded" and not dynamically generated, finding out that you picked the wrong template after you have created dozens of pages with it can be a frustrating and costly mistake.

What is the Editor?

The way that you are planning on inserting the content into the page can also have a big effect on which free web frame template is right for you. Microsoft's FrontPage especially is very picky about having the HTML coding matching its own syntax, which may or may not fit with the original coder of the template. Conversely, if there is a template that is configured to work well with Frontpage, the odds are that it will not work as well with Dreamweaver, the other most popular WYSIWYG editor. In fact, Dreamweaver has a particular command specifically designed to "clean up" Microsoft's HTML, and that may change the beautiful frameset you have picked out.

Online Resources for Web Frame Templates

Finding free web frame templates is a simple Google search away – instantly sites like FreeSiteTemplates.com show up. On that particular website there are six pages of free website templates, clearly described in terms like " 3 framed page with left hand side menu and the main page{s} designed like a file folder. Not very difficult to cutomize/modify". In addition, this very useful site has a list of characteristics for which web browsers will render the frameset correctly, an invaluable piece of information for a designer trying to meet the needs of a client's user base. They will also tell you whether javascript, java, perl, or other web effects like rollovers are used.

These sites are able to get away with giving away these kinds of free web frame templates through advertising more robust designs for paying clients. They also serve as a portfolio for designers who are credited for each design.

Microsoft and Adobe (Dreamweaver's parent company) both have very extensive support and "extension" sites with ways to expand the basic layouts that come with both programs, as well as tutorials for using them and developing your own.

It should be noted that in the Web 2.0 world, frames and templates are both becoming quickly outdated, replaced by CSS and dynamically generated pages. However, these technologies are still far outnumbered by the old framesets that built the web. Being familiar with their use is a valuable skill for any web designer.