HTML Xpress Scope and Guidelines

Please read this article carefully before submitting a design to HTML Xpress. If you have questions, please contact us.

The Scope of HTML Xpress

The scope of HTML Xpress is outlined below.  Should your design require services outside of this scope, you may request custom integration.  If your submitted design falls outside of this scope we will notify you of your options via email.  Custom integration is charged hourly rather than at a fixed rate and may take longer to complete.

  1. General. HTML Xpress converts a website design into a set of design templates that function on our content management system. 
  2. Number of templates. HTML Xpress includes the cutup and implementation of two design templates.  This includes a home page and an internal page template that you can design.  We will create an admin template for the system to use based upon your design.
  3. Basic element styles. The system has a built-in style sheet for all of its elements. However, the default look might not match your designed templates.  If you do not want the default look, you may specify in your design how you want the following elements to look.
    • Blog: including list view and the contents of the blog detail page.
    • Calendar: including list view and the contents of the calendar detail page.
    • Forms: including titles and selected fields.
    • Search: including the search box and button
    • Files and links.
      1. Please note: not all element style looks are possible with an HTML Xpress. We will review the site upon submission and email you with any items that are not possible. This does not mean the looks are not possible on our system, but it would require additional billing to get them. Please see our Free Templates for some of the possible looks.
  4. Text Styles. You may specify styles for:
    • Up to five headers
    • One body text style
    • One link style (this includes normal, active, visited, and hover states)
    • Ten classes for use in the CMS editor (can include colors, fonts, font style, font size, etc. )
  5. Navigation. You can design a look for the top/root menu navigation as well as an internal/side navigation. We will style up to three levels of navigation, including your root/main navigation. Note: fly out navigation menus may only include the main nav and one sub-navigation item.
  6. Content entry. HTML Xpress only includes the implementation of design templates and does not include the entry of any content into editable regions or the building out of any website pages.
  7. Custom integration of 3rd party tools. HTML Xpress does not include custom integration of any 3rd party tools such as newsletter lists, shopping carts, javascript or Flash slideshows . . . etc.
  8. Supported Browsers. We support: Firefox 2+, Safari, IE 7, and IE 6 (please note that IE6, created in 2001, does not support advances in CSS and scripting. We will do our best to make sure it degrades gracefully, but we cannot guarantee the same level of consistency in this browser).

30 Day Warranty

The HTML Xpress service comes with a 30 day warranty. For 30 days following delivery, we will correct any design issues with the following exceptions:

  1. If the designs have been modified in any way from the originals we delivered, we will not troubleshoot the design. Instead, we will revert the design back to the originals we delivered, overwriting any changes you may have made to the design since delivery. Once we are back to the original designs, we will troubleshoot issues if they exist.
  2. We will not troubleshoot any issue that is outside the scope of the HTML Xpress service.
  3. We will not troubleshoot issues involving minor variations across browsers. Different browsers cannot always provide pixel-perfect accuracy and some minor variance is normal. Major browser issues will be corrected. Determining whether a browser issue is major or minor will be at our discretion.

Files and Technical Requirements

This section contains requirements for your submitted design files.  If your files do not meet these requirements, they may be returned for you to correct and resubmit.

  • File Type: PSD, or PNG (with layers, please -- no flat images)
  • Color: RGB (not CMYK)
  • Web-safe fonts: If you're using non-websafe fonts in your design, please send them with your files. Remember that text-content can only be output in web-safe fonts.  Here is a list of websafe fonts to guide you in your font selection.
  • Resolution: 72 dpi and set to the exact pixel dimensions you desire for your website.

Helpful suggestions

  • Identify the editable regions. Note for us, in a separate group or layer on the PSD/PNG, where you want the editable regions to go, including the desired width of each region.
  • Navigation rollovers. Don't forget that your designs can have rollover states on the navigation buttons. Show us how you want those rollovers to look.
  • Margins and padding. It's is a good idea to leave plenty of margin or padding around your regions and other design elements to avoid a cluttered design and to provide more flexibility.
  • Notes and measurements. The more notations with measurements that you can provide, the better.
  • Browser rendering. Each browser renders fonts, margins, paddings and general sizing differently.  We do our best to match the template, but we cannot guarantee pixel-perfect accuracy.

HTML Xpress Sample Templates

Our design staff has created templates for several popular applications that are setup with the proper settings, grids, fonts, and guides to give you a solid starting point for your HTML Xpress designs. Feel free to download and use these files as you begin your design project.

Please choose a template that was created for your preferred design application. The files should work for both Windows and OS X versions of each application:

Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 by Support