Company branding can create a sense of spirit, belonging, familiarity, and fun. CRM On Demand has long offered company branding options, but now, with Release 17, those options have become quicker, easier, and more flexible. Themes (also known as Skins) allow you to customize the appearance of the CRM On Demand application for your entire company, or for individual roles. Users may also select the theme that works best for them.

You can create a new theme in 5 minutes or less, but if you're anything like me, you may enjoy tinkering with it for a while longer.

Before you begin tinkering, I recommend spending a few moments coming up with a design plan. If you have specific colors or logos you want for your theme, gather those first...that will move the process along much faster. If you want to match the color of an existing Web site or application, you can use tools, like Pixie, to match the HEX/HTML color values.

Logos must be in a JPEG, JPG, PNG, or GIF file format. Header logos must be approximately 70 pixels high by 1680 pixels wide. Footer logos must be no more than 200 pixels wide. And, of course, you must have permission to use the images that you upload for your theme.

Creating the theme itself is the simple part. Here are a few simple steps.
Note: You must have the Manage Themes privilege to create custom themes.

1. Click the Admin global link.


2. Navigate to Application Customization > Themes.


3. Click New.


4. Note: You may also choose to copy and edit and existing theme.


5. Enter information for the following fields:



6. Theme Name - Enter a name for your new theme.




7. Show Default Help Link - Online help holds valuable information for all users, so I recommend selecting this check box.




8. Show Default Training and Support Link - The Training and Support Center holds valuable information for all users, so I recommend selecting this check box.




9. Description - Enter a description for your new theme.



10. Click Save.

Once you click Save, the Theme Detail page opens. From there, you can design your theme. The preview shows the Home, Detail, and List pages, with the new theme applied.

For more detailed information about themes, click the Help link from any page in CRM On Demand Release 17, then search or browse to find the Creating New Themes page (Administering CRM On Demand > Application Customization > Creating New Themes). Click the Show Me link on that Help page to access the Creating Custom Themes quick guide. This quick guide shows how each of the page elements are defined.