Artisteer

Artisteer is a Windows application that helps you design website and blog templates visually, without writing HTML or CSS. It focuses on letting you assemble and style layouts, then export them as ready-to-use themes or standard HTML.

This tool particularly suits bloggers, small businesses, and personal site owners who want a custom look for their site but prefer a visual editor instead of hand coding.

Visual layout design without coding

At the core of Artisteer is a WYSIWYG editor that lets you build page layouts by combining familiar elements. You choose components such as the header, columns, menu bar, and buttons, then adjust how they look and where they sit on the page.

You can tweak colors, fonts, patterns, layout positions, and special effects directly from the main window. Every adjustment updates the preview instantly, so you always see how the template will appear while you work.

Comfortable ribbon-style interface

Artisteer uses a ribbon-style interface that keeps most of its tools within easy reach. Options are grouped logically, which helps the program feel approachable even if you are not used to design software.

Because the editor is fully visual, you interact with the layout itself rather than with code. The real-time preview is one of its best touches: you can experiment freely without jumping between separate edit and preview modes.

Templates, assets, and the Suggest feature

The program includes several built-in template models that you can use as starting points. These focus mainly on company-style websites and WordPress blogs, which keeps things straightforward but means the default variety is somewhat narrow.

To personalize those models, Artisteer provides a large collection of ready-made material, including numerous color schemes, header images, and web backgrounds. These assets make it easy to give a basic layout a distinct look.

If you feel stuck for ideas, the Suggest feature can generate a random template for you. The program automatically mixes layouts, colors, and other settings, which can serve as inspiration or even a complete design that you refine afterward.

Instant feedback while you design

Artisteer puts a strong focus on interactive feedback. You can preview changes directly inside the application and see them applied to your template in real time.

One particularly nice detail is how it handles color schemes. You can move your mouse over options in the color scheme list and watch the whole template update immediately, without clicking through multiple dialogs. This encourages quick experimentation and makes fine-tuning the look much faster.

Export options and web platform support

Once you are happy with a design, you can preview it in your preferred browser. The software supports viewing your template in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera, so you can check how the layout behaves in different environments before exporting.

For output, Artisteer can export your work as an HTML document or as a WordPress theme. Recent enhancements also added the ability to create Joomla templates and Drupal themes, which broadens its appeal if you work with several content management systems.

The list of improvements continues on the theme side. WordPress themes gain internationalization support, refined typography for articles or blog posts, and dedicated footer design options. You can also define custom page backgrounds and glares, adjust sheet transparency, and use new abstract header background images to give sites a more distinctive top banner.

Under the hood, templates are validated with the W3C validator, which helps keep the generated HTML and CSS in line with web standards. You can store additional information such as template name, version, and other attributes for better organization. Exporting templates for CodeCharge Studio and Visual Studio has also seen minor refinements, and general bug fixes contribute to a smoother experience.

Overall assessment

Artisteer focuses on making web template design accessible to people who want results without diving into code. Its blend of a ribbon-style interface, real-time visual editing, and a large library of built-in assets makes it very approachable for non-technical users.

The main limitation is that the built-in template models concentrate on business sites and blogs, so those expecting a wide range of starting points for very unusual layouts may find it less flexible out of the box. On the other hand, the ability to customize each element and to generate random designs through the Suggest feature offsets much of that restriction.

If you are a Windows user looking to create your own HTML template or a theme for WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, and you prefer visual design over coding, Artisteer is a strong, user-friendly option.