Chapter 9. Creating Windows XP Skins with Stardock SkinStudio

In this chapter

• Downloading and installing SkinStudio

• Exploring the SkinStudio application window

• Using SkinStudio wizards and templates to create a skin

• Cutting visual style elements from image templates

• Editing visual style elements with an image editor

• Applying Your SkinStudio skins

Skin editors make manipulating the elements that make up a visual style easy. This chapter examines Stardock SkinStudio. SkinStudio is one of the software tools available in Stardock's Object Desktop. SkinStudio provides some unique features in terms of creating visual styles, and it embraces a different strategy for skinning windows (when compared to TGTSoft's StyleBuilder).

Let's begin our discussion with how SkinStudio and its companion skinning engine, WindowBlinds, approach skinning the Windows interface. We can then cover information on how to download and install SkinStudio and explore its application interface and the tools it provides for creating and editing visual styles.