Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a language which is used primarily in text formatting. But nowadays, CSS is not only used in presentation semantics but in positioning contents as well. Positioning content in a webpage using CSS however, is a very difficult and time-consuming task especially for new developers. While it can be done relatively easy with HTML tables, doing so in CSS is worth all the trouble. Unlike the former, CSS is highly flexible with the support for almost any browser.

Starting from nothing for your web design project, is somewhat illogical especially if you have deadlines to beat. Positioning in CSS can be a very obvious challenge here, that will take you long hours of tweaking only to bring you where you have started. Unless you are doing it for educational purposes, you are better off using bare layouts as a starting point. Nothing more, nothing less. Blank layout really makes sense because it only defines the placement of content and gives you full flexibility in turning it into a beautiful and functional website. Needless to say, it saves you a lot of time. The same is true when using CSS Grid layouts and I can assure you that this model also very popular especially in website with magazine designs and newspaper designs. Recently however, we have seen a high adoption of responsive layouts and there is a huge supply of ready to use responsive themes for WordPress.

So here, we are sharing with you some useful CSS layouts that you can download for free. These layouts contain no image nor any graphic element. All they have are bare naked appearance. All you have to do thus, is to fill them. As you will find out, most of these layouts have been designed years ago but they are still good CSS layouts to start with. We hope that these CSS layouts can help you in your daily job as web designer and developer. You can always add ready to use elements like e.g. CSS menu and navigation to CSS layout templates and then things start to move faster. Another approach is to pick ready to use CSS templates for your project. Happy tweaking!

[exec]$filestr = file_get_contents(‘http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/googleadsensebelowmoretag.inc’);echo $filestr;[/exec]

Useful CSS Layouts for Download

Layout Gala by Alessandro Fulciniti [40 pieces]

These CSS layouts are based on the same markup, each with valid CSS and HTML, without hacks nor workaround and a good cross-browser compatibility. Each layout could represent a site with five main sections: header, content, navigation, other stuff and footer. The CSS of the examples, which is embedded in both online and download versions, has been kept to the minimum in order to focus on the most important thing, as is the layout. In fact, the CSS layouts has been divided, with an empty line, between two logical parts: the first is for typography and colors, while the second and most important is for the layout itself.

Primary by Curtiss Pope [22 CSS Layouts]

Primary is a simple CSS layouts Framework, designed for Developers and Designers in order to make using CSS as easy as possible. Primary is an experiment based on the concepts of legendary comic book artist Wally Wood’s “22 Panels That Always Work“. Primary is Open Source.

Two-Column CSS Layout by Dynamic Drive [6 pieces]

These are two-column CSS layouts based templates. Two types of CSS layouts are available- fixed layouts and and liquid layouts.

Three-Column CSS Layout by Dynamic Drive [9 pieces]

These are three columns CSS based templates. Two types of layouts are available- fixed layouts and and liquid layouts.

CSS Frame Layouts by Dynamic Drive [12 CSS Layouts]

These is a collection of CSS Frames layouts, where select columns or rows inside the layout remain static even when the page is scrolled, mimicking a frames like behavior.

Nice and Free CSS Templates/Layouts by My Celly [12 CSS Layouts ]

This site contains free CSS layouts for your website – Just copy and paste and there you have a stunning website!

CSS Layout by Free CSS [252 CSS Layouts]

This collection is a massive roundup of 252 CSS layouts that you can download to start up your web design projects.

Little Boxes by Owen Briggs [16 CSS Layouts]

This is a problem and workaround set for a series of CSS Boxes going from a simple single box, through 3 columns with a full width top box, all with variations.

Fixed Width CSS Layouts by Code-Sucks [53 pieces]

Get these 53 Fixed width CSS Layouts for download from Code-Sucks. All markup has been validated against a strict Doctype. These CSS Layouts are made for screen resolution of 1024 x 764.

Faux Columns CSS Layouts by Code-Sucks [42 Layouts]

Get these 42 Faux Column CSS Layouts for download. All markup has been validated against a strict Doctype. These CSS Layouts are made for screen resolutions of 1024 x 764.

The CSS Layout Reservoir by Blue Robot [3 pieces]

Feel free to borrow, steal, abduct, and/or torture the documents contained in the Layout Reservoir. Though you need not give credit to BlueRobot.com, a comment in your source code would help other developers to find this resource.

Examples of premium CSS Layouts to be considered

Besides free positioning CSS templates I would like to introduce you to another approach where you by spending a few dollars can get a almost ready to use CSS layout. Doing it this way can help some of you to get the job done faster and further to lean how the pros do their CSS coding. Getting one of these templates into your toolbox will give you a valuable resource for looking up how to implement complex elements in CSS layouts but it can also be adjusted to fit your needs in a client project.

Unite – HTML Business, Magazine, Community Site

The theme includes page layouts for: full page, 2 column, 3 column, blog pages, portfolio, HTML contact form and 2 administrative login styles. This is an html template with 5 pre-made skins including a dark theme and textured background theme. The theme is easy to modify and ready to be up and running out of the box. The PSD files included have been customized to allow fast skinning.

Locus One Page Template

The theme includes 3 Skins & 2 Layouts. 2 different slider options (3D and Nivo). You also get 15 PSDs making it possible to update the graphics. The scrolling one page style if really cool – check out the live demo

[exec]echo get_avatar( get_the_author_email(), ’80’ );[/exec]