Would appreciate a step in the right direction on learning vBulletin. Is there a vBulletin "Bible" of sorts or a good website for the basics so a beginner can get his feet wet?

The best method to designing around vBulletin is trial & error, if you are totally new to vBulletin. Play around with the templates, a great deal of them display exactly what they are named (i.e. forumhome shows the main forum index, forumdisplay is when you visit a forum, etc.).

Also, download some of the freely available styles and play with them. We've got a selection of styles and there are quite a few here and at vBulletin.com.

I personally learned by playing around back when vBulletin 1.x.x. was about, then with 2.x.x and now with 3.x.x. It becomes almost second-nature once you modify the same template so many times :).

Learn HTML/XHTML and CSS and you should be fine in developing your own style :)

If you want to add graphical customizations, then learn to use an image-editing program such as Photoshop

MGM out

If you want to add graphical customizations, then learn to use an image-editing program such as Photoshop

You also have your cheaper alternative, PaintShop Pro (I believe it's still around heh) and Macromedia Fireworks, though Photoshop seems to be top when it comes to designing (due to the name, marketing and usability of the software).

As for HTML, XHTML and CSS, Google.com is your friend, use it well :). Don't let the thought of styling burden you, you are only working with HTML coding and you do not have to touch the PHP files unless you wish to hack your board.

If all esle fails and you have any questions, vBulletin.com and their community is always there for help.

there a really good site that you can use to test CSS colour edits cannot remember what it is tho. Its called vb colour scheme machine or something.

For learning HTML, I would really reccomend www.draac.com .... I used that site myself when I started learning and it really made everything easy for me. It provides tons of sample code and gives you an idea of how everything works.

MGM out