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Saving and Publishing

You've built an amazing theme - now it's time to share it with the world! This guide covers saving, publishing, and distributing your themes.

Understanding Save vs Publish​

Two separate actions:

Save (Ctrl+S)​

  • Saves project to cloud
  • Keeps your work safe
  • Private (only you can access)
  • Can continue editing
  • No one else sees it yet
  • Think: Saving a Word document

Publish (Ctrl+P)​

  • Makes theme available to others
  • Creates public listing (or private share)
  • Generates preview/thumbnail
  • Can still edit after publishing
  • Updates when you republish
  • Think: Publishing a blog post

You can save without publishing, but must save before publishing!

Saving Your Project​

How to Save​

Three ways to save:

  1. Ctrl+S (keyboard shortcut)

    • Fastest method
    • Works anytime
    • Recommended!

  2. File → Save

    • Menu option
    • Same as Ctrl+S

  3. Auto-save (background)

    • Happens automatically
    • Periodic saves
    • Safety net
    • DON'T rely on this alone!

Save Confirmation​

After saving:

  • Look for confirmation message
  • "Project saved" notification
  • Or checkmark/indicator
  • Confirms save succeeded

If no confirmation:

  • Try saving again
  • Check internet connection
  • Look for error message

What Gets Saved​

Everything in your project:

  • All layers and their properties
  • All animations and settings
  • Asset library contents
  • Project metadata
  • Per-aspect ratio settings
  • Layer organization (groups)
  • Current state

Not saved:

  • Undo history (starts fresh on reload)
  • Clipboard contents
  • Selection state
  • View zoom/position

Saving Best Practices​

Save frequently:

  • After major changes
  • Before risky operations
  • Every 5-10 minutes
  • Before closing browser

Save before:

  • Testing complex changes
  • Deleting layers
  • Importing PSD
  • Taking breaks

Ctrl+S is your friend! Make it muscle memory.

Publishing Your Theme​

Before You Publish​

Pre-publish checklist:

Quality check:

  • Preview theme (Spacebar) - looks good?
  • Test for 30+ seconds - smooth loops?
  • Check all aspect ratios (if multiple)
  • Test with various content/metadata
  • No obvious bugs or glitches
  • Performance acceptable (no stuttering)

Content check:

  • All placeholder text removed
  • Test assets replaced with final
  • Layers named appropriately (users may see)
  • No copyrighted content (if public)

Metadata check:

  • Project name descriptive
  • Description written
  • Tags/categories set
  • Preview screenshot looks good
  • Appropriate visibility setting

Save one more time! (Ctrl+S)

How to Publish​

Step-by-step:

  1. Save your project (Ctrl+S)

    • Must be saved first

  2. Start publish process

    • File → Publish
    • Or press Ctrl+P
    • Publish dialog opens

  3. Review project details

    • Project name
    • Description
    • Tags/keywords
    • Category
    • Version number (if updating)

  4. Edit metadata (if needed)

    • Click Edit or similar button
    • Update any fields
    • Add thorough description
    • Choose appropriate tags

  5. Set visibility

    • Public (everyone can see)
    • Unlisted (only with link)
    • Private (only you)
    • Choose based on intent

  6. Generate preview (if not auto)

    • Take screenshot
    • Or auto-generates from current view
    • This is your theme's thumbnail

  7. Confirm and publish

    • Click Publish button
    • Wait for processing
    • Don't close browser!

  8. Publishing completes

    • Success message
    • Theme now available
    • You'll get a link

Theme Metadata​

Fill this out thoughtfully:

Name:

  • Clear and descriptive
  • "Retro Arcade Wheel" not "My Theme"
  • Max characters (check limit)
  • Unique name helps discoverability

Description:

  • What makes your theme special?
  • What style/aesthetic?
  • Which systems/games it's for?
  • Any special features?
  • Installation notes (if needed)

Example good description:

Retro-inspired wheel theme for arcade systems.
Features CRT filter, pixelated transitions, and
vibrant 80s color palette. Optimized for 16:9
displays. Includes subtle particle effects and
smooth wheel animations.

Tags/Keywords:

  • Relevant terms users might search
  • Style: "retro", "modern", "minimalist"
  • Genre: "arcade", "console", "racing"
  • Features: "animated", "video background"
  • Colors: "neon", "dark", "colorful"

Category:

  • Choose most relevant
  • Main Menu, System Theme, Game Theme, etc.
  • Helps users find it

Version:

  • Start with 1.0
  • Update on major changes
  • Helps users track updates

Preview/Thumbnail​

Your theme's first impression:

Automatically generated:

  • Usually captures current canvas view
  • May auto-select good moment
  • Verify it looks good!

Manual screenshot:

  • Tools → Take Screenshot (before publishing)
  • Positions view how you want
  • Use this as thumbnail

Good thumbnails:

  • Clear view of theme
  • Representative of design
  • Visually appealing
  • Not too zoomed in or out
  • Shows key features

Bad thumbnails:

  • Blurry or pixelated
  • Too dark to see
  • Random/unclear view
  • Doesn't represent theme

Visibility Settings​

Public:

  • Appears in theme gallery
  • Searchable by anyone
  • Most exposure
  • Use for finished, quality themes

Unlisted:

  • Accessible via direct link only
  • Not in public gallery
  • Good for sharing with specific people
  • Testing before public release

Private:

  • Only you can access
  • For works-in-progress
  • Or personal use only
  • Can always change to public later

Choosing visibility:

  • Finished theme → Public
  • Work in progress → Private
  • Sharing with testers → Unlisted
  • Not ready for public → Private/Unlisted

After Publishing​

What Happens Next​

Your theme is now:

  • Available at a unique URL
  • Listed in theme gallery (if public)
  • Downloadable/viewable by users
  • Searchable (if public)

You can:

  • Share the link
  • Continue editing
  • Publish updates
  • View analytics (if available)
  • Read comments/feedback

Sharing Your Theme​

Get the link:

  • After publishing, URL provided
  • Or find in your projects list
  • Copy and share!

Where to share:

  • Social media
  • Discord/forums
  • Reddit communities
  • Gaming groups
  • HyperTheme community

Promotion tips:

  • Share screenshots/video
  • Explain what makes it unique
  • Ask for feedback
  • Engage with users

Updates and Revisions​

Updating published themes:

  1. Open project in editor
  2. Make changes
  3. Save (Ctrl+S)
  4. Publish again (Ctrl+P)
  5. Confirm update
  6. New version published!

What updates:

  • Theme file itself
  • Preview (if regenerated)
  • Metadata (if changed)
  • Version number (increment it!)

Users get:

  • Updated version when they download
  • Or notification of update (system dependent)

Update frequency:

  • Bug fixes: Immediately
  • Minor improvements: As needed
  • Major redesigns: New version or new theme

Versioning​

Track your changes:

Version numbering:

  • 1.0 - Initial release
  • 1.1 - Minor update (tweaks, fixes)
  • 1.2 - Another minor update
  • 2.0 - Major update (big changes)

Update description:

  • Note what changed
  • "v1.2 - Fixed animation timing, added blur effect"
  • Helps users know what's new

Managing Published Themes​

Your Theme Dashboard​

Typically includes:

  • List of published themes
  • Views/downloads count
  • Ratings/reviews
  • Edit/update options
  • Delete options
  • Analytics

Monitoring:

  • Check how theme performs
  • Read user feedback
  • Note common issues
  • Plan improvements

Responding to Feedback​

Users may comment or rate:

Positive feedback:

  • Thank them!
  • Share your process (if they ask)
  • Consider their suggestions

Constructive criticism:

  • Valuable insights!
  • Consider making updates
  • Don't take personally
  • Use to improve

Bug reports:

  • Investigate immediately
  • Fix if confirmed
  • Update and republish
  • Thank reporter

Negative/unhelpful:

  • Don't engage in arguments
  • Learn what you can
  • Move on

Unpublishing Themes​

If you need to remove:

Reasons to unpublish:

  • Found major bug
  • Want to redesign completely
  • Copyright issues
  • Personal reasons

How to unpublish:

  • Find theme in dashboard
  • Look for unpublish/delete option
  • Confirm action
  • Theme no longer public

What happens:

  • Removed from gallery
  • Direct links may break
  • Users can't download
  • You can still access/edit

Alternatives:

  • Set to Private (still accessible to you)
  • Update with fixes
  • Create new version

Publishing Best Practices​

Quality Standards​

Before going public:

  • Preview works perfectly
  • No obvious bugs
  • Tested with real content
  • Performance acceptable
  • Professional presentation

Don't publish:

  • Placeholder content still in theme
  • Broken animations
  • "Test" or "Work in Progress" themes (unless clearly labeled)
  • Copied content without permission

Naming Conventions​

Good theme names:

  • Descriptive: "Neon Arcade Wheel"
  • Clear: "Minimal System Menu"
  • Memorable: "Retro Wave Classics"

Avoid:

  • Generic: "My Theme", "Theme 1"
  • Unclear: "asdf", "Test"
  • Too long: "My Super Awesome Amazing..."

Descriptions Matter​

Write helpful descriptions:

  • What style is it?
  • What's it designed for?
  • Any special features?
  • Installation notes?
  • Credits (if used others' work)

Example:

Modern minimalist wheel theme with smooth
animations and clean typography. Designed
for 16:9 displays. Features dynamic metadata
integration and subtle parallax effects.

Perfect for modern gaming setups.

Credits: Background music by [Artist]

Tagging Strategy​

Use relevant tags:

  • Style tags: retro, modern, dark, colorful
  • Feature tags: animated, video, minimal
  • Use case: arcade, console, racing, rpg
  • Mood: energetic, calm, dramatic

Don't:

  • Spam tags (irrelevant keywords)
  • Use misleading tags
  • Over-tag (quality > quantity)

Licensing and Credits​

If you used others' work:

  • Credit assets/music creators
  • Follow their license requirements
  • Link to original sources
  • Get permission if needed

Your rights:

  • You own your theme design
  • May want to specify license
  • Creative Commons options
  • Or all rights reserved

Troubleshooting Publishing​

"Publish failed!"​

Common causes:

Not saved:

  • Save first (Ctrl+S)
  • Then try publishing

Internet connection:

  • Check connection
  • Try again

Missing required fields:

  • Name, description, etc.
  • Fill in all required info

File too large:

  • Too many/large assets
  • Optimize assets
  • Remove unused items

"Preview looks wrong!"​

Fix:

  • Take manual screenshot
  • Position view correctly
  • Tools → Take Screenshot
  • Use as thumbnail
  • Republish

"Can't find my published theme!"​

Check:

  • Visibility setting (Private? Unlisted?)
  • Published successfully? (check dashboard)
  • Waiting for approval? (if moderated)
  • Search with exact name

"Want to update but lost changes!"​

Recovery:

  • Published version still exists
  • Download/access published version
  • Make edits
  • Republish

Prevention:

  • Save before publishing
  • Keep local backups (screenshots, notes)

Publication Checklist​

Before hitting Publish:

  • Theme saved (Ctrl+S)
  • Preview tested (Spacebar) - works great
  • All aspect ratios tested (if multiple)
  • Metadata filled out completely
    • Name (clear, descriptive)
    • Description (thorough)
    • Tags (relevant)
    • Category (correct)
  • Preview thumbnail looks good
  • Visibility setting correct
  • Credits/licenses noted
  • No copyrighted content (or licensed)
  • Version number set
  • Performance tested
  • Ready for the world!

Click Publish! 🚀

After Your First Publish​

Congratulations! Your theme is live!

Next steps:

  1. Share it with the community
  2. Gather feedback
  3. Monitor usage/downloads
  4. Plan improvements
  5. Start your next theme!

The more you publish:

  • Better you get
  • More users find your work
  • Build portfolio
  • Develop signature style

Next Steps​

Pro Tip: Publish early and often! Your first theme won't be perfect - and that's okay. Publish, learn from feedback, improve, and publish again. Iteration is how you get better! 🎉✨