Installing Themes
Create a themes directory in sites/all.
sites/all/themes
Contributed themes placed in the sites/all/themes directory will be available to all sites sharing the same code base. If you are not using multi-site then just put everything here for now.
The basic instructions are as follows: Download the theme, extract the files, upload the resulting folder, and enable and configure the theme in administer > site building > themes.
Note
Not all themes support all regions. The regions a block is assigned to is theme dependant so when you add a new theme, you may need to visit the blocks page again.
The detailed instructions are:
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Download the theme. Make sure the version of the theme matches your version of Drupal. Note that themes labeled "CVS" or "DEV" are in a development stage. They may be written for a previous/current/future version of Drupal, and they are considered unstable and should be handled with care.
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Extract the files. When you first get the theme, it will appear in a compressed file format such as 'tar.gz'. On Windows, use a program like 7-Zip to extract it. On the Mac, you can use Stuffit Expander. To extract the file using the Unix command line:
tar -zxvf themename-drupalversionnumber.tar.gzYou should see a list of files extracted into a folder.
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Upload the folder. FTP/Copy/SCP your files to the desired themes folder in your Drupal installation. Since the /themes/ folder is typically reserved for Drupal core themes, you should create a sites/all/themes/ directory and put uploaded themes there. This will also make it easier to update your Drupal site later on as your themes will not be mixed in with core themes.
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Read the directions. If the theme has an installation file (usually INSTALL.txt and/or README.txt), read it for specific instructions. There are themes that require special treatment to function properly.
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Enable the theme. Version 5.x users go to administer > site building > themes. Check the 'Enabled' box next to the theme and then click the 'Save Configuration' button at the bottom.
If you run into problems, check the themes issue queue and search the forums. If your problem hasn't already been addressed, post a question and someone will try to help you out.