This document discusses the advantages and disadvantages of creating custom Joomla templates versus using off-the-shelf templates. It notes that off-the-shelf templates often include unnecessary features and code that need to be disabled. Creating a custom template allows for a unique design with only necessary code, frameworks, and features. However, custom templates require design and coding skills. The document outlines the bare minimum files needed for a basic custom template, including templateDetails.xml, index.php, and optional files like CSS, images, and error/offline pages. It is presented to a Joomla user group to educate on template development.