This article explains how to create a newmaster page with a custom stylesheet and some custom images. We do this with the following steps:
1. You must have the permission as an administrator or designer.
2. Click Site Actions > SiteSettings > Master pages and page layouts, for different site collectiontemplate maybe show different layout, we take ESS as an example. See Figure 1 sharepoint2010_1.
Figure 1sharepoint 2010_1
3. Most site use V4.master as thedefault master page, please don’t check out it. The best way is download theexisting one as a copy file and rename it (Custom.master).
4. Edit Custom.master, open itwith ShowPoint Designer(SPD) or Visual Studio (VS).
5. In the <head> tag add alink to your custom CSS just above the content place holder named “PlaceHolderAdditionalPageHead”as follows:
<link type="text/css"href="/_layouts/1033/styles/Themable/Custom.css"rel="Stylesheet" />
6. Upload the new master page,save, publish, and approve Custom.master. See Figure 2 sharepoint 2010_2.
Figure 2sharepoint 2010_2
7. Set Custom.master as thedefault master page, go to Site Actions > Site Settings > Master Page. SeeFigure 3 sharepoint 2010_3. If you select “Reset all subsites to inherit thissite master page setting”, you can see the look and feel in subsites.
Figure 3sharepoint 2010_3
8. Refresh the page
Note: If you want reference custom CSS and images;you need to save them in the server file.
Image file: C:\Program Files\CommonFiles\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\IMAGES\CustomStyles
CSS file: C:\Program Files\CommonFiles\Microsoft Shared\Web ServerExtensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\1033\STYLES\Themable
Reference:
http://fitandfinish.ironworks.com/2010/01/the-best-way-to-add-custom-css-to-sharepoint.html