Blogger supplies many different template types, many of them are "designed" for you, with backgrounds, borders, etc. But to maximize your ability to customize your blog, you want to be using a Minima Template. The Minima template is basically what it sounds like - minimal. It comes with different background colors - but if you plan on using imported backgrounds, that doesn't matter anyway. It has simple borders, which can easily be removed, and simple default colors that will go well with almost anything you choose to do.
Aside from different background colors, there are 4 different Minima templates:
1. Minima standard: includes your posts on the left and your sidebar on the right. Content has a fixed width no matter how wide the window is that you're viewing it in. (You get lots of empty space on the sides when the reader expands their Internet browser to the full width of their monitor.)
2. Minima Lefty: same as Minima Standard, except your posts will be on the right, and your sidebar on the left.
3. Minima Stretch: Uses the same lay-out as Minima Standard, but the main body content is designed to stretch to fit the size of the reader's window - wasting less space, and demanding less scrolling for the reader.
4. Minima Lefty Stretch: A combination of 2 and 3 - left hand sidebar, but with stretch capability.
Making the decision on which to go with - the main thing is - don't stress about it. You can always change it later. But here are some things to think about...
A. Minima is the way to go is you plan on customizing - but because it is so minimal, there is much less html code to learn from working in the background. But don't let that discourage you, even if you plan on getting into the code, it provides a good clean starting point. You can always look at other templates in a test blog to see how they are coded, or look up the html on the web!
B. White vs. a color - I recommend starting with white - because you can then clearly see all of the borders and elements in your blog. You plan to customize the background anyway, right?
C. Standard vs. Stretch - If you only want to import custom backgrounds from other web designers and don't plan on creating your own custom backgrounds - definitely go with the non-stretch versions. Almost all free online backgrounds are formatted for the standard Minima template. If you want to get into more customization I would encourage using stretch - because it's not only better for your readers, but it will also teach you how to manipulate dynamic content based on screen percentage definition.
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