diff --git a/images/README.md b/images/README.md
index da36c5887..33a132ee3 100644
--- a/images/README.md
+++ b/images/README.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 We use Theia to provide students with programming environments tailored to their course`s needs. Instructors can choose a fitting Theia Blueprint (=Theia IDE Image) in Artemis. This repository contains the build tooling for creating those images.
 
 Matching Artemis' programming environments, the following images are available:
+
 - [x] Java 17
 - [x] Kotlin (use Java 17 image and install Kotlin via Maven dependency)
 - [x] Python
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ Matching Artemis' programming environments, the following images are available:
 - [x] Ocaml
 
 ## Structure of Images
+
 Our used Theia IDE Images are built in 3 steps
 
 1. The `ide-image` builds the Theia Application, downloads all essential plugins and performs cleanup.
@@ -21,17 +23,39 @@ Our used Theia IDE Images are built in 3 steps
 3. The `tool-image` downloads and installs necessary compilers and tools for each programming environment and contains Node.js to launch Theia
 
 ## Building Dockerfiles for Images
+
 1. Start with the `tool-image`
 2. Copy the built Theia Application with plugins from the `ide-image`
 3. Copy the downloaded plugins from the `plugin-image` (implemented in the ToolDockerfile)
 
 ## Creating Images
+
 For overwriting default Theia configuration files, a simple directory can be created inside the image's location. Using a `COPY` instruction in the Dockerfile, all contents will overwrite existing files in the image.
 
 For example, for the image `images/base-ide/`, there is a `package.json`. Using `COPY images/base-ide/ .` in the Dockerfile will replace the default `package.json` of Theia. Creating more files in sub-directories (`images/base-ide/test/test.json`) will also overwrite existing files recursively.
 
+Similar to VSC, Theia IDE also supports to set configuration values using a `settings.json`. The `images/base-ide/project` folder will be mounted at `/home/project` inside the final image and, thus, will load the configuration values during startup.
+
 ## Choosing the correct plugins
+
 Plugins are an easy way to add functionality to the basic features of VSC or the minimal `base-ide` image. To configure the download step of the `plugin-image` (currently incorporated in the `ToolDockerfile`), you may change the `theiaPlugins` array of the `package.json` inside of your image's folder (`/images/<name>/package.json`). Why don´t you start finding appropriate plugins [here](https://open-vsx.org/)?
 
 ### Configuring Theia's VSC built-ins
+
 Theia offers a large built-in plugin bundling all those (82) functions and languages that VSC offers out of the box (https://open-vsx.org/api/eclipse-theia/builtin-extension-pack/1.88.1/file/eclipse-theia.builtin-extension-pack-1.88.1.vsix). As your image most likely will not require all those features, you can remove sub-plugins by adding their `id` to the list of `theiaPluginsExcludeIds` of the `package.json`. You can find the list of all excluded plugins in the `/images/base-ide/package.json`.
+
+## Testing blueprints locally
+
+To test images locally, they need to be pulled from ghcr.io. You can also built them yourself by starting with the BaseImage and follow with the respective ToolImage afterwards.
+
+```
+docker build -t ghcr.io/ls1intum/theia/base-ide -f images/base-ide/BaseDockerfile .
+
+docker build -t ghcr.io/ls1intum/theia/java-17 -f images/java-17/ToolDockerfile .
+```
+
+When finally starting the container, remember that Theia utilizes port 3000. You may use the following command to start the Java17 image.
+
+```
+docker run --rm --name theia -p 3000:3000 ghcr.io/ls1intum/theia/java-17
+```
diff --git a/images/base-ide/BaseDockerfile b/images/base-ide/BaseDockerfile
index 513b5a2cf..add698e6c 100644
--- a/images/base-ide/BaseDockerfile
+++ b/images/base-ide/BaseDockerfile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ COPY applications applications
 # Copy Theia Extensions (launcher, product, updater)
 COPY theia-extensions theia-extensions
 
-# Copy image specific files - this should overwrite the default files from the repository
+# Copy base image files for installing and building Theia as well as configuring the IDE
 COPY images/base-ide/ .
 
 # Remove unnecesarry files for the browser application
diff --git a/images/base-ide/project/.theia/settings.json b/images/base-ide/project/.theia/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a812acf1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/base-ide/project/.theia/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "extensions.ignoreRecommendations": true,
+    "files.exclude": {
+        "**/.theia": true
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/images/c/ToolDockerfile b/images/c/ToolDockerfile
index 333d01241..2ceed8f88 100644
--- a/images/c/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/c/ToolDockerfile
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ FROM ubuntu:23.04 as final-ide
 
 # Make sure all sources are up to date
 RUN apt update && \
-        apt upgrade -y --autoremove && \
-        apt install -y --no-install-recommends \
-                gcc clang git gdb make \
-                findutils bzip2 e2fsprogs sudo adduser && \
-        apt clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    apt upgrade -y --autoremove && \
+    apt install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    gcc clang git gdb make \
+    findutils bzip2 e2fsprogs sudo adduser && \
+    apt clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 WORKDIR /home/theia
 
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/theia && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Copy node from plugin-image as it is required for Theia 
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/bin/
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ /usr/local/lib/node_modules/
diff --git a/images/haskell/ToolDockerfile b/images/haskell/ToolDockerfile
index 7f9dd87d9..d990b22a6 100644
--- a/images/haskell/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/haskell/ToolDockerfile
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/theia && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Copy node from plugin-image as it is required for Theia 
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/bin/
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ /usr/local/lib/node_modules/
@@ -72,16 +75,16 @@ RUN apt-get update \
 # It bundles the creation of new projects (`stack new`), building (`stack build`) and finally running (`stack exec`) Haskell projects.
 RUN stack setup && \
     stack ghc \
-        --package QuickCheck \
-        --package quickcheck-assertions \
-        --package smallcheck \
-        --package tasty \
-        --package tasty-ant-xml \
-        --package tasty-hunit \
-        --package tasty-quickcheck \
-        --package tasty-smallcheck \
-        --package unordered-containers \
-        -- --version \
+    --package QuickCheck \
+    --package quickcheck-assertions \
+    --package smallcheck \
+    --package tasty \
+    --package tasty-ant-xml \
+    --package tasty-hunit \
+    --package tasty-quickcheck \
+    --package tasty-smallcheck \
+    --package unordered-containers \
+    -- --version \
     && chmod -R a+rw $STACK_ROOT
 
 # Specify default shell for Theia and the Built-In plugins directory
diff --git a/images/java-17/ToolDockerfile b/images/java-17/ToolDockerfile
index 098fc21dc..ac4c179c1 100644
--- a/images/java-17/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/java-17/ToolDockerfile
@@ -43,9 +43,12 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/theia && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Install required tools for tool creation and terminal usage: wget, apt-transport-https, update & upgrade packages, bash
 RUN apt-get update && \
-    apt-get install -y wget apt-transport-https bash && \
+    apt-get install -y wget apt-transport-https bash git && \
     apt-get upgrade -y
 
 # Install dependencies for this application: Temurin JDK, JDK, Maven
diff --git a/images/ocaml/ToolDockerfile b/images/ocaml/ToolDockerfile
index 55c97ba9c..e188cf8db 100644
--- a/images/ocaml/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/ocaml/ToolDockerfile
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 ENV HOME /home/theia
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Install required tools for tool creation and terminal usage: wget, apt-transport-https, update & upgrade packages, bash
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y wget apt-transport-https bash && \
diff --git a/images/python/ToolDockerfile b/images/python/ToolDockerfile
index da424cb6d..29d651171 100644
--- a/images/python/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/python/ToolDockerfile
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/theia && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Copy node from plugin-image as it is required for Theia 
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/bin/
 COPY --from=plugin-image /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ /usr/local/lib/node_modules/
diff --git a/images/swift/ToolDockerfile b/images/swift/ToolDockerfile
index 7ba2bf595..8253aa615 100644
--- a/images/swift/ToolDockerfile
+++ b/images/swift/ToolDockerfile
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} as builder
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     libcurl4-openssl-dev \
     libxml2-dev \
- && rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    && rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 RUN git clone https://github.com/realm/SwiftLint.git
 WORKDIR /SwiftLint
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ FROM ${RUNTIME_IMAGE} as final-ide
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     libcurl4 \
     libxml2 \
- && rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    && rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 WORKDIR /home/theia
 
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ RUN chmod g+rw /home && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/theia && \
     chown -R theia:theia /home/project
 
+# Copy the project configuration files
+COPY --from=base-ide --chown=theia:theia /home/theia/project /home/project
+
 # Copy dependencies from builder image
 COPY --from=builder /usr/lib/libsourcekitdInProc.so /usr/lib
 COPY --from=builder /usr/lib/swift/linux/libBlocksRuntime.so /usr/lib