A comprehensive review of theoretical approaches to simulate plasmonic-active metallic nano-arrangements is given. Further, various fabrication methods based on bottom-up, self-organization and topdown techniques are introduced. Here, analytical approaches are discussed to investigate the optical properties of isotropic and non-magnetic spherical or spheroidal particles. Furthermore, numerical methods are introduced to research complex shaped structures. A huge variety of fabrication methods are reviewed, e.g. bottom-up preparation strategies for plasmonic nanostructures to generate metal colloids and core–shell particles as well as complex-shaped structures, self-organization as well as templatebased methods and finally, top-down processes, e.g. electron beam lithography and its variants as well as nanoimprinting. The review article is aimed at beginners in the field of surface enhanced spectroscopy (SES) techniques and readers who have a general interest in theoretical modelling of plasmonic substrates for SES applications as well as in the fabrication of the desired structures based on methods of the current state of the art.