there are many ways to start seeds but a basic that I use is;
i soak my seeds in water for 24-36 hours then plant very shallowly into 'pro-mix', water thoroughly, place on heat mat. keep from drying out by lightly watering.

once they emerge i place them under 4' flourescent lights- 2 cool white and 2 warm white bulbs. they can be fine under these lights till maybe a foot tall but i move them at @3-6 inches to more light.

for any other basic info try at www.thechileman.org.
many other links at this other thread welcoming a 'noob saying hello'.

Michael

Here is a link that might be useful: noob saying hello thread

my method

Here is a link that might be useful: germination

Cojen:

Always search the site first as your questions are sooooo frequently answered there......

You can also try starting seed outdoors in late winter. Check out the Wintersowing Forum. I wintersowed peppers and tomatoes this year for the first time, with good results. My tomatoes are over four feet tall and have two sets of flower buds, no fruit set yet. The peppers are good and healthy and have doubled their size since I transplanted them to the garden bed last week -- I was late getting them out.

Zone 5 may be the northern limit for wintersowing peppers but it's worth researching and asking a few questions on that forum. Wintersowing is very cheap and convenient, no indoor light set-up needed, no disease problems, no maintenance until late spring.