Here’s a handy trick for WordPress theme developers. As of WordPress 3.8, theme authors have the ability to customize defaults when adding custom background support. For example, you can set a default for any of the following CSS background properties: background-color background-image background-repeat background-attachment background-position Oftentimes users want their sites to look similar to the…
Last December, Jeff Chandler and I updated WP Tavern with a new design based on Theme Hybrid’s Stargazer theme. Stargazer takes a new approach to parent/child themes in that it houses the majority of both the design and functionality within the parent theme. The challenge is to make design changes in the child theme, without…
DW Timeline is a beautiful free theme created by the folks at DesignWall. It is based on the Roots framework and features a unique timeline display for posts, inspired by Facebook’s timeline layout. DW Timeline was designed to showcase your blog or portfolio site. Customizable Header The homepage design supports a large customizable header image:…
When WordPress theme shops build typography options into their themes, they almost universally opt for integrating Google Fonts. It’s no wonder, given that Google fonts are free, easy to browse and generally fast-loading. The Theme Foundry is one of the first to step outside the box to integrate commercial fonts into their themes, via a…
The latest trend in WordPress blogging themes is to put post formats on center stage with a colorful palette selected to highlight the variety of content. Hexa is a beautiful new example of this trend in action. The theme launched last week on WordPress.com and hit WordPress.org over the weekend. Named for the geometric shapes…
A child theme is defined in the WordPress codex as a theme that inherits the functionality of another theme, called the parent theme. Child themes allow you to modify, or add to the functionality of that parent theme. A child theme is the safest and easiest way to modify an existing theme, whether you want…
Swedish designer Anders Norén is relatively new to the world of WordPress theme development but his breathtakingly simple themes are a refreshing addition to the ecosystem. Last August, Norén released Lingonberry, a responsive, retina-ready theme with beautiful typography. Delighted by the success of Lingonberry, which has received more than 8,000 downloads from WordPress.org, Norén decided…
Last year Bootstrap joined the flat design craze with its 3.0 release and a new optional theme. The default box model and basic UI components have been greatly improved. Bootstrap 3.1 introduced an official Sass port, further expanding the framework’s toolbox. Awhile back, we featured WordPress themes built using the Foundation front-end framework. Since Bootstrap…
WooThemes has announced they will no longer be offering subscriptions to their theme club, a concept they helped pioneer in 2008. With a monthly subscription, buyers would gain access to all available themes as well as themes released during their subscription period. The theme club has been replaced by a new package called ATP or…
Arcade Basic is new free theme from WordPress theme designer c.bavota, who favors Bootstrap as a front-end framework for his products. The theme features a fullscreen header image, followed by a large call-to-action, widgetized homepage area and a block of posts at the bottom. Arcade Basic packs in a solid set of features under the…
There’s a curious design trend among WordPress themes that shows no signs of stopping. The prominent use of mint green has become designers’ favorite highlight color. The trend started in the greater design community, as recently illustrated by Automattic design engineer Mel Choyce in her tweet commentary: https://twitter.com/melchoyce/status/432888899862794240 The color is often seen accompanying a…
How many times have you bought a theme that would look perfect for your next project only to discover it’s not the right fit? I have gone through this experience multiple times but the companies I dealt with didn’t have refund policies. Instead, I had to learn a $60-70 lesson with no recourse. Unfortunately, the…
The founders of UpThemes, a commercial WordPress theme business started in March of 2010 has published an open letter to their customers and to the wider WordPress community. It’s a fascinating look into how the company has evolved over the past four years. The letter is filled with lessons learned and contains what I consider…
Sorbet is a beautiful responsive blogging theme with post formats on parade. The theme has been a big hit on WordPress.com ever since it was added at the end of January. This weekend Sorbet made its debut in the WordPress Themes Directory and is already a favorite, with more than 1,000 downloads in less than…
Aquarius is a new free theme in the WordPress Themes Directory. The typography features the Georgia font and the home page is geared toward personal bloggers. The single post design focuses on the content with post meta data displayed unobtrusively at the bottom of the page. In addition to being fully responsive, Aquarius has two…