Serif
A newspaper masthead, Georgia type and a column made for long reading.
Serif is a theme for long-form writing. The top of the page looks like a newspaper masthead, with the date on a thin strip above a centred title. Headlines on the home page start with a drop cap, and posts run in a narrow Georgia column on warm cream paper with bronze accents.
Who it's for
Essayists, columnists, newsletter writers and anyone who publishes pieces people read start to finish. It suits a personal journal, a small magazine run by one or two people, or a literary newsletter that also keeps an archive on the web. It is a poor fit for photo-led sites, product-first stores or anyone who wants a dark or sans-serif look. Serif keeps decoration to hairline rules and italics, so the sentences are what you notice.
What makes it different
A masthead with today's date
The home page, blog, posts and pages all start with a date strip showing today's date, a centred title block with your logo or site name, and a nav row. The date is formatted for the site's language. On narrow screens the nav row folds into a mobile menu.
Drop caps in a two-by-two front page
The home page features your four newest posts in a two-column grid, each headline opening with a large bronze drop cap. The hero is text only: an issue line with the current month and year, your site name, your description and a Start reading link.
A reading column built for length
Posts sit in a 720px column at 18px type with a 1.75 line height. Block quotes turn italic and larger, tag pills close the article, and plugin slots before and after the text can hold a table of contents or an author card.
A broadsheet shop
The shop listing is a three-column page separated by hairlines rather than boxed cards. Each product has a small italic category, a serif title and a price, and a card with a second gallery image swaps to it on hover for mouse users.
Product pages in the same voice
Product detail pages have their own Serif layout: Georgia throughout, italic accents, hairline rules and a bronze underlined buy button. The buy button is hidden when a product is out of stock, and product questions open as an accordion.
Subscribe cards that only appear when they work
The newsletter section on the home page and the inline card at the end of a post render only when subscribing is set up on your site and the Show subscribe widget on blog setting is on. A site with no email path never shows a form that posts nowhere.
Page by page
- Home
- Masthead, text-only hero, four drop-cap articles and a subscribe section.
- Blog
- Category filter pills, a three-column card listing and pagination.
- Post
- 720px column, byline, tag pills and an inline subscribe card.
- Page
- Page-builder content under the same masthead and footer.
- Shop
- Hairline-separated three-column listing with a search field.
- Product
- Georgia detail page with an out-of-stock state and FAQ accordion.
Customizing it
Global Design reaches Serif well. In Admin, Appearance, Global Design, with Apply to theme switched on, you can change the background, text, rule, bronze and gold colours. The heading font, or the body font if no heading font is set, drives the single typeface, which defaults to Georgia. Your site name, logo, description, menu and social links come from your settings. The home hero does not use a hero image, so the image setting has no effect here.
Honest limits
- Serif is a light, paper-coloured theme. Its stylesheet has no dark variant, so it is not a good base for a dark site.
- The home hero is text only. A hero image set for the site is accepted but not drawn.
- The home page features four posts in a fixed two-column grid. Everything else is reached through the blog page.
Specifications
- Category
- Serif
- Price
- Included
- Plan availability
- Included in every VeloCMS plan
- Commerce-ready
- Yes
- Motion
- No
Good fit for
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the typeface?
Yes, once Apply to theme is on in Global Design. The heading font (or the body font if no heading font is set) drives the one typeface, and Georgia is the default when nothing is set. Pick a different serif there and the masthead, headlines and article text follow it.
Does Serif work for a newsletter?
Yes. The home page has a subscribe section and each post ends with an inline subscribe card. Both appear only when subscribing is set up on your site and the Show subscribe widget on blog setting is on, so a plain archive stays clean.
Can I use a hero image?
Not on this theme. The home hero is built from your site name and description, and a hero image you set is not drawn. If an image-led home page matters, look at Aperture.
Can I sell products with it?
Yes. The shop listing and product pages both have Serif layouts. The add-to-cart button shows once a payment option is enabled on your site.