News

A New (and Easier) Way to Create Content Boxes

As the development of Gutenberg continues, our team at StudioPress is following along closely. While there is a roadmap for its release, we are still somewhat watching from the sidelines.

Until it is merged into Core and WordPress 5.0 is released, we are approaching everything around Gutenberg as experimental. There are simply too many ongoing changes and iterations still happening.

However, there is a lot to like about the direction of Gutenberg, and there are plenty of things that I have seen which get me excited.

Content Boxes

One of those things is the ability to create content boxes. Previously, this could be accomplished with HTML and CSSÔÇöby adding a class to a paragraph, or wrapping text inside a div.

The problem with this, however, is that many folks use the visual editor and have no idea what HTML or CSS is.

With the Gutenberg editor for WordPress, this process has become much easier, and can literally be accomplished in secondsÔÇöwithout any code.

Developers can now add a custom theme color palette to publishing experience, and with those, create content boxes like these below.

Content Box Examples

This is a sample paragraph text with a colored background. You can use this to feature content, highlight something important, or provide a call-to-action.

This is a sample paragraph text with a colored background. You can use this to feature content, highlight something important, or provide a call-to-action.

This is a sample paragraph text with a colored background. You can use this to feature content, highlight something important, or provide a call-to-action.

Creating Content Boxes

To create a content box using the Gutenberg editor for WordPress is quite simple. All you need to do is write a paragraph and assign a background and text color to it.

HereÔÇÖs a screenshot to show what that looks like:

Genesis and Block Options

We have exciting news! The newly expanded Genesis engineering team is currently working on the integration of Gutenberg functions directly into Genesis.

The idea is for Genesis to do the heavy lifting of code, while supplying a config system in the child themes to handle the data. While the instructions in this post are a manual way of adding color pallets to Gutenberg blocks, weÔÇÖll be releasing features in Genesis that make this much easier.

This would allow us to ship themes with pre-configured options that are easy to customize and extend further, while allowing you to control block options in your own custom child themes!

Additional Resources

Below is a list of resources that will help you understand building and styling themes with better integration for the Gutenberg editor:

Note: We invite you to download the Genesis Sample theme as we have added some basic Gutenberg compatibility. Feel free to report any bugs you might find in the GitHub repository.

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

Mai Law Pro: the Ideal Theme for Law Firms or Professional Practice

Mai Law Pro is the ideal WordPress Theme for your law firm or professional practice. If you’re an agency or freelancer,┬áyou can use the Mai Law theme to accelerate your next law firm or professional services client’s project!

This theme was developed by the team at BizBudding Inc, creators of the extremely popular Mai Lifestyle Pro.

Featuring a contemporary, mobile-responsive, persuasive, search-engine friendly look and feel, the Mai Law Pro theme is designed to be simple yet extremely flexible, with 9 layout options.

It also features deep WooCommerce support, including customizations with live preview.

Some key features include:

  • Easy to customize
  • 9 Layout options
  • Built-in posts and content slider/carousel with mobile swipe transitions
  • Widgetized homepage for a flexible, engaging layout
  • Choose colors to match your branding
  • Upload your own logo or simply type in your website name to match the default branding
  • Deep WooCommerce integration
  • Responsive, mobile-friendly design
  • Landing page, full-width template
  • Designed to grow your professional practice

View the demo and refresh your site with Mai Law Pro today.

Mai Law Pro Theme Details & Pricing

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

Mai Law Pro: the Ideal Theme for Law Firms or Professional Practice

Mai Law Pro is the ideal WordPress Theme for your law firm or professional practice. If you’re an agency or freelancer,┬áyou can use the Mai Law theme to accelerate your next law firm or professional services client’s project!

This theme was developed by the team at BizBudding Inc, creators of the extremely popular Mai Lifestyle Pro.

Featuring a contemporary, mobile-responsive, persuasive, search-engine friendly look and feel, the Mai Law Pro theme is designed to be simple yet extremely flexible, with 9 layout options.

It also features deep WooCommerce support, including customizations with live preview.

Some key features include:

  • Easy to customize
  • 9 Layout options
  • Built-in posts and content slider/carousel with mobile swipe transitions
  • Widgetized homepage for a flexible, engaging layout
  • Choose colors to match your branding
  • Upload your own logo or simply type in your website name to match the default branding
  • Deep WooCommerce integration
  • Responsive, mobile-friendly design
  • Landing page, full-width template
  • Designed to grow your professional practice

View the demo and refresh your site with Mai Law Pro today.

Mai Law Pro Theme Details & Pricing

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

Your Next Blog Theme Could be Hiding in Plain Sight

Have you ever watched those house hunting programs on TV where people turn down a house option because they donÔÇÖt like the furniture or decor?

I find myself reaching for the remote because it pains me to watch someone dismiss an entire potential home because the previous occupant liked purple.

Often we see people go to the Facebook groups and other social media asking for WordPress theme recommendations. They ask where they can find a theme for a particular niche, industry, or organization type.

ThatÔÇÖs not a bad idea!

We do, after all, develop themes intended for certain uses, such as our Authority theme that is meant to grow your ÔÇ£know, like, and trustÔÇØ profile, we have Academy which is for people who sell education, and of course we just released Breakthrough which is ideal for agencies and service type businesses.

Thing is, that is not ALL they are good for! Like those house hunters, donÔÇÖt dismiss an entire theme because of one aspect of the appearance.

Our next 3rd party theme releasing later this week is aimed at the legal profession and practices. A first for us.

Does that mean it is only suitable for lawyers? Of course not. Freelancers and agencies can use it as a great starting point for dentists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, veterinarians 

And that is the big point here, all of these themes are starting points for your clientÔÇÖs sites. Find the theme that is closest to your clientÔÇÖs needs and make it fit perfectly.

Then you will get maximum benefit, and keep delays to a minimum.

Look out for that legal theme coming later this week, and just remember that while it might be ideal for law, it is not JUST for lawyers!

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

Your Next Blog Theme Could be Hiding in Plain Sight

Have you ever watched those house hunting programs on TV where people turn down a house option because they donÔÇÖt like the furniture or decor?

I find myself reaching for the remote because it pains me to watch someone dismiss an entire potential home because the previous occupant liked purple.

Often we see people go to the Facebook groups and other social media asking for WordPress theme recommendations. They ask where they can find a theme for a particular niche, industry, or organization type.

ThatÔÇÖs not a bad idea!

We do, after all, develop themes intended for certain uses, such as our Authority theme that is meant to grow your ÔÇ£know, like, and trustÔÇØ profile, we have Academy which is for people who sell education, and of course we just released Breakthrough which is ideal for agencies and service type businesses.

Thing is, that is not ALL they are good for! Like those house hunters, donÔÇÖt dismiss an entire theme because of one aspect of the appearance.

Our next 3rd party theme releasing later this week is aimed at the legal profession and practices. A first for us.

Does that mean it is only suitable for lawyers? Of course not. Freelancers and agencies can use it as a great starting point for dentists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, veterinarians 

And that is the big point here, all of these themes are starting points for your clientÔÇÖs sites. Find the theme that is closest to your clientÔÇÖs needs and make it fit perfectly.

Then you will get maximum benefit, and keep delays to a minimum.

Look out for that legal theme coming later this week, and just remember that while it might be ideal for law, it is not JUST for lawyers!

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

What You Need to Do to Prepare for Gutenberg

Last week the WordPress development team announced a tentative roadmap with real dates for the release of WordPress 5.0, which would include the merging of Gutenberg into Core.

Here is the proposed release schedule for WordPress 5.0:

  • WordPress 5.0 Kickoff meeting: October 3, 2018 (Completed)
  • Beta 1: October 19, 2018
  • RC 1: October 30, 2018
  • Release: November 19, 2018

They have acknowledged a small window (eight days) that the release can slide in, and if it goes beyond that, weÔÇÖre looking at a release after the holidays:

  • Secondary RC 1: January 8, 2019
  • Secondary Release: January 22, 2019

Whichever way it goes, the Gutenberg block editor for WordPress is coming, and our team is ready for it.

The question is, as a designer or developer, are you?

Out of the box, Gutenberg works well with StudioPress themes. In fact, I am writing this blog post with it. While basic compatibility already exists, the extensibility of WordPress allows us to take things a bit further with themes.

A few weeks ago, we started a series on the StudioPress blog which introduces some methods of that extensibility. Here are the first two from that series:

We will continue to share these lightweight tutorials with you, and encourage you to spend some time before the release of WordPress 5.0 to get your feet wet.

To help you with this, we are actively updating the Genesis Sample theme with the code we provide, along with additional block styles. Please note we are actively adding new code/styling to this branch of the Sample theme.

In addition to the work we are doing, the greater WordPress community is also preparing for Gutenberg. Here are a list of articles written by folks we trust that will help you prepare:

Beyond the technical extensibility that surrounds Gutenberg, there are philosophical impacts at play, as well. According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, the new editor experience will benefit many: designers, developers, agencies, users, and web hosts.

Matt shares the ideology behind Gutenberg and why it was developed:

ÔÇ£When Johannes GutenbergÔÇÖs press came out, people mostly used it to print the same religious text monks had been copying. It wasnÔÇÖt until ten or fifteen years later that people started innovating and trying their hands at new kinds of writing, and the wheels of change started to spin faster.ÔÇØ

He goes on to say:

ÔÇ£Now itÔÇÖs WordPressÔÇÖ turn to do the same. Gutenberg meets our challenges and opportunities head-on while simultaneously benefiting everyone who makes a living working in the WP ecosystem. ItÔÇÖs about a lot more than just blocks. Our Gutenberg moves every part of the WordPress ecosystem forward.ÔÇØ

The initial consideration with Gutenberg is around blocks, and how they can be used to enhance the process of content productionÔÇöfrom both the backend perspective and also the way content is presented on the front end. We also know there are plans beyond that to revolutionize the way websites altogether are built.

As the inevitable inclusion of Gutenberg into WordPress Core draws near, itÔÇÖs time for designers and developers to understand not only the current roadmap but also the long term one.

As IÔÇÖve said before, I see the gold in Gutenberg, and there is an opportunity to simplify content publishing by focusing on some of the easier methods of doing things rather than creating complex solutions behind the scenes.

The added functionality that Gutenberg offers will undoubtedly start to change the way themes as we know them now will look. The opportunity we have to pioneer the next season of WordPress is upon us, and we look forward to developing easy-to-use themes that provide great-looking digital experiences.

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

What You Need to Do to Prepare for Gutenberg

Last week the WordPress development team announced a tentative roadmap with real dates for the release of WordPress 5.0, which would include the merging of Gutenberg into Core.

Here is the proposed release schedule for WordPress 5.0:

  • WordPress 5.0 Kickoff meeting: October 3, 2018 (Completed)
  • Beta 1: October 19, 2018
  • RC 1: October 30, 2018
  • Release: November 19, 2018

They have acknowledged a small window (eight days) that the release can slide in, and if it goes beyond that, weÔÇÖre looking at a release after the holidays:

  • Secondary RC 1: January 8, 2019
  • Secondary Release: January 22, 2019

Whichever way it goes, the Gutenberg block editor for WordPress is coming, and our team is ready for it.

The question is, as a designer or developer, are you?

Out of the box, Gutenberg works well with StudioPress themes. In fact, I am writing this blog post with it. While basic compatibility already exists, the extensibility of WordPress allows us to take things a bit further with themes.

A few weeks ago, we started a series on the StudioPress blog which introduces some methods of that extensibility. Here are the first two from that series:

We will continue to share these lightweight tutorials with you, and encourage you to spend some time before the release of WordPress 5.0 to get your feet wet.

To help you with this, we are actively updating the Genesis Sample theme with the code we provide, along with additional block styles. Please note we are actively adding new code/styling to this branch of the Sample theme.

In addition to the work we are doing, the greater WordPress community is also preparing for Gutenberg. Here are a list of articles written by folks we trust that will help you prepare:

Beyond the technical extensibility that surrounds Gutenberg, there are philosophical impacts at play, as well. According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, the new editor experience will benefit many: designers, developers, agencies, users, and web hosts.

Matt shares the ideology behind Gutenberg and why it was developed:

ÔÇ£When Johannes GutenbergÔÇÖs press came out, people mostly used it to print the same religious text monks had been copying. It wasnÔÇÖt until ten or fifteen years later that people started innovating and trying their hands at new kinds of writing, and the wheels of change started to spin faster.ÔÇØ

He goes on to say:

ÔÇ£Now itÔÇÖs WordPressÔÇÖ turn to do the same. Gutenberg meets our challenges and opportunities head-on while simultaneously benefiting everyone who makes a living working in the WP ecosystem. ItÔÇÖs about a lot more than just blocks. Our Gutenberg moves every part of the WordPress ecosystem forward.ÔÇØ

The initial consideration with Gutenberg is around blocks, and how they can be used to enhance the process of content productionÔÇöfrom both the backend perspective and also the way content is presented on the front end. We also know there are plans beyond that to revolutionize the way websites altogether are built.

As the inevitable inclusion of Gutenberg into WordPress Core draws near, itÔÇÖs time for designers and developers to understand not only the current roadmap but also the long term one.

As IÔÇÖve said before, I see the gold in Gutenberg, and there is an opportunity to simplify content publishing by focusing on some of the easier methods of doing things rather than creating complex solutions behind the scenes.

The added functionality that Gutenberg offers will undoubtedly start to change the way themes as we know them now will look. The opportunity we have to pioneer the next season of WordPress is upon us, and we look forward to developing easy-to-use themes that provide great-looking digital experiences.

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

WeÔÇÖre back ÔÇô StudioPress.FM Season 2!

StudioPress.FM, the podcast for the Genesis community, is back!

Join Brian Gardner, founder of StudioPress, and Chris Garrett, StudioPress Marketing Director at WP Engine, kick off the new season with the story behind all the changes that have taken place and are happening right now in the Genesis and WordPress communities.


This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

WeÔÇÖre back ÔÇô StudioPress.FM Season 2!

StudioPress.FM, the podcast for the Genesis community, is back!

Join Brian Gardner, founder of StudioPress, and Chris Garrett, StudioPress Marketing Director at WP Engine, kick off the new season with the story behind all the changes that have taken place and are happening right now in the Genesis and WordPress communities.


This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.

Simple Social Icons Updated to Version 3.0

We just released a big update to our most popular plugin, Simple Social Icons!

Version 3.0 brings better customization options for all and an important change for developers using custom CSS to override icon appearance in their child themes.

Set custom icon styling for each widget

You can now set custom icon colors, sizes, and hover states for each widget. Edit the widgetÔÇÖs color and size settings, and styling will apply to that widget only. (Thank you for the highly sought after improvement, Damien!)

Disable custom icon styling in your child themes

Are you a developer using custom CSS in your child theme to override icon appearance in one or more widget areas? You should use this new filter in your theme code:

add_filter( ÔÇÿsimple_social_disable_custom_cssÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿ__return_trueÔÇÖ );

This prevents output of new Simple Social Icons CSS that may conflict with your themeÔÇÖs custom icon styling. It also removes icon styling settings from all Simple Social Icons widgets, leaving you to write your own icon CSS for all widget areas without fear of confusion or conflict.

The base plugin stylesheet for icons is still enqueued unless you choose to dequeue it, so you can extend those styles if you wish instead of writing icon CSS from scratch.

Transparent icon backgrounds

Want a colored icon without a background? Leave the background color empty in the color picker, and the icon background will now be transparent. (Thank you, Kathy!)

Obscuring links from spammers, better markup, and more

Simple Social Icons 3.0 also includes better markup for links opened in new windows, an updated Medium icon, a markup filter, and other improvements.

Upgrade or Contribute, Now

The update is available now, so you can upgrade or download from the WordPress plugins page to get started with the enhancements. 

Developers, see the changelog on the Simple Social Icons GitHub page, where youÔÇÖre welcome to contribute your code, comments, or requests.

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.