New Theme: Pilcrow
If you want a simple and clean blog theme that you can customize to suit your needs I think you’ll like the one we’re introducing today. It’s called Pilcrow.
The Pilcrow Themes default look
Pilcrow is an upgrade to the older PressRow theme we’ll begin phasing out next week. But Pilcrow isn’t just a simple replacement. We’ve pulled out all the stops to make sure it’s a better theme all around.
Pilcrow keeps the familiar, simple and clean PressRow look but we’ve expanded its basic design over six possible layouts and up to four sidebars and widget areas. The choice of theme layout is all yours.
Pilcrows six possible layouts
In addition to multiple layouts you also have your choice of four different color schemes, light, dark, red, and brown. If you visit Appearance → Background you can customize the background of any of the color schemes and upload your own custom background image.
Pilcrow with the three-column layout, brown color scheme, hidden header image, and a custom background
Pilcrow also has a fully customizable header. From Appearance → Header you can upload your own header image, change the header text color, or even choose to hide the header text altogether. If you want a special header image for a particular post or page, you can upload a Featured Image from the post and page edit screens!
The Pilcrow theme is available today in Appearance → Themes and will soon be available in the WordPress Themes Directory, for self-hosted WordPress.org users.
- The main column width is 500 except in the full-width layout where it’s 990.
- The custom header dimensions are 770 by 200 for two-column and 990 by 257 for wide layouts.
- The sidebar width is 230.
- The secondary sidebar width in 3-column layouts is 180 and both sidebars are 205 where there is a sidebar on either side of the content.
- November 22, 2010
- Themes
WordPress.com News 
WOW! Nice, We need more gray/black, solid, professional themes, not brown…
LikeLike
This looks really good! Thanks!
LikeLike
I always liked Pressrow but felt it was a bit too limited. This new theme takes care of that! All the layout options, the clean and simple look. I think I’ll try it!
LikeLike
Thanks.
I like the increased range of layout options offered in recent themes, and particularly Pilcrow’s option to show/hide a header image.
LikeLike
This one looks great! 😀
LikeLike
Whoo-hoooo! I like this one! xD
Gonna try it soon! ;D
LikeLike
Good. I’m glad to hear that
LikeLike
Yeah… I always love simple and light theme.
Thanks!
LikeLike
OMG!
Could it be that this is what I’ve been waiting for?!
It sure looks enticing!
Thanks!
LikeLike
Very nice and clean! 😀
LikeLike
I love this theme – I recently changed it to my blog. Clean and crisp.
LikeLike
Nice 😡
Haha! My deaR. I’m gonna try it too. Perhaps brown *wink*
LikeLike
I may actually use this one. Very interesting.
LikeLike
Wonderful theme and easily adoptable. Different layouts is a special advantage of Pilcrow.
LikeLike
I think I may be swapping to this one, I’m off to take a closer look now. I wanted a sticky post too, so happy all around.
LikeLike
Wow! Thank you for this great theme. I love themes that could be customized.
Great job!
LikeLike
I’ve used PressRow since I first started my blog, I never wavered because I like a clean, journalistic feel and never found a theme I liked better-until now. I love this. Way better than the original.
LikeLike
Definately going to be changing over to this one shortly. Awesome!
LikeLike
Very exciting! I’m looking forward to playing around with this one 😀
LikeLike
Well that’s some impressive work. But I’m still in love with Vigilance.
If you can add layout choices for vigilance I think it would be the ultimate theme. 🙂
LikeLike
Considering starting a new blog myself, and I LOVE this theme. Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
I love the way this one looks. Maybe I should try it out one day. Thanks for offering such a variety of equally good themes!
LikeLike
Thanks for another enticing selection in a long list of great themes!
LikeLike
I think this is the most versatile theme you have put out so far. It’s great. If I ever start a new blog (I have trouble keeping up with this one), I will most definitely give this theme a try. Thanks.
LikeLike
Just established mine last night, otherwise: tempted!
LikeLike
I like this theme Pilcrow, I’ll use it next time I login to WordPress! Thank you Ian!
LikeLike
What’s the area above the sidebar-sidebar? Nice color scheme and happy to see more layouts rolling on. Also nice to see some w-i-d-e layouts!
LikeLike
That’s a bonus sidebar that spans the width of both main sidebars.
LikeLike
I really like all the customization one can do with this theme, like background and layout. Keep em coming!
LikeLike
That’s nice. Going to have to give that a try.
LikeLike
Wow. Now this is what I am looking for, more themes with customized layout. I am using one already. Might try this out.
LikeLike
Thanks for new wonderful new theme! This is the first theme I’ve really been drawn to due to all the white space (on the white version). You’ve done a beautiful job with the upgrade. But I’m still in love with Inuit Types with my CSS upgrade. I like the slightly wider main column (around 620 I think) which works nicely with medium size photos. Medium size photos on left or right don’t work as well in the 500 column width. And I’m not so keen on the really large headers, I prefer a more delicate look. But all in all this is a good option and I would go there if I wasn’t already so happy.
LikeLike
Thanks. Using it for my next blog. This is cool …
LikeLike
Very, very, very, COOL 8)
LikeLike
Love the brown demo–it’s inspiring me to do something more interesting with my background on my bikergo gal blog…hmmn
LikeLike
Thanks for this WordPress. 🙂
LikeLike
Wow! Excited to try this one out once I have the time! Thank you, thank you. =)
LikeLike
Great addition! 😀
LikeLike
I like it, but I’ll stick to my current theme 🙂
LikeLike
Very tempting to try. Think I will try it on my “backup” blog and see how it looks!
LikeLike
Nice. i love white themes. They look neat and elegant 🙂
LikeLike
I wish there were more themes with a main column width of at least 900 AND a side-bar..
But you guys are doing a great job!
LikeLike
Love it!
LikeLike
Wow….that’s really cool. If I wasn’t already in love with my current blog theme, I’d certainly try it out. 😀
LikeLike
I might experiment with this when I have time. Thanks for adding more journalist themes! Being a professional writer, this is imperitive!
LikeLike
WOW!… It looks real cool, and I think maybe I might use it!
LikeLike
Awesome, absolutely awesome. The tireless work of the WordPress people is a big surprise but very much welcome. Thanks for sharing this.
LikeLike
Great! I love trying on new themes. I’ve had Twenty Ten for some time now…
LikeLike
Nice! So many new things on WordPress, it’s great!
LikeLike
Very nice theme, fits the season 🙂
LikeLike
That’s sweet! I love it, I’ll be using this one soon…rock on!
LikeLike
OMG! I like this one! Good job!
LikeLike
Nice. Very customizable.
LikeLike
Rich in colors of life and nature. Inspiring too. It is going to be mine.
LikeLike
Simply outstanding. Fantastic. Add superlative of choice. Kudos to you. Cheers, K
LikeLike
Loving the versatility! I especially like the brown one. Might give it a go!
LikeLike
Another blah theme. Can we get some modern ones? You know, utilitarian/egalitarian?
LikeLike
It’s so cool that you are giving so many more options within each of the themes! Love that 🙂 !
LikeLike
I am using it! It’s awesome! Thanks.
LikeLike
Love all the clean themes — THANKS ^^!
LikeLike
Again? Oh, this is nice! =D
LikeLike
Very nice..might be the theme I need…great job.
LikeLike
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU! I loooooove it! Just what I was looking for!
LikeLike
Gorgeous and simple.
LikeLike
I love this one! Thanks!
LikeLike
That’s a good one, a nice upgrade to the PressRow. I shall be soon using this.
LikeLike
Hmmmm Pretty Interestingg theme!!! But I would rather stick with my theme, which is simple and easily customized too.. 🙂
LikeLike
Yah… Really well-done.
I love WP newest three-column layout themes.
LikeLike
Too much minimalistic themes.
LikeLike
LOVE that autumn leaf background used on the shot! How about giving us users some backgrounds to play with as well as headers? Just a suggestion. Nice theme but as always once a sidebar is added, the writing area is not wide enough. Shame.
LikeLike
OMG, it’s amazing..I love the brown one!! Thanks a lot!! Great job!
LikeLike
This looks like a nice upgrade of the old – but mostly good – PressRow theme.
I used PressRow for years before switching to Vigilance, and Pilcrow seems to combine everything I like about the two themes. Still, there is one thing holding me back from switching to Pilcrow: 500 is to narrow for the main column. Vigilance gives me 600, and I still wish for more with, not less. If Pilcrow could offer a main column width of 600 or even 700 in a two-column layout, it would have been perfect!
LikeLike
Ok, I’m trying it out…Paperpunch has been on my blog for so long.
LikeLike
It’s very impressive worth a trial.
LikeLike
What a wonderful new theme! When I came to WordPress I wanted a nice three column layout, and this looks great! Thank you bunches and bunches! X
LikeLike
OMG, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for all along!! FANTASTIC!
LikeLike
I’m really liking this one…I may have to give it a shot!
LikeLike
Cute! I love it 🙂
LikeLike
Great! I really like it!
LikeLike
It is very stylish. I might try it out! Thanks for it and the really great work 😉
LikeLike
Very cool. I really appreciate more themes that allow a wider width. 500px is too small for some blogs and Pilcrow’s 990px is so nice.
LikeLike
Good job! I’m going to give it a try. Thanks!
LikeLike
Wowsa… I like that you can put all the colors on it like a picture background and chose different columns. I might try it out when I get tired of the one I am using now. I like it.
LikeLike
The layout flexibility is very cool…
LikeLike
Easily the best one! Great stuff, WordPress! 🙂
LikeLike
Excellent! Clean, wide enough (although flexible-width is great to have), doesn’t italicize blockquotes, lots of options thoughtfully implemented — a great theme. I’m using it now!
LikeLike
Cool… Sounds worth a try!
LikeLike
Wow – WordPress keeps getting better and better. I’m not sure I’ll be using my premium themes on my self-hosted sites if you keep this up…(Great, more money down the drain??) lol
This looks really great: customized, clean and simple. Couldn’t ask for more.
LikeLike
Lovely !!
LikeLike
Nice one. I’ll try it. Thanks to wordpress for introducing such great themes.
LikeLike
Very nice, looks more professional. The 990px is a great advantage too, nice and crisp. Keep up the new themes!
LikeLike
Very nice theme 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful. Love how it changes up the personality of my writing blog.
LikeLike
Looks like it’s built on Pressrow, but its just great!
LikeLike
Yes, as the post says, Pilcrow is indeed an upgrade to PressRow.
LikeLike
I like it! I’ll try it soon.
LikeLike
Great, simple theme!
LikeLike
IMHO, any new themes with layout options need to include ability to adjust widths for sidebars/main content areas.
LikeLike
You can further customize the look of any theme in WordPress.com using the Custom CSS upgrade.
Check out this recent post that showcases different sites using the upgrade.
LikeLike
Looks like there might be a Pilcrow in my future.
LikeLike
Thanks as always! I like it! 😀
LikeLike
Now
you’re getting somewhere!
LikeLike