Smashing Free Font and WordPress-Theme

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As our Smashing First Anniversary celebration ends, we’d like to wrap up our event with two further presents for each and every one of our readers. In August we’ve asked Jos Buivenga, a Dutch typo-designer who has created professional freefont Delicious to design a special typeface dedicated to the Smashing Magazine First Anniversary. Jos has agreed to get a “smashing” freefont done just in time.

We’ve also asked Elena Gafita from the DesignDisease team — well-known for its professional WordPress theme Blogging Pro — to design a special WordPress-Theme dedicated to our anniversary. Despite deadlines Elena agreed and promised to get a “smashing” WordPress-Theme done just in time.

Both typeface and WordPress theme were done in time. And we’re honoured to give both of them away – for you and for free. Thanks to Jos and Elena for participating!

Smashing Free Typeface: Anivers by Jos Buivenga

Anivers page (with download) | Sample: .pdf specimen

Anivers

Anivers

Anivers

Here are some insights from the designer himself:

“When I was asked by Smashing Magazine if I wanted to make a free font for their anniversary I was really thrilled. With a combination of some earlier sketches and some tweaking I managed to hook on to the spirit of a nice new font: Anivers. The name Anivers — as you might have guessed — is derived from the word anniversary.

I’ve developed some particular things I’d like to have in a Smashing Magazine anniversary font. For instance, I wanted it to be a robust and rigid typeface, forgiving and yet flexible and elegant… and also suitable for a broad use: from a stationery to a poster headline. From an intro in a (smashing) magazine to… well… we’ll soon know. :-)

Anivers

Anivers

For now it’s only regular, but anivers italic, bold, bold italic and maybe small caps will follow soon. Apart from ligatures, contextual alternatives, fractions and oldstyle/tabular numerals Anivers also has a ‘case’ feature for case-sensitive forms. Anivers also supports CE languages and Esperanto. It has over 1.600 kerning pairs.”

Smashing Free WordPress-Theme:
Smashing Theme by DesignDisease

Test Page | Download Smashing Theme!

Smashing Theme

Smashing Theme

How to develop a stylish WordPress-Theme from scratch? Some insights from Elena:

“Creating a WordPress Theme isn’t easy but I can’t call it yet a NASA Job. The theme I created for Smashing Magazine was a special task for me because I read this magazine every time they have something new so I wanted to give something back.

After I found out what Smashing Magazine team expects from this theme I got started by selecting the color palette. After this point I created the layout style and placed the background straps modular along with the layout areas. This choice was motivated by the fact that Smashing Magazine is a feed, a flux of information represented by the size and colors of the straps. Colors are — of course — inspired by the Smashing Magazine logo.

Smashing Theme

Every designer who creates a free theme must know the importance of the AdSense integration in the layout; therefore I’ve divided the content area in 3 sections (columns). Each of them for a specific AdSense unit (468 x 60), (180×150), (160×600).

In my themes I always try to make a clear visual separation between the Posting area and the Widget zone (2nd and the 3rd column). In this case I achieved this effect by creating a strong visual contrast: white for the written post (to ensure the optical silence for readers) and colorful/darker areas (active vibrant content motivates users to click on those surfaces) for the numerous categories, links etc.

Another fact which I care about is the space around the main content (posting area). The flux of information must breathe, so a 20/30px white space between information units is necessary. The space left between the different areas must be used as a module, repeating the spaces in key zones of the layout.

One of the most difficult tasks in designing a theme is to find a style for it. A unique style helps a blog to stand out from simplistic and minimalistic designs. I don’t have anything against minimalist style, but as a designer I feel I can express myself in a more colorful way.

Smashing Theme

The Smashing theme has a plug-in integrated into the functions.php, so modifying this file you should have some basic knowledge about PHP. The theme is Widget Ready.

I could have done more for this theme, but I am in hurry, I am leaving to a 7 days holiday into the sunny Greece. Have fun using it and a Happy Anniversary for Smashing Magazine!”

The Smashing Editorial loves high-quality content and cares about little details. We also believe that content and design are crafts worth sharpening.

  1. 201

    Very nice theme, now I have dilema ;-)

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  2. 202

    Very nice theme, now I have dilema ;-)

    0
  3. 203

    I love the stripes!

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  4. 204

    I love the stripes!

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  5. 205

    Very nice theme

    0
  6. 206

    Very nice theme

    0
  7. 207

    very lucky bumped to this site

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  8. 208

    very lucky bumped to this site

    0
  9. 209

    First of all thank you very much for making this theme open source. I am using it on my blog right now, and I’ve been making a few colour tweaks here and there. Thanks!!!

    0
  10. 210

    First of all thank you very much for making this theme open source. I am using it on my blog right now, and I’ve been making a few colour tweaks here and there. Thanks!!!

    0
  11. 211

    hi nice theme but,
    when using wordpress 2.5 pagenavi for tags page is not working :(

    0
  12. 212

    hi nice theme but,
    when using wordpress 2.5 pagenavi for tags page is not working :(

    0
  13. 213

    I’ve got a problem with adsense showing up in the theme.

    It shows up on the main index just as I’d like it, too. It displays fine. I want it to appear the same way on the single post pages, but I’m only seeing one of the three adspots showing up. Any clues as to whats happening?

    0
  14. 214

    Best theme i found here. keep on gud work mate.

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  15. 215

    Best theme i found here. keep on gud work mate.

    0
  16. 216

    very nice! year,,,,

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  17. 217

    very nice! year,,,,

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  18. 218

    aloo netter smuanya………
    ak lg cari font “myriadpro-bold” n “helvetica” … ada yg bisa bantu ga yah…
    kalo bisa ak jg numpang nyedot thx yahh…..

    regards

    sonny

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  19. 219

    aloo netter smuanya………
    ak lg cari font “myriadpro-bold” n “helvetica” … ada yg bisa bantu ga yah…
    kalo bisa ak jg numpang nyedot thx yahh…..

    regards

    sonny

    0
  20. 220

    Free or commercial, how to master typography is a topic for a bible, you can’t possible cover that in an article. Go get a book and start learning instead.

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  21. 221

    Free or commercial, how to master typography is a topic for a bible, you can’t possible cover that in an article. Go get a book and start learning instead.

    0
  22. 222

    the theme is very beautiful,i like it!

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  23. 223

    the theme is very beautiful,i like it!

    0
  24. 224

    thats great for wordpress user for me as well :-)

    Suraish Patel

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  25. 225

    thats great for wordpress user for me as well :-)

    Suraish Patel

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  26. 226

    Hi smashing magazine , I wonder how you edit your theme? I want to do that’s what you do in the right of the pages , Like this picture SPONSORS and the links in down of the pictures , How you do that? And how can I add Header to the theme??? Please tell me by emailing me in Ezz313@gmail.com
    Best luck

    0
  27. 227

    Hi smashing magazine , I wonder how you edit your theme? I want to do that’s what you do in the right of the pages , Like this picture SPONSORS and the links in down of the pictures , How you do that? And how can I add Header to the theme??? Please tell me by emailing me in Ezz313@gmail.com
    Best luck

    0
  28. 228

    I’m writing from Turkey. I like your writings.

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  29. 229

    I’m writing from Turkey. I like your writings.

    0
  30. 230

    please, i have a problem to activate the smashing them; (fatal errors in functions.php line 114).
    What i have to modify in functions.php?
    and i didn’t understand “theme is Widget Ready”?!
    thank you in advance!

    0
  31. 231

    please, i have a problem to activate the smashing them; (fatal errors in functions.php line 114).
    What i have to modify in functions.php?
    and i didn’t understand “theme is Widget Ready”?!
    thank you in advance!

    0
  32. 232

    please, i have a problem to activate the smashing them; (fatal errors in functions.php line 114).
    What i have to modify in functions.php?
    and i didn’t understand “theme is Widget Ready”?!
    thank you in advance!

    0
  33. 233

    please, i have a problem to activate the smashing them; (fatal errors in functions.php line 114).
    What i have to modify in functions.php?
    and i didn’t understand “theme is Widget Ready”?!
    thank you in advance!

    0
  34. 234

    Thank you sharing! I was looking for a clean yet not boring theme. I’m using this theme now at my running blog. It looks lovely!

    0
  35. 235

    Thank you sharing! I was looking for a clean yet not boring theme. I’m using this theme now at my running blog. It looks lovely!

    0
  36. 236

    it’s a very nice themes, thank u for sharing.

    0
  37. 237

    it’s a very nice themes, thank u for sharing.

    0

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