The latest update to the Thesis Theme introduced additional features and options. What options were added to the new version? The best way to answer that question is to simply show you.
One of the goals of the Thesis Theme is to give you, the blogger, the ability to customize the look and behavior of your blog without having to change any of the PHP code, or CSS styles. You can still do that if you need to, but common cases should be handled by configuration screens visible within the Admin interface of WordPress.
Version 1.1 of the Thesis Theme has expanded on this original concept by now giving you two screens full of options: “Thesis Options” and “Design Options.” Below are screen shots of each of these, showing all the options at your fingertips.
Thesis Options
The first options page shows the general options for your blog:
Thesis Options
Design Options
The other options page allows you to easily change the fonts and column layout of your blog:
Design Options
Customizations
As you can see, I haven’t modified many of the default settings for this blog. I imagine that will change over time as I expand on the foundation that I am building here. But one of the things I really liked was how good the Thesis Theme looked without any customization at all. Of course, many bloggers like to create a distinctive look to their blogs, and this new version of the Thesis Theme is making it even easier to achieve that objective. I can’t wait to see what the next version brings.
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Baz Anderson 09.05.08 at 6:16 am
Nicely done. The new theme add functionality and options, only a few of which I’ve actually used. But the free upgrades are much appreciated.
Satish Talim 09.06.08 at 7:58 pm
I look forward to more posts from you, on Thesis. I too have been using the Thesis Forums to tinker around with the Thesis theme and I am liking it.
Sumesh 09.10.08 at 11:48 am
Chris has built Thesis with almost ridiculous attention to detail. A real wonder of a WP theme, I should say. The “Big ass save button” certainly does bring out Chris’s (geeky?) humour.
I’m a half-designer myself, so I don’t think Thesis would be worth it for all the customization options (I’d still have to work on the CSS). I’ll probably buy Cosmo for the heck of it, though
Valerie 09.11.08 at 5:27 pm
Hi Patrick,
I use Wordpress and took a lot of time to find a theme. I have heard a lot of good things about the Thesis theme and may consider it for my next blog. You seen to be a real fan.
Found your via Remarkablogger.
admin 09.11.08 at 5:59 pm
@Baz - The upgrades are nice, but that’s what we paid for, right?
@Satish - I’ve got some more tips I’m working on, including one for how to use the Photo Dropper plugin with Thesis to drop Flickr photos into your posts, like I’ve done on this blog.
@Sumesh - That attention to detail is certainly one thing that attracted me to Thesis. And if you take a look at the CSS or PHP you can tell that Chris really sweats the small stuff, which I really appreciate.
@Valerie - I am a fan of Thesis, and I guess it shows. You have a beautiful-looking site, and if it’s working for you, I wouldn’t change a thing. If you wanted to try Thesis on a new site (which was the situation I was in) then hopefully I’m showing things here that will help you make that decision.
Sire 11.08.08 at 6:20 pm
I am still coming to grips with Thesis, but I must agree that the free upgrades and the fact that the developer is continually improving it is a good positive for the theme.
rich games 12.18.08 at 8:09 am
I am an aspiring blogger and wonder when and if Thesis is coming out with a magazine version?
admin 12.18.08 at 8:32 am
@rich - My understanding is that Thesis 1.4 will allow a great deal of customization to the home page of your site, so you can create “magazine style” blog sites as well as more traditional layouts. I can’t say exactly when version 1.4 will be released, but I know Chris has been working on it and I think it should be coming out soon.
Shane 12.23.08 at 4:52 am
Nice review but is it possible to use Adsense with this?
I have had my blog just under a year and it started as a hobby but now attracts a lot of visits, 750 visits in one day last week was a record!
I feel I could monetise this a little, but as I am on wp hosted I need to change. Is there scope to use Adsense with this theme?
Cheers
admin 12.23.08 at 9:14 am
@Shane - Yes, you definitely can use Adsense with the Thesis theme. Look around at some of the other Thesis sites and you’ll see quite a few with Adsense, banner ads, and other monetization mechanisms. Of course, you’ll have to leave wordpress.com and host your blog on your own domain, but it sounds like you knew that already.