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.
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.
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 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.
WordPress.com News 
I thought about it, but I guess, I will stick to my old theme, because it is the best, that was ever created by anybody. There is nothing, that can change my mind, ’cause I love it 😉
Amazing. Simply awesome. I might consider changing my blog’s theme to this one when I reach 10,000 hits soon. thank you, WordPress! ^^
Very good job! It’s awesome. 🙂
Hmm, a very clean and organized theme.
It’d be most effective for a well-developed blog, one with many viewers.
I’ll be looking into this if my blog starts needing those extra sidebars.
Great job WordPress!
WOW Awesome new theme!
I would like to see more themes as this in future!
And…is it possible to add more features to awesome themes like “Vigilance” and add more flexibility within posts ^_^
Wow! This looks so cool.
Love the new theme. Any idea when it will be available in the theme directory for self-hosted WordPress.org users? (eg. this week?)
The new designs will appeal to those wanting the ability to tailor the specific elements to suit their individual preferences. Well done!
Wow nice, it’s great!
Great, but…I really don´t like the links in blue…
Awesome! I switched over to it today.
Wow, another great theme from WordPress. Will try this one later.
This is great, expecially for someone like me who likes simple, professional looking blog layout.
Awsome sticky post and fabulous layout option, i’m figuring to use it some day.
I love trying on new themes.
Great customizable theme!
Very customizable and lots of options. Please do a black or navy blue version. Thanks!
How is this a new theme? I saw this theme like a month ago?
Pilcrow had been active for a week prior to this announcement. Perhaps you saw it then?
I love Pilcrow–simple and crisp. But sorry, Theme Team. Nothing can tempt me away from Under the Influence. XD
I like it 🙂
Now this is a really custom theme! Custom menus, headers, backgrounds, all I could probably ask for now is to be able to move the page links above to the sides.
Either way, I love this theme! I’ve just switched a while ago. 😀
If you are referring to the navigation links above the header image, you can definitely remove them! You need to create an empty custom menu (see Custom Menus).
Then you could just create a another Custom Menu for your sidebar and use the Custom Menu Widget to display it. Hope this helps.
Wow.. it’s looking very nice..
Thanks for the theme..
I am now using this one with the dark theme. Looks nice, Thx!
The extremely customisable look seems like a good idea, I may just try this out.
I was tempted to change over but the reason I didn’t was that in the preview my tables lost their lines, and I like the formats where the tables have feint lines. Can anything be done about that?
Yeah I really like this theme. Well thought out.
Nice work… Keep it up… I like it.
I think one day all skins/themes will be so flexible that allow just drag and drop borders and manage space totaly free.
Actually, I’m happy with one I currently have but you’re improving our WordPress future, cool.
Heh, blogs are one of last things in the Internet that is not taken and replaced by Facebook yet and I hope that will never change! 🙂
Yeah, I agree with Max Strauss. We really need more solid looking blog themes…
It’s clean, and easy to read. Good job!
It’s pretty. Although, I agree with the first responder, gray or black backgrounds, preferably black for me, would be better. Although, I might give this one a view.
This is great. I had been using PressRow, I think it was called, and was very disappointed when it disappeared. But I was SO happy when I saw Pilcrow! This is a better, renewed PressRow, right? Thanks. Don’t take it away, please. 🙂
You can never go wrong with more customization.
Gonna use it!
Excellent. I must try this sometime…
Really like all the options for personalising.
I like this theme a lot more than my current theme…just haven’t changed yet.
I would like to use a christmas theme, that looks more stylish than the offered theme by now!
Thanks for the suggestion!
The many options makes this one a winner. I can see changing to it, right away. I need more flexibility and I have certain preferences, that were not available. Now, they are. Thanks a million.
Looks really nice! Going to check it against my current theme.
Wow … this one looks amazing.
Having layout options is great.
Very nice! I’m another who switched from PressRow to Vigilance. And I loves me my Vigilance, but have to admit, this is tempting.
Nice! Can’t wait to use it on my blog! Thx.
This one goes the limit to provide both a traditional feel with an upgradeable look, all the while maintaining the ever-impressive without being ostentatious WordPress-y attitude that keeps readers coming back. It’s very nice.
I want more, and more themes!!!
And you shall have them. 🙂
That’s a really nice theme. With six possible layouts, pilcrow will attract more blog users.
Seriously love all the options with this one. Super!
Looking Good!
Nice! This might work well on my photography blog. Thanks 🙂
I’m really liking this theme. I’ve changed my blog to this theme now. Loving how customizable it is.
I love it! Will probably switch later this afternoon, when I have time to play with my blog instead of study.
Really like this – great for personal blogs, but for shared blogs, would it be possible to show the authorship of posts as a future enhancement?
It’s definitely in the plans as a future enhancement. Thanks for the suggestion!
There are many cool themes in WP. However, I am a photo blogger, and WP left me with less options. I am currently using Duotone, which is pretty good. But i’ve been using this for quite some time. Same time I am not that interested to move to WP.org
Need some, professional theme, may be with a black or customizable background… Thanks.
Our Modularity Lite theme might do the trick for your blog. But keep an eye on the News blog as we’re always launching more themes.
I second the request for showing authorship. This is the one feature that I thought was lacking from Pressrow.
Hi! Love the theme – used it to create my free WordPress site for a class project. I’ve now purchased hosting and a domain and just wanted to export my previous work, but the theme isn’t available in WordPress.org yet – will this be up within the next couple of days?! Thanks!
It should be submitted for inclusion to the WordPress.org directory next week and likely available for download the week after that.
Thanks all of you.
Very nice to see yet another good (and updated) theme debut… Keep em rolling! ❤
It’s OK, I don’t really like it.
Weeeww…
Nice!
I can’t wait to use this one. It’s contempo but more modern 🙂
The best wordpress theme I have ever applied so far. Fast, soothing in the eye, many features, extras and cool widgets to work from. Thank you very much.
“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Thank you, WordPress 🙂
Neat! I’m going to try it soon.
Very nice and creative Themes… I really like it.
It looks really nice and simple to use. 😉 Thanks.
Hi!
I really like the new theme, espeacially as people are starting to use a bit less decortitive ones, so I wish you luck, and hope lots of people will use this theme!
This is gonna be my next theme.
Hi, Ian. Is it possible to take this theme for a spin, but using, for example, the sidebar configuration #4, and a different color in the background, before committing completely to it? When I try previewing it, it only gives me the basic appearance, with no option to change the sidebar or background configuration. Let me know. Thanks. Wesley