f8 static is a free theme for Wordpress that can transform your Web site or blog into a fully functioning photography or multimedia portfolio Web site. SEO optimized, iPhone compatible, grid-based css, built-in Galleria support, built-in multimedia support, auto or manual thumbnail control, Gravatars, plus much, much more. The credit link is required to stay in tact.

f8, which is a technical term referring the lens aperture setting on a camera, is theme long in the making. A little over five years ago, I began the arduous task of trying to find a way to present my photos to the world online. I primarily wanted two things: A portfolio section and a blog section built into one CMS. What I didn’t know at the time, is that it would take me five years to figure out. After researching literally hundreds of options including Flash powered portfolios (a big no-no in today’s mobile world), to countless bulky CMS’s that just didn’t cut it, I decided on using Wordpress. It was well worth the wait.

SUPPORT

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The best way to receive support for this theme is to visit the forums.

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VERSIONS

• 1.0 - Initial launch
• 1.1 - Revamped functions.php file for compatibility with Wordpress 2.6

Gridline Lite is a free minimalist theme for Wordpress 2.3 and up with full sidebar and bottombar widget support that utilizes a CSS framework to help streamline development and customization. Gridline pulls in the most recent post, with five recently posted stories listed in offset backgrounds below to keep your readers attention.

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Installation

1. Unzip the downloaded file
2. Upload the entire “Gridline Lite″ folder to your “/wp-content/themes/” folder
3. Log in into your WordPress control panel
4. Click the Presentation tab
5. Select the “Gridline Lite” screenshot

Configuration

1. GETTING STARTED: To change the number of main entries listed on your homepage, click Options > Reading in your Wordpress interface.
2. Photos posted within each entry’s post will should not exceed 590px wide, otherwise, the images will bleed into the sidebar and make you site look icky.
3. YOUR AUTHORS PAGE: Gridline Lite comes packaged with an author archive (authors.php), which will display some author specific info pulled from the Users page in your Wordpress installation. In order for the author’s image to show up, you’ll need to place a jpg of the author titled by the author’s last name in the wp-content/themes/gridline/images/authors/ folder. For instance, mine is Allender.jpg, sized at 75px X 75px. Here is an example author page.
4. STYLES.CSS: Unlike most Wordpress themes which plug all the css in one file called styles.css, Gridline utilizes the Blueprint CSS framework to help separate positioning, typography, forms and what I’ll refer to as custom or gridline specific styles. To edit all custom gridline specific styles, you’ll need to edit the file style.css in your wp/wp-content/themes/gridline/ directory.

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ABOUT BLUEPRINT

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All Gridline Themes utilize the CSS framework called Blueprint. Who is credited for the ideas behind Blueprint? Some of the best designers on the web. They include Jeff Croft, designer for Blue Flavor, Khoi Vinh, design director for NYTimes.com, Nathan Borror, Christian Metts, Eric Meyer, Wilson Minor, Angus Turnbull, Olav Bjorkoy and a few others. Most major websites use some form of css framework to allow for rapid, consistent development and design. Take the Blueprint 101 course to learn about all the possibilities.

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CAUTION

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If you are new to Wordpress, HTML or CSS, Gridline probably isn’t the best theme to try to learn on. Gridline is, however, perfect for those who want to learn by doing, reading and practicing life inside a sophisticated Wordpress magazine theme.