Azimuth is a Ghost theme for newsletters and creator-led publications: one writer or a small team, a weekly issue, a free list and a paid membership. Everything below is in this demo. Each entry says where to look.
No. 1 - Built around the issue
Every post carries its issue number, counted from the first one you published. The homepage opens on the latest issue, then a short Start here selection you choose with a tag, then the recent issues - and no issue ever appears twice on the same page. The archive is one complete list, newest first.
See it: the homepage and the archive.
No. 2 - A masthead that says who you are
A single statement in large italic, your portrait beside it, an intro line and a signup form. Add a background photo and Azimuth turns it into a quiet greyscale texture in its own palette, at an opacity that keeps every line of text readable whatever photo you choose. Leave the photo or the portrait out and the masthead simply closes up - no empty boxes.
See it: the top of the homepage.
No. 3 - Membership, in every state
Azimuth uses Ghost's own memberships and Portal throughout. The end of every issue adapts to the reader: a free signup for visitors, an upgrade invitation for free members, a thank-you for paid members. Paid and members-only issues show where the preview stops and what reading on requires.
See it: issue No. 12 is for paid members, No. 15 for members. The subscribe page explains the two tiers.
No. 4 - Light, dark, or the reader's choice
A warm paper palette and a near-black one, built from the same colour roles, so every page, card and form follows. Set it to Light or Dark, or to Auto to follow each reader's device. Upload a light version of your logo and it appears in dark mode by itself.
See it: switch your device to dark mode - this demo is set to Auto.
No. 5 - Your brand colour, kept readable
Pick any accent colour in Ghost and Azimuth uses it for issue numbers, links and focus rings. Where a colour would be too faint to read as text, Azimuth shifts it towards the reading colour just enough, in light and in dark, and keeps its hue. Buttons filled with your accent pick a readable label colour automatically.
See it: the issue numbers, in both colour schemes.
No. 6 - Topics as an index
Topics read like the index of a book: name, a line of description and the number of issues, with an optional small image. The homepage shows the largest eight; a topics page lists them all alphabetically.
See it: the topics page, or a single topic.
No. 7 - Made for reading
Newsreader for text, Manrope for the interface, a comfortable measure and generous rhythm. After each issue: who wrote it, the signup or thank-you, the discussion, and then related issues from the same topic. Fonts are hosted with the theme, so no reader's visit is reported to a font service.
See it: any issue, for example No. 9.
No. 8 - Every editor card
Images in three widths, galleries, callouts in every colour, toggles, buttons, bookmarks, product cards, headers, signup cards, code, tables, video, audio, files and embeds - all styled, in both colour schemes.
See it: the style guide.
No. 9 - Accessible by default
A skip link, visible focus everywhere, a mobile menu that keeps keyboard focus inside while it is open and returns it when it closes, and no sideways scrolling down to a 320 pixel wide screen. Text contrast is measured, not guessed, in both colour schemes.
See it: press Tab on any page, or open the menu on a phone.
No. 10 - Settings, not code
Everything a publication needs to make the theme its own is a setting in Ghost Admin: the homepage statement, portrait and background, the Start here tag, how many recent issues to show, issue numbers on or off, image style, related issues, signup copy, colour scheme, dark-mode logo and the footer credit. Interface text ships in English and Dutch.
See it: Ghost Admin, Settings, Design and branding, Customize.