Basic Themes as Default Designs

Your choice of theme sets the tone for your entire book, influencing how readers perceive your content. For example, a theme with clean lines and ample white space is ideal for educational or academic texts, where clarity and readability are key. In contrast, a more ornate theme with decorative fonts and intricate layouts may be better suited for creative works or literary publications.

In Concordia’s instance of Pressbooks, six default themes are available. These are:

• Jacobs: This is the theme used in this book. It is named after Jane Jacobs, an American-Canadian activist, journalist, and author known for her role in the New Urbanism movement in urban studies. It is designed primarily for academic writing, especially textbooks, but works well for fiction too. The headings and body text are set in Montserrat.
• Austen Classic: Named for English author Jane Austen, this is a traditional book theme, with serif fonts, that works well for fiction and simple-layout non-fiction.
• Clarke: Named after Arthur C. Clarke, this theme offers a clean and simple design with subtle modern touches. It works well for both fiction and non-fiction. The body font is Tinos, while the headers use Lato.
• Donham: Named after Wallace Donham, Dean of Harvard Business School from 1919 to 1942, this theme features a light and modern design. It works equally well for both nonfiction and fiction. The body font is Tinos, and the header font is Galdeano.
• Fitzgerald: Commissioned by the University of Minnesota Press, this theme features a serif body font paired with condensed sans-serif header fonts.
• McLuhan: McLuhan is the default book theme in Pressbooks. Named after Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan, who coined the phrase “the medium is the message,” this theme is designed for academic writing but also works well for fiction. The headings are set in Cormorant Garamond, and the body text uses Lora.