The Commonplace

A customisable Tabula Rasa journal layout

How it works: Tabula Rasa handles the columns and mobile layout. This generator changes the colours, type, spacing, and sidebar style.

Pick a recipe, then change anything you like. The preview and the copy boxes update as you go.

Choose a starting style
Recipe

O Mostrengo selected.

Colours

Fonts and spacing
11px
1.60
Entry title and sidebar links

This text only appears after you copy the optional sidebar text below into Dreamwidth’s Custom Text module. It is separate from your Dreamwidth journal title. To use the same words, type that title here; later title changes will not update this copy automatically.

2px
2px
Sidebar title and links
10px
14px
Sidebar pictures
50px

Wire icons can replace the small sidebar buttons, the four entry-management buttons, and the private marker. Dreamwidth only shows sidebar action buttons where they make sense, so a logged-out visitor may have no buttons for the wire icons to replace. Icon ink changes automatically for light and dark backgrounds unless you choose Dark or White.

Entry userpic
100px
10px

These style Dreamwidth’s entry and comment userpic beside the title on wide screens. They do not affect privacy icons or entry tool buttons. Match Position to your Dreamwidth Display setting. When Hide on mobile is on, userpics disappear at the same 60em layout breakpoint as the sidebar stack (and in the wizard’s Mobile preview).

Dreamwidth top bar

Link hover and search background are fully editable. Accent sets hex defaults from your journal palette. You can type hex, rgb(), rgba(), or transparent.

Background images

Paste an HTTPS image link. It will appear in the preview and in the CSS you copy.

http:// links are upgraded to https:// automatically.

Preview

Choose your settings on the left, then replace your Dreamwidth Custom CSS with the generated CSS below. The preview shows the general look; the phone button is a narrow frame only. Below 60em (roughly 960px), your journal stacks the sidebar under the main content for narrow screens.

Preview only — this is not your live Dreamwidth journal.

Preview size
journal previewrecent / archive

Tobacco Shop

Lisbon, 1928

private

I'm nothing. I'll always be nothing. I can't want to be something. But I have in me all the dreams of the world.

— Álvaro de Campos, Fernando Pessoa; trans. Richard Zenith

Autopsicografia

a later note

The poet is a pretender. He feigns so completely That he manages to feign pain The pain that he really feels.

— Fernando Pessoa, trans. Paul Muldoon (2002)

2 comments

Bernardo · 18:23

The longer entry gives the reading measure, leading, rules, and the reply structure room to show themselves.

Ofélia · 18:31 · reply

On narrow screens, this reply keeps a modest indent instead of forcing the text into a thin column.

1. Dreamwidth settings

Use these Dreamwidth settings first. They give you the left sidebar and the mobile layout.

2. CSS to paste

Copy this, then replace everything in Dreamwidth’s Custom CSS box.

3. Optional sidebar text

Use this only if you want the title and short introduction from the preview. Paste it into a Custom Text module in your sidebar.