Themes control how your WordPress website looks.
Since WordPress introduced its block editor (Gutenberg), we recognize multiple different types of themes. Each theme type offers different features, customization options, and editing experience for building your website.
1. Block themes (Full Site Editing)
Block themes are the latest, modern type of WordPress themes. They are also called “full site editing themes” or “FSE themes” and allow you to edit any aspect of your website using blocks, so there is no coding experience required.
They harness the full power of Site Editor and use blocks for all parts of a site, including navigation menus, header, content, and site footer. These themes offer more flexibility in site design.
Check out the list of WebMan Design block themes.
Universal themes
WebMan Design offers very unique type of themes called universal themes. These themes combine both worlds – a classic and a block theme – into one theme.
You can decide whether you want to use the theme in a full site editing block theme mode, or you can switch off the Site Editor and use the theme in more classic/hybrid way, with theme options in WordPress Customizer.
The bonus is that the hybrid mode still allows you to edit all theme parts with block editor, so you have full design control over the theme even if it behaves like a classic theme!
WebMan Design provides these universal themes: Gwyneth, Hilda, Ileana, Josephine, and Zooey.
2. Classic themes
A “classic theme” is a term used nowadays to distinguish the older type of themes from the new ones. In the past these were just “WordPress themes”.
These themes use WordPress Customizer to provide means for modifying theme colors, typography, layout and other options.
They also support classic WordPress menus and widgets (it is also recommended to use Classic Widgets plugin with these themes).
You can use WordPress block editor to build your website content with these themes, but they may not support more advanced block editor features such as wide and full alignment of blocks. (You may even prefer using Classic Editor with these themes.)
WebMan Design offers these classic themes: Auberge, Modern, Forstron, Q’tron, Icelander, Polyclinic, Receptar, Monument Valley, Reykjavik, Playground for Beaver Themer, and block editor compatible themes listed below.
Block editor compatible themes
There are also classic themes, but they support WordPress block editor for website content building (only). However, this does not mean the theme is full site editing as you can really only use block editor for page/post content.
Theme optimized for block editor will provide compatibility with more advanced block editor features such as preset typography sizes, color palette, and wide and full block alignment.
List of block editor optimized classic themes by WebMan Design: Angelica, Björk, Cindy, Deborah, Eimear, Francesca, and Michelle.
ThemeForest’s “Gutenberg Optimized” theme
ThemeForest marks block editor compatible themes as “Gutenberg Optimized”. You can read more about this theme feature and requirement at ThemeForest help center.
Additional information:
- “Different types of themes” article @ WordPress.com
- “Block themes” information @ WordPress documentation
- WebMan Design theme documentations