Dispatch is a Magazine style blog for your new website. Each of its features have been designed and built using GeneratePress and WP Show Posts. As expected of a Flint Skin Site it uses Custom CSS. At over 350 lines it is recommended, but not necessary, to move the Additional CSS to a Child Theme style sheet. So lets get onto making it your own.

WP Show Posts

Without WP Show Posts plugin, this Site wouldn’t exist. Another awesome product from Tom Usborne, WP Show Posts does exactly what the title says. Anywhere and everywhere in the case of Dispatch. So much so there is a dedicated page to explain its uses here.

Social Icons – Desktop

The Lightweight Social Icons widget has been added to the Header Widget. It only displays on Desktop as the Widget has the hide-on-mobile and hide-on-tablet-classes.

Social Icons – Tablet and Mobile

They are also displayed in the Slideout Navigation. Using the Slideout Widget.

Social Icon Colors

Colors are changed within the widget.

Pagebuilders

Can I use a page builder with Dispatch?

Yes, you can if you wish. The only rule is that you need to use the Default Template for your Pages and Posts. To create a full width blank canvas template then follow these steps:

1. Appearance > Elements > New Layout
2. Disable Content Title
3. Set Page Builder Container to Contained or Full Width
4. Set Display Rules to the Pages you need a Blank canvas on.

How do I change colors?

The majority of Volumes colors are controlled by the Customizer. There are some Elements that are part of Volumes features that require CSS. This article covers where to make those changes:

How to change the Custom Colors

Logo and Site Identity

Dispatch does not have a logo, just the Site Title.
You can change the Site Branding or add a logo via the Customizer > Site Identity

Page Layout – Container Margin

Dispatch uses the Customizer > Layout > Container > Separate Containers option.
To maintain horizontal alignment the left and right padding has been removed on the desktop.

The following CSS adds left and right margin to offset the padding.

@media (min-width: 769px) {
    body {
        margin: 0 30px;
    }
}

Navigation

Dispatch uses the Primary Navigation for the main menu and Secondary Navigation displays post categories.The majority of their layout and styling is controlled by the Customizer. With these exceptions:

Menu underline on hover

The animated underline is set using this CSS. Changing the color of the bar is covered here:

How to change the Custom Colors

Secondary Navigation Location

The Secondary Nav is placed using a Hook Element as opposed to the Customizer, which is set to No Navigation. This is so the secondary navigation is dynamically placed. You will notice it doesn’t appear on the posts. It also appears below the Header Element on the front page.

More information be found on that here:

Hooks – Custom Theme Elements

I want to use the Customizer to control the navigation

Simply delete ( or Quick Edit > Set to Draft and Save ) the Magazine Grid header element to revert to the normal customizer controls.

Blog

The majority of the Blog settings are controlled within the Customizer > Layout > Blog. Of course it wouldn’t be a Flint Skin site if some custom customization wasn’t done. These comprise of re-ordering the post meta layout and fixing the height of the featured image.

To maintain a consistent style the Blog posts have been styled to match the WP Show Posts Plugin. You can read more here:

https://gpsites.co/dispatch/wp-show-posts/

Single Post – Sidebar and No Sidebar

The default setting ( in the Customizer ) for the single post includes the right hand sidebar. If the sidebar is removed, like it is on this post, then the content container is narrowed for easier reading.

Single posts container without sidebar are resized by this CSS:

body.no-sidebar .site-content {
    max-width: 720px; /* Adjust the size to suit */
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
}

Options to remove the Sidebar on a post by post basis can be done using either the disable elements module or the layout module:

Layout Metabox Overview

Layout Element Overview

Page Heros – Header Elements

The Hero Headers are built using the Elements module. Volumes Hero Headers are covered here:

Page and Post Heroes

Magazine Grid – Front Page

A custom WP Show Posts Grid displaying 5 posts.
More details on creating your own list for this grid and the ones used in content are covered here …… WWWW ……

The Header Element contains just the WP Show Posts Shortcode. And requires these two Element Classes: wpsp-grid wpsp-card

Single Post

The single post uses a Block Element Page Hero to dynamically add the Featured Image Background, Post Title and Post Meta ( Author , Date and Category Terms ). All styling is applied to the GenerateBlocks Container and Headline Blocks.

Archives Header

This simple header places the archive title above the secondary navigation.

Page Heroes are those big bold images and headlines you find at the top of your posts and pages. They sit just below the Site Header and added using the Header Element module, when activated provides the Elements menu in Dashboard > Appearance > Elements

Dispatch has two Header Elements in place. But you can add as many as you need.

Magazine Grid – Home Page

Combined with the WP Show Posts plugin this header creates a 5 post card grid. Very few settings are required. These are the main points:

Hero Content: WP Show Posts Short code
Element Classes: wpsp-grid wpsp-card
This creates the grid and styles the cards
Padding: Zero padding
Makes the grid fill the hero
Display Rules: Front Page

The shortcode required is found in the WP Show Posts list you created. More detail on creating these special lists can be found here.

Single Post

Method: Block Element – Page Hero
Background Image: Dynamic Featured Background Image on Container Block
Content: Headline Blocks displaying dynamic Post Title, Post Author, Post Data and Category Terms
Display Rules: All Posts

Creating new Block Elements

Creating a new Block Element is as easy as creating a new post. This article explains how to:

Block Element Overview

Display Rules

Display Rules are used to determine where a Block Element is displayed. Here are some pointers:

Front Page

When you select a blog or a static page in Dashboard > Settings > Reading as your Front Page. You must specifically apply that as a Display Rule for it to display.

Display the Dispatch Header Elements on other pages

Simply edit the Header Element and add additional Display Rules.

Copy an existing Block Element

So you think these Block Elements are awesome. But you want to add your own versions to some other posts, and there is not duplicate feature. Well just add one of the Duplicate Post plugins found on wordpress.org and your in business.