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Trama · Official documentation

Build with Trama

A practical guide to the block theme for studios and journals. From activation to publication, using only native WordPress tools.

Verified version
1.0.43
Type
Block theme
Required plugins
None
Last verified
September 6, 2026

Quick path: activate the theme, choose a style variation, create pages from the page starters, customize the header and footer, then check the site on mobile.

01 · Getting started

Installation and initial setup

Trama uses the WordPress Site Editor. It does not require a page builder or additional plugins: templates, styles, navigation, and site parts are all edited with blocks.

Before you begin

Back up your site if you are replacing an already configured theme. Changing themes does not delete content, but it may affect menus, widgets, and layouts.

  1. 1
    Install the theme. In WordPress, open Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme. Upload the Trama ZIP file, install it, and select Activate.
  2. 2
    Open the Site Editor. Go to Appearance → Editor. This is where you will find Styles, Pages, Navigation, Patterns, and Templates.
  3. 3
    Choose the visual identity. Set the logo, site title, and a global style variation before customizing individual blocks.
  4. 4
    Create the essential pages. Start with Bottega, Servizi, Progetti, Contatti, Guida, or Esplora Trama and replace all sample content.
Live Trama theme homepage using the Manifesto layout
The live demo site using Trama’s Manifesto layout and starter content.

02 · Site Editor

The theme’s control center

From Appearance → Editor, you can work on the entire site. Changes made here may affect every page, so use the preview before saving.

AreaWhat it controlsWhen to use it
IdentitySite title, tagline, and iconInitial brand setup
StylesColors, typography, layout, and blocksSite-wide visual changes
PagesPublished page and draft contentDay-to-day editorial work
NavigationMenu items, order, and submenusMain menu structure
PatternsPrebuilt sections and template partsFast page composition
TemplatesPage, post, and archive structureChanges that should apply in series
WordPress Site Editor home screen with Trama active
The live Site Editor: all design areas are collected in the left-hand column.
Page or template?

Edit a page to change one piece of content. Edit a template only when you want to change the structure of every page that uses it.

03 · Global styles

Change the look without rebuilding the site

Open Appearance → Editor → Styles → Browse styles. A variation applies a coordinated palette, contrast system, and typography while leaving your content and block structure unchanged.

01

Inchiostro

02

Salvia

03

Calce

04

Vino

05

Nebbia

06

Limone

07

Laguna

08

Malva

Alongside complete variations, Trama provides independent color combinations and three typography alternatives: Editoriale, Atelier, and Rivista. Mix them, then refine Typography, Colors, Background, Shadows, and Layout individually.

Browse styles panel showing the Trama theme variations
The actual variations in the Browse styles panel. Select one, check the preview, and save.

Recommended workflow

  1. 1
    Choose the complete variation closest to your intended result.
  2. 2
    Adjust global colors and typography only after checking several pages.
  3. 3
    Customize an individual block only when it needs to be an exception.

04 · Patterns

Build with predesigned sections

Trama includes 30 patterns. Browse them in Appearance → Editor → Patterns → Trama, or insert them directly in the page editor from the + button and the Patterns tab.

Library of the 30 Trama theme patterns in the Site Editor
The theme’s live pattern library. You can inspect each preview before inserting it.
Theme patterns are not synced

Once inserted, they become regular blocks on the page. You can change text, images, colors, and order without affecting the original pattern or other pages.

Useful patterns by section

  • Openings: Manifesto, Dittico, Poster, Frontespizio, and Hero macchina da scrivere.
  • Content: Lavori, Cifre, Passi, Articoli, Ultimi articoli, and Loghi.
  • Closings: Invito, Contatti, and Piè di pagina.

05 · Page starters

Start with a complete page

When you create a page from Pages → Add Page, Trama automatically offers six complete layouts. If the window does not appear, open the inserter and find the layout in the Trama category.

Choose a pattern window showing Trama page starter previews
The starter pattern selector. Scroll through the window to preview all six complete layouts.

Bottega

Studio or about page with people, a testimonial, and a closing call to action.

Servizi

Professional services, a four-step process, and a call to action.

Progetti

Selected work in an editorial grid with a dedicated closing section.

Contatti

Studio image, contact details, opening hours, and an email button.

Guida

Documentation page with quick start, theme features, quick checks, and useful links.

Esplora Trama

Editable catalog of heading styles, section treatments, continuous rows, and motion.

New in 1.0.43

Explore before you compose

Esplora Trama is a working catalog built entirely with editable core blocks. Use it to see the theme’s typography, section treatments, continuous rows, and scroll reveals together, then keep, rearrange, or remove any module.

TypographySectionsMotionClosing
Esplora Trama page starter introducing eight block styles and eight style variations
Esplora Trama on the front end. Its examples remain ordinary, editable WordPress blocks.

Publish without duplicate titles

  1. 1
    Add an administrative page title. WordPress also uses it for menus, URLs, and search engines.
  2. 2
    In the sidebar, open Page → Template and choose Page without title.
  3. 3
    Replace all sample text, images, addresses, and links.
  4. 4
    Check the desktop, tablet, and mobile previews, then publish.

06 · Block styles

Change expression without changing the block

Block styles are visual treatments for native WordPress blocks. Select a compatible block, open the Styles panel in the sidebar, and choose a variation. Your content remains editable and follows the active global palette.

Heading

Display title

Large editorial openings and concise statements.

Heading

Editorial subtitle

A quieter italic line below a primary heading.

Heading

Typewriter

Short animated messages with a cursor effect.

Group

Always visible

Navigation or reference content that stays in view.

Group

Continuous scrolling

Repeating logos or short labels in a horizontal row.

Group

Translucent section

Soft, layered introductions using the active palette.

Group

Diptych section

Two-part compositions with a controlled editorial split.

Group

Manifesto section

High-contrast statements and decisive page openings.

Global first, local second

Choose the global style variation before applying block styles. Every treatment uses Trama’s color presets, so it adapts when the site palette changes.

08 · Animations

Add a scroll reveal

The trama-reveal CSS class adds a subtle entrance when a block enters the viewport. It requires no plugin and respects the visitor’s reduced-motion system preference.

  1. 1
    Select a Group, Columns, or another section you want to animate.
  2. 2
    Open the Block → Advanced panel in the sidebar.
  3. 3
    Enter trama-reveal in the Additional CSS class(es) field.
  4. 4
    Save and check the effect on the front end. Remove the class to disable it.
Use it sparingly

Apply the effect to a few main sections, not every inner block. The page will remain easier to read and the motion will retain its purpose.

09 · Troubleshooting

Quick checks

The title appears twice on the page

The page starter already contains its own heading. Open the page settings and assign the Page without title template.

I cannot see the page starters

Open the + inserter, switch to the Patterns tab, and search for Bottega, Servizi, Progetti, Contatti, Guida, or Esplora Trama. You can also re-enable the option to always show starter patterns in the initial window.

A style changed the entire site

This is the expected behavior of global styles. Use the three-dot menu in the Styles panel to open revisions or reset changes, then save.

I cannot find Editor under Appearance

Make sure Trama is the active theme and your account has administrator permissions. The Editor is available because Trama is a block theme.

The animation does not start

Make sure the class is written exactly as trama-reveal. When reduced motion is enabled in the operating system, Trama correctly displays the content without animating it.

Pre-publish checklist

  • All sample text, links, and contact details have been replaced.
  • The logo, site title, and favicon are correct.
  • Menus and submenus work on both desktop and mobile.
  • Every image has useful alternative text or is marked as decorative.
  • Complete pages use the correct template and do not duplicate the title.
  • The site has been checked in desktop, tablet, and mobile previews.

10 · Changelog

Recent releases

A concise record of the latest user-facing changes. The changelog bundled in the theme’s readme.txt remains the complete release record.

Version 1.0.43

Current
  • Added the modular Guida and Esplora Trama page starters.
  • Clarified all eight block-style names and exposed the three Group section treatments.
  • Redesigned Appearance → Trama and added a dismissible activation welcome notice.
  • Added guide navigation, accordion behavior, screenshots, and updated documentation links.

Version 1.0.42

  • Refreshed the Manifesto screenshot and removed shop-oriented wording.

Version 1.0.41

  • Completed release cleanup and updated the theme documentation link.

Ready to start?

Download Trama for free

Get the latest release from the official WordPress.org theme directory.

Download on WordPress.org