Themes
Bundled with OJS
This theme ships with every OJS installation and requires no additional download.
| Theme | Description | Demo | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Simple, neutral layout designed for broad usability. Fully responsive; externally audited for WCAG accessibility in OJS 3.3+. Supports child themes via a large set of LESS variables. | Demo | Bundled with OJS |
Official PKP Themes
These themes are maintained by PKP and are available free of charge from the Plugin Gallery or the PKP GitHub organisation. Install via Administration → Plugin Gallery or by uploading the .tar.gz to /plugins/themes/.
| Theme | Description | Demo | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap3 | Community-built base theme using Bootstrap 3 HTML, CSS, and JS. Ships with six bundled "swatches" (Paper, Journal, Yeti, Sandstone, Cyborg, and Default). Designed as a parent for child themes. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
| Classic | Serif-driven (Cardo typeface) layout inspired by Renaissance printing. Block-based table of contents for large screens; collapses cleanly on mobile. Configurable primary colour. JATS Parser compliant. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
| Health Sciences | Clean, modern theme (Fira Sans) for health science or clinical journals. Designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind. OJS 3.1.1+. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
| Immersion | Bold, image-forward layout with full-width header image and per-section colour choices. Spectral serif paired with Roboto sans-serif. Best for arts, humanities, and culture journals. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
| Manuscript | Boxed, paper-document layout with generous whitespace. Works best without a sidebar; configurable colours. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
| Pragma | Minimalist monochromatic theme inspired by early periodicals' tables of contents. | Demo | GitHub · Style Guide |
Go to Administration → Plugin Gallery, search for the theme name, and click Install. Then activate it under Settings → Website → Appearance → Theme.
To install manually: download the release .tar.gz from GitHub, unzip it into /plugins/themes/, and activate as above.
Free & Community Themes
Themes built and maintained by the broader OJS community. Quality and update frequency vary; check GitHub issues and the PKP Forum for recent activity before installing.
| Theme | Author | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Gregg (Bootstrap 4) | Vitaliy Berezhnoy | Bootstrap 4-based theme with full JATS Parser XML article support. Modern, robust layout. | GitHub |
| SEISENSE Themes | SEISENSE | Collection of free and premium themes for OJS 3.2+. Basic tier free for single-journal use; extended licences available. Demo sites provided. | Gallery · Demo |
| Glass Theme | Skyleaft | Glassmorphism design with Tailwind CSS 4, dark/light mode toggle, blur intensity controls, and ARIA accessibility. Built for OJS 3.5. | GitHub |
| iDAI.publications Theme | DAINST | Minimal theme for OJS and OMP used by the German Archaeological Institute. | GitHub |
The PKP Forum maintains an unofficial community gallery with screenshots and demo links: Theme Gallery for OJS 3.x. Post your own theme there to get community feedback.
Professional & Paid Themes
| Theme / Provider | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Lepido | Premium journal theme with advanced layout options | Lepido |
| JournalKit | Commercial OJS themes with support | Search PKP Marketplace |
| Custom Theming (PKP Services) | PKP can build bespoke themes | PKP Services |
| Freelancer (Upwork/Fiverr) | Custom theme development; search "OJS theme" | Upwork · Fiverr |
Always verify theme compatibility with your OJS version before purchasing. Ask vendors for a demo on OJS 3.5+.
Further Reading
- PKP Theming Guide — Introduction to building custom themes for OJS 3.0+ and OMP 1.2+
- PKP Theming Guide — Themes — Official descriptions, demo links, and style guides for each PKP theme
- PKP Forum — Theme Gallery for OJS 3.x — Community-maintained gallery with screenshots and demos
- PKP Forum — Plugins & Themes — Theming community discussions and support
- PKP GitHub — Themes — Official theme source code