# Theme Creation

Create, update, or plan a Stencila theme for documents or published sites.

- Repository: https://github.com/stencila/stencila (914 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill theme-creation -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill theme-creation -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill theme-creation -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill theme-creation -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add stencila/stencila`

## Description

Create, update, or plan a Stencila theme for documents or published sites. Use when asked to choose a theme direction, write or patch theme.css, recommend semantic or module token families, customize site navigation or branding, tune PDF and print page tokens, align web, Python, and R plots with a Stencila design system, list available builtin tokens with `stencila themes tokens`, or validate a theme file with `stencila themes validate`.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

## Overview

Help the user create, update, or plan a Stencila theme. Depending on the request, this may mean producing a concrete artifact such as a workspace `theme.css`, a patch to an existing theme file, or a reusable CSS snippet, or it may mean producing an advisory plan such as token recommendations, target tradeoffs, branding direction, and a validation checklist before any file is edited.

Use the localized references in this skill directory instead of `site/docs/themes/`:

- [`references/themes-guide.md`](references/themes-guide.md) for architectural context and workflow background when you need it; the numbered steps below remain the primary operating procedure
- [`references/semantic-and-font-tokens.md`](references/semantic-and-font-tokens.md) for semantic and font tokens
- [`references/node-token-families.md`](references/node-token-families.md) for document/node token families and guidance on when to use them
- [`references/print-and-pdf-tokens.md`](references/print-and-pdf-tokens.md) for print and PDF page tokens
- [`references/plot-tokens.md`](references/plot-tokens.md) for plot theming tokens
- [`references/site-token-families.md`](references/site-token-families.md) for site-theme component families and verified exact site token names
- [`references/cli-commands.md`](references/cli-commands.md) for token discovery and validation commands
- [`references/snap-tool.md`](references/snap-tool.md) for visual verification with the `snap` tool and the `/_specimen` route

Also use the theme CLI as a live source of truth when available:

The rest: https://github.com/stencila/stencila/blob/HEAD/.stencila/skills/theme-creation/SKILL.md