Élan is built to expose its main visual settings through Blogger Theme Designer, so most styling changes do not require editing the XML.
Open the settings
- Go to Blogger → Theme.
- Choose Customize.
- Open Advanced.
Global Typography
Élan uses Lato for body/interface text, Playfair Display for editorial headings, and Bodoni Moda for the large header title when a text logo is used. The body font is exposed to Theme Designer; several structural font choices are intentionally fixed.
Global Colors
The default palette includes white page/surface backgrounds, a soft warm background, dark body and heading text, muted text, the warm brown accent #a9876c, and subtle borders.
Dark Mode
A separate Dark Mode group controls the dark page, surface, soft background, text, heading, muted text, accent, borders, navigation, footer and form-field colors.
Global Layout
Controls include Page Max Width, Main Area Width, Content Area Width, Reading Width, side padding and the content/sidebar gap.
Component groups
Élan also exposes dedicated settings for:
- Buttons
- Navigation
- Header
- Back to Top
- Search Overlay
- Homepage Slider
- Homepage Image Boxes
- Homepage About
- Homepage Latest Posts
- Footer
- Sidebar
- Archive / Label / Search Pages
- Single Post
- Single Post Navigation / Related Posts
- Error Page
When a setting should stay at its default
Change one group at a time and check desktop and mobile before moving on. Large width, height and gap changes interact with each other, so changing everything at once is the fastest route to discovering that CSS is technically obedient but emotionally indifferent.