Hi, this is Showkaku Sano. I recently got a Hot Cook, which is a Japanese multicooker a bit like an Instant Pot, and I've been using it every single day. You just set a timer, and it makes a delicious meal for you. I was worried about cleaning all the parts, but it's not as much of a hassle as I thought. It was a great purchase!

Here are the updates for August. Following up on last month, we have another update to the cover image options! To update your theme, please refer to the help guide, “Update the Theme.”

I’m on X and Instagram!

I’ve also been steadily posting on social media:

• On X, I share portfolio tips 2–3 times a week

• On Instagram, I post weekly photos that capture everyday moments with Lumina

If you haven’t followed yet, now’s a great time to check them out:

• X (Tips): https://x.com/sanographix

• Instagram (Photos): https://www.instagram.com/illustfolio_lumina/

Introducing "Cover Style: Full Right," a Mirrored Version of the Fullscreen Layout

I've added "Cover Style: Full Right," a mirrored version of the "Cover Style: Full" that displays your cover image across the entire browser window.

As I introduced in last month's newsletter, the standard "Cover Style: Full" displays your bio on the left side of the screen. Because of this, it had a problem where it was difficult to use with certain illustration layouts.

"Cover Style: Full Right" is the same design as "Full," but with the bio positioned on the right. This option allows you to choose a layout that best suits the composition of your cover image.

If you've been thinking, "I wanted to use the Full style, but my illustration just doesn't work with it…" please give this a try! To set it up, just open the theme customization screen on Tumblr and select it from the "Cover Style" dropdown menu.

Please note that when using the slideshow setting, you cannot change the Cover Style for each image individually.

Improved Mobile Display for "Cover Style: Full / Full Right"

I've adjusted the image cropping on mobile when using the "Full" or "Full Right" styles.

Previously, the image was cropped from the center. Now, for the "Full" style, it crops slightly to the "right of center," and for the "Right" style, it crops slightly to the "left of center." This should make it less likely for faces in your illustrations to be cut off.

I think you'll see the difference clearly in the image below.

Including the newly added "Full Right," there are now a total of 5 Cover Styles. They make it easy to give your portfolio a makeover, so please try them out!

For the full update history, please check the release notes.

Short Story

This time, I'd like to write about "Why Illustfolio Lumina uses Tumblr."

To give you the conclusion first, it's because there are benefits for both "the illustrators" and for "me, the theme developer."

When creating a portfolio site, it's important to strike a balance between meeting the illustrator's desire to "just make a site easily and quickly" and my desire to provide a "highly flexible theme that allows for detailed customization." Tumblr is what makes achieving both possible.

You all can just drag and drop your work to post. This is far easier than renting your own server and building a site yourself. Meanwhile, on the backend, I can focus on perfecting the theme's design so that your work shines.

Furthermore, Tumblr has 135 million monthly users and comes with social features like "reblogs." There are hidden opportunities for your work to be discovered from unexpected places.

Tumblr also provides a setting to opt-out of having your posts used for AI training. On other services, this setting itself sometimes doesn't even exist.

You can use all of these features for free and with no ads displayed on your blog page. This is a rare and valuable benefit that you almost never see on other services.

When I was planning Lumina, I looked into various other services, but in the end, I haven't found a method that surpasses the benefits of Tumblr. That's the reason I chose it.

That’s it for this month’s newsletter! If you haven’t purchased the theme yet, you can get it here!

See you next time!