Hello, this is Showkaku Sano. How is your year-end going? Aside from this newsletter, I also run a personal blog where I post various articles. For the year-end, I’ve written retrospectives on games, movies, and TV shows from 2024. Feel free to check them out if you’re interested!

Here’s the update information for December. This time, I’ve added and changed a few features. If you haven’t updated your theme recently, now is a great time to do so. For details on how to update, please check the “Update the Themes” section in the help documentation.

Set Your Custom Title Logo

You can now specify an image for your blog’s title (site name). This popular feature, also available in Illustfolio 4, lets you replace the title with your own logo. Whether it’s a handwritten logo or a circle logo, feel free to get creative and add a personal touch to your site!

For detailed instructions on how to set this up, check out the [Title Logo] section in the “Theme Customization” help documentation.

Unified Navigation Bar Background Color

I’ve updated the background color of the top navigation bar so that it now applies not only to the homepage but also to article pages.

Navigation Bar on Article Pages

Previously, the navigation bar had different background colors depending on the page—white for non-homepage pages and a custom color for the homepage. This meant that if you set a title logo, you had to check how it looked on both the homepage and other pages.

With this update, the appearance is now unified across all pages, reducing the need for extra checks and making customization easier!

Updated Quick Preview Display Size and Background Color

The Quick Preview feature now displays images in a larger size.

Originally, this feature was designed as a simple “preview,” so the display size was intentionally kept small. However, I noticed that some users rely on Quick Preview to read content without transitioning to the article page. To accommodate this, the display size has been adjusted to more closely resemble the article page.

Additionally, the background color has been changed from dark to light, providing a more natural and visually pleasing experience.

Improved Cover Image Display for “Landscape” Layout

I’ve enhanced the appearance of cover images when using the “Landscape” layout, one of the four layout options for cover images.

Previously, in the “Landscape” layout, the cover image would stretch to fit the full width of the browser. On larger screens, this could result in the image appearing overly wide, making it difficult to achieve the desired look. With this update, the layout now ensures more height is retained even on wider screens.

For a full list of updates, please refer to the release notes.

Announcement: Discontinuation of the Free Trial

I plan to discontinue the free trial soon.

After analyzing data from about 1.5 months after the release, I found that while a portion of users who downloaded the free trial did transition to the full version (paid version), a larger number chose immediate purchase without using the trial. This exceeded my initial expectations.

You might think, “Isn’t it unnecessary to completely remove the trial?” However, maintaining two variations of the theme—official and trial versions—doubles the effort required for updates. Continuing a feature with limited effectiveness is not ideal.

Moving forward, I plan to explore alternative approaches to support those who are considering a purchase. What I’d like to know is, “Why did you choose to skip the trial and purchase immediately?” If you’ve purchased without using the trial, I’d truly appreciate your insights.

A Look Back at 2024 and Plans for 2025

Thanks to Illustfolio Lumina, 2024 has been a fulfilling year. First, let me express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you.

It’s been quite some time since people started saying personal websites are no longer necessary. Creating a product like this in 2024 might seem a little out of touch with current trends. But as someone who has been making personal website templates for over a decade, I firmly believe that personal websites still have their own unique value.

Through interviews, I’ve heard from many people who use portfolio websites to reflect on their work, organize their scattered social media, or find new job opportunities. Realizing that so many others share my belief in the value of personal sites has been one of this year’s biggest rewards.

I used to draw comics and illustrations myself, but I’ve barely drawn anything since becoming a designer. So, I can honestly say that I’m only “half-aware and half-unaware” of what illustrators truly feel. That’s why I want to listen to your voices and absorb your thoughts with an open mind.

I already have some plans for feature updates in the coming year. However, since I work on this alone, changing plans is always an option. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback about Illustfolio Lumina. Feel free to reply directly to this email or reach out via the contact information listed in the help section.

This concludes this month’s newsletter. If you haven’t purchased the theme yet, you can do so here!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year! 😊