Arcadia Theme for Obsidian

A comprehensive, professional Obsidian theme with 34 color schemes (16 dark + 18 light), OneNote-style features, and extensive customization through Style Settings.

Arcadia Theme Preview

Enjoying Arcadia?

Getting Started
Installation
Color Schemes
Style Settings Configuration
Feature Guide
Accessibility
Plugin Compatibility
Troubleshooting
FAQ
Support This Theme
Credits
Changelog

Getting Started

Install the theme (see Installation below)
Install the Style Settings plugin (Settings > Community Plugins > Browse > "Style Settings")
Pick a color scheme: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Theme > Dark/Light Theme Variant
Choose your fonts: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Typography > Content Font
Explore features: Try alternate checkboxes, paper styles, sticky notes, and callouts

Without Style Settings, Arcadia uses sensible defaults. With it, you unlock 55+ customization options.

Installation

From Community Themes (Recommended)

Open Obsidian Settings
Go to Appearance > Themes
Click Manage and search for "Arcadia"
Click Install and use

Manual Installation

Download theme.css and manifest.json from this repository
In your vault, navigate to .obsidian/themes/
Create a new folder called Arcadia
Place both files inside the Arcadia folder
In Obsidian: Settings > Appearance > Themes > Select "Arcadia"

Requirements

Required

Obsidian version 0.16.0 or higher

Highly Recommended

Style Settings Plugin for all customization options

Color Schemes

Dark Themes (16)

Theme	Description	Best For
Granite (Default)	Neutral dark gray	General use
Stone	Cool slate tones	Minimalist preference
Olive	Warm earthy greens	Nature lovers
Flint	Cool professional blue-gray	Focused work
Navy	Deep ocean blues	Late night writing
Ember	Warm firelight oranges	Cozy reading
Twilight	Purple dusk tones	Creative work
Forest	Deep woodland greens	Calm focus
Crimson	Elegant wine reds	Dramatic appearance
Slate	Modern cool gray	Clean aesthetic
Amber	Golden warmth	Nostalgic feel
Parchment	Aged document sepia	Genealogy, archival work
Heritage	Leather and gold tones	Family records, formal study
Sepia	Vintage photograph	Classic, warm nostalgia
Registry	Iron gall ink blue	Parish records, court documents
Rootwood	Walnut and earth tones	Natural, family tree research

Light Themes (18)

Theme	Description	Best For
Marble (Default)	Clean white	Daytime use
Sage	Soft green tint	Gentle on eyes
Pearl	Cool ivory	Elegant writing
Cloud	Soft blue	Calm atmosphere
Dawn	Warm peach	Morning sessions
Lavender	Purple tint	Creative mood
Mint	Fresh green	Energizing
Rose	Soft pink	Gentle aesthetic
Silver	Cool gray	Professional
Cream	Golden white	Warm comfort
NY Times	Classic newspaper	Long-form reading
Wikipedia	Encyclopedia style	Research and reference
Crownwell	Classic publishing	Academic writing, theology
Parchment	Aged paper cream	Genealogy, archival reading
Heritage	Ivory with burgundy	Family history, formal documents
Sepia	Vintage warm tones	Old photograph aesthetic
Registry	Blue-gray ledger	Parish registers, court ledgers
Rootwood	Earthy birch white	Natural, family tree research

How to Change Color Scheme

Open Settings > Style Settings
Expand Arcadia Theme > Color Scheme
Choose Dark Theme Variant or Light Theme Variant
Select your preferred scheme from the dropdown

Style Settings Configuration

After installing the Style Settings plugin, you'll find these option categories:

Arcadia Theme (Main)

Dark Theme Variant: Choose from 16 dark color schemes
Light Theme Variant: Choose from 18 light color schemes

Arcadia Typography

Content Font: Vollkorn, Georgia, Merriweather, Crimson Pro, Lora, Literata, EB Garamond, Libre Caslon Text, Cormorant Garamond, Source Serif 4, Inter, Roboto, Open Sans, System Sans-Serif
Code Font: JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, Source Code Pro, IBM Plex Mono
Enable OpenDyslexic: Toggle dyslexia-friendly font

Arcadia Accent Colors

Choose from 15 accent colors: Blue, Purple, Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Teal, Cyan, Indigo, Violet, Rose, Amber, Emerald, Sky

Arcadia Code Blocks

Syntax Theme: Dracula, Nord, GitHub Dark, GitHub Light
Show Line Numbers: Toggle line numbers in code blocks
Show Language Label: Toggle language badge on code blocks

Arcadia File Icons

Enable File Icons: Toggle custom file type icons
Icon Color Mode: Colorful or Monochrome

Arcadia Checkboxes

Enable Alternate Checkboxes: Toggle custom checkbox styles

Arcadia Editor

Line Width: Narrow, Medium, Wide, Full
Line Height: Compact, Normal, Relaxed, Spacious

Arcadia UI

Tab Style: Default, Rounded, Pill, Underline
Enable Rainbow Folders: Color-code top-level folders
Enable Cards View: Grid layout for file lists

Arcadia Paper and Notes

Paper Styles: Lined, Grid, Dot, Legal, Cornell, Graph, Music
Page Tint: White, Cream, Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow, Lavender
Sticky Note Style: Default, Pushpin, Folded Corner, Flat

Feature Guide

File Icons

Custom colored icons appear next to files in the file explorer, making it easy to identify file types at a glance.

Supported file types (50+):

Category	Extensions
Documents	`.md`, `.txt`, `.rtf`, `.pdf`
Microsoft Office	`.doc`, `.docx`, `.xls`, `.xlsx`, `.ppt`, `.pptx`
Images	`.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.gif`, `.bmp`, `.webp`, `.svg`
Audio	`.mp3`, `.wav`, `.ogg`, `.flac`, `.m4a`
Video	`.mp4`, `.webm`, `.mov`, `.avi`, `.mkv`
Code	`.js`, `.ts`, `.py`, `.java`, `.html`, `.css`, `.json`, `.xml`, `.yaml`
Archives	`.zip`, `.rar`, `.7z`, `.tar`, `.gz`
Ebooks	`.epub`, `.mobi`
Fonts	`.ttf`, `.otf`, `.woff`

To enable/disable: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia File Icons > Enable File Icons

Alternate Checkboxes

21 unique checkbox styles for task management and note-taking.

Usage: Type a checkbox with a special character inside the brackets.

Syntax	Result	Use Case
`- [ ]`	Empty checkbox	Incomplete task
`- [x]`	Green checkmark	Completed task
`- [-]`	Red strikethrough	Canceled task
`- [>]`	Blue arrow right	Forwarded/Deferred
`- [<]`	Purple calendar	Scheduled
`- [?]`	Blue question mark	Question to answer
`- [!]`	Red exclamation	Important/Urgent
`- [*]`	Gold star	Starred/Favorite
`- ["]`	Cyan quote marks	Quote or citation
`- [l]`	Orange pin	Location
`- [i]`	Blue info circle	Information
`- [b]`	Pink bookmark	Bookmark
`- [S]`	Green dollar	Savings/Money
`- [p]`	Green thumbs up	Pro/Positive
`- [c]`	Red thumbs down	Con/Negative
`- [/]`	Orange half-fill	In Progress
`- [u]`	Red up arrow	High Priority
`- [d]`	Blue down arrow	Low Priority
`- [w]`	Gold trophy	Win/Achievement
`- [k]`	Yellow key	Key point
`- [f]`	Orange flame	Urgent/Hot
`- [I]`	Yellow lightbulb	Idea

To enable/disable: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Checkboxes > Enable Alternate Checkboxes

Custom Callouts

Extended callout types beyond Obsidian's defaults: timeline, profile, aside, definition, pro, con, goal, bookmark, question, answer, recipe, kanban, paraphrase, stats.

Usage: Create a blockquote with [!callout-type] on the first line.

> [!timeline] Project History
> **2024-01** - Project started
> **2024-06** - Version 1.0

> [!pro] Advantages
> - Fast performance
> - Easy to use

> [!con] Disadvantages
> - Learning curve

Sticky Notes

OneNote-style sticky note callouts in 8 colors: yellow, pink, blue, green, purple, orange, gray, teal.

Usage:

> [!sticky-yellow] Remember
> Don't forget the meeting at 3pm!

Style variations (enable in Style Settings): Pushpin, Folded Corner, Flat.

Add -sm or -small suffix for compact stickies.

Paper Styles

Transform your editor into realistic paper backgrounds.

Style	Description	Best For
Lined	College ruled horizontal lines	Note-taking
Grid	Square graph paper	Diagrams, math
Dot	Bullet journal dot grid	Flexible layouts
Graph	Engineering graph paper	Technical drawing
Legal	Yellow legal pad	Traditional notes
Cornell	Cornell note-taking format	Study notes
Music	Musical staff lines	Sheet music

Page tint colors: White, Cream, Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow, Lavender (in both light and dark modes).

To enable: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Paper and Notes

Media Embedding

OneNote-style polished media presentation with shadows, rounded corners, and hover effects.

Image size presets:

![[image.png|small]]   // 200px
![[image.png|medium]]  // 400px
![[image.png|large]]   // 600px
![[image.png|full]]    // 100% width

Float images:

![[image.png|left]]    // Float left
![[image.png|right]]   // Float right

Code Blocks

Enhanced code block styling with syntax themes: Dracula, Nord, GitHub Dark, GitHub Light.

Features: language label badge, optional line numbers, copy button styling, smooth scrolling.

To configure: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Code Blocks

Cards View

Display file lists as a grid of cards. Works with file explorer, search results, and Dataview TABLE queries.

To enable: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia UI > Enable Cards View

Rainbow Folders

Automatically color-code top-level folders in the file explorer using a 10-color cycle. Subfolders inherit a muted version of their parent's color.

To enable: Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia UI > Enable Rainbow Folders

Tag Colors

Tags are displayed as colored pills. Colors are automatically assigned based on tag text patterns.

Progress Bars

Create visual progress indicators using HTML <progress> elements or Dataview queries.

<progress value="75" max="100"></progress>

Image Controls

![[image.png|100]]       // 100px wide
![[image.png|center]]    // Centered
![[image.png|rounded]]   // Extra rounded corners
![[image.png|no-shadow]] // Remove shadow
![[image.png|border]]    // Add border
![[image.png|300|center|rounded]]  // Combine multiple

Accessibility

WCAG AA compliant contrast ratios across all 34 color schemes
OpenDyslexic font option for dyslexia (Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Typography)
Reduced motion support (respects system preference)
High contrast mode available

Plugin Compatibility

Plugin	Compatibility
Style Settings	Full integration (required for customization)
Dataview	Styled tables and lists
Tasks	Checkbox styling
Kanban	Board styling
Calendar	Date styling
Excalidraw	Canvas integration
Templater	Compatible (no conflicts)
Periodic Notes	Compatible (no conflicts)
Advanced Tables	Table styling applies
Outliner	List styling applies
Obsidian Git	Compatible (no conflicts)

Troubleshooting

Theme not loading

Verify both theme.css and manifest.json are in .obsidian/themes/Arcadia/
Restart Obsidian after manual installation
Check that no other theme is overriding (Settings > Appearance > Themes)

Style Settings options not appearing

Install and enable the Style Settings plugin
After enabling, check Settings > Style Settings > Arcadia Theme
If options are missing, try switching themes and switching back

Fonts not loading

Fonts load from Google Fonts and require internet on first use
After first load, fonts are cached by the browser engine
If a font fails, the fallback stack (Georgia, system serif, or system sans) provides acceptable rendering

Checkboxes not rendering

Enable alternate checkboxes in Style Settings > Arcadia Checkboxes
Use the exact syntax: - [x], - [!], etc.
Only works in reading mode and live preview (not source mode)

Paper styles not showing

Paper styles require the cssclasses frontmatter property
Add cssclasses: paper-lined (or other style) to the note's YAML frontmatter
Paper tints are applied via Style Settings, not frontmatter

Plugin conflicts

If another theme's CSS is cached, clear the Obsidian cache (Settings > About > Debug info > Clear cache)
Some CSS snippet plugins may conflict; disable them temporarily to test

FAQ

Can I use this theme commercially? Yes. Arcadia is released under the MIT license. You can use, modify, and distribute it freely.

Does Arcadia work on mobile? Arcadia is primarily designed for desktop Obsidian. Most features work on mobile, but paper styles and some visual effects may render differently on smaller screens.

Do I need Style Settings? No, but it is highly recommended. Without it, you get the Granite (dark) and Marble (light) defaults. With it, you unlock all 34 color schemes and 55+ customization options.

Can I create my own color scheme? Not through the UI. Custom schemes require editing theme.css directly. Each scheme needs ~20 CSS custom properties defined in an RGB triplet format.

How do I request a feature? Open an issue on GitHub with the "Feature Request" template.

How do I report a bug? Open an issue on GitHub with the "Bug Report" template. Include your Obsidian version, OS, and steps to reproduce.

Support This Theme

If you find Arcadia useful for your work, consider supporting its development:

Credits

Author: Peter J. Carter Website: theologyinfocus.org

License

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute. See LICENSE for details.

Changelog

Version 2.1.0 (Current)

34 color schemes (16 dark + 18 light)
5 genealogy-inspired schemes (Parchment, Heritage, Sepia, Registry, Rootwood)
Font loading optimized: 32 HTTP requests reduced to 2
CSS architecture overhaul: nav colors consolidated to variables
4 additional fonts added to Style Settings (EB Garamond, Libre Caslon Text, Cormorant Garamond, Source Serif 4)
50+ file type icons with colors
21 alternate checkbox types
OneNote-style media embedding
Paper styles (lined, grid, dot, legal, Cornell, graph, music)
Sticky notes callouts (8 colors with style variations)
Code syntax themes (Dracula, Nord, GitHub)
Rainbow folders
Cards view for Dataview
Tag color pills
Progress bar styling
Custom callouts (timeline, profile, definition, pro/con, and more)
Full Style Settings integration (55+ options across 11 categories)
WCAG AA accessibility compliance
OpenDyslexic font support
Mobile responsive design

Version 2.0.0

Initial community release with 23 color schemes
Core feature set established

Theme