Got it! I'll look into how you can apply your current appearance settings—including your downloaded font, Minimal Theme, and Style Settings—to your published Obsidian notes as seamlessly as possible. I will prioritise UI-based solutions over CSS modifications but will also explore CSS as a fallback if needed. I'll get back to you with clear steps and solutions. # Publishing Notes with Your Custom Obsidian Appearance ## How Obsidian Publish Handles Themes and Styling Obsidian **Publish** sites do *not* automatically use your Obsidian app’s theme or plugins. Instead, you can supply a custom CSS file to style your site. Obsidian Publish looks for a file named **`publish.css`** in your vault’s root and applies it to the published site ([Build a Publish theme - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Themes/Obsidian+Publish+themes/Build+a+Publish+theme#:~:text=,side)). This means you can take any Obsidian theme’s CSS and use it for your Publish site. The Publish system supports the same CSS variables as the Obsidian app (plus a few Publish-specific ones) ([Build a Publish theme - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Themes/Obsidian+Publish+themes/Build+a+Publish+theme#:~:text=You%20can%20build%20themes%20for,does%20not%20support%20editing%20CSS)), so a theme or custom styles that work in Obsidian can be made to work on Publish with minimal changes. In short, to make your published notes [[look like]] your app, you’ll provide a CSS file (via the Publish interface) containing your theme and style customizations. ## Using the Minimal Theme on Obsidian Publish **Minimal Theme** is available for Obsidian Publish as an optimized version specifically designed for Publish sites ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=Minimal%20Publish%20is%20a%20stripped,scratch%20to%20optimize%20loading%20speed)). The theme’s author provides **Minimal Publish**, a streamlined CSS theme that follows the same design principles as the desktop Minimal theme. It’s much smaller in file size (~16 KB vs ~247 KB for the full app theme) for faster loading on the web ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=To%20see%20a%20demo%20of,guide)). This ensures your published site retains the **Minimal** look and feel without unnecessary bloat. There isn’t an automatic toggle in Publish to select Minimal (or other community themes) via the UI, but enabling Minimal is straightforward: 1. **Download the Minimal Publish CSS** – Grab the `publish.css` file from the [Minimal Publish repository or documentation](https://minimal.guide/publish/download). There are multiple **color scheme** variants available (Default, Atom, Dracula, etc.) so you can choose one that matches your current Minimal Theme settings ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=Color%20schemes)). For example, if you use Minimal’s *Nord* color scheme in Obsidian, download the **Nord** `publish.css` file. 2. **Add it to your vault** – Place the downloaded `publish.css` in the **root folder** of your Obsidian vault (the same folder that contains your notes folders). 3. **Publish the CSS file** – In Obsidian, click **Publish Changes**. You should see `publish.css` in the list of files to publish (likely under “New” if you just added it). Check that file and proceed to **Publish**. Obsidian will upload the CSS. Once this file is published, your site will immediately start using the Minimal theme’s styling ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=To%20install%20Minimal%20Publish)). After these steps, your Obsidian Publish site will be using the Minimal Theme design. Essentially, you’ve applied the official Minimal Theme to your site via the `publish.css`. This is a UI-based approach in the sense that you’re using the existing theme file (no coding from scratch) and the Obsidian Publish interface to include it. > **Note:** If for some reason you cannot get the Minimal Publish file, a workaround is to copy the CSS of your current Obsidian theme from your vault’s `.obsidian/themes` folder and use that as `publish.css`. For example, you could take your **Minimal Theme** file (e.g., `Minimal.css`) from the hidden `.obsidian/themes` directory, copy it into your vault root, and rename it to `publish.css` ([How to Use Obsidian.app CSS Themes in Obsidian Publish - Share & showcase - Obsidian Forum](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/how-to-use-obsidian-app-css-themes-in-obsidian-publish/21504#:~:text=3.%20Go%20to%20folder%20,New%20row%2C%20then%20press%20Publish)). Then publish that file. This will also apply the theme to your site. However, using the dedicated **Minimal Publish** version is recommended for better performance and compatibility with Publish features. ## Applying Your Custom Font and Style Settings Using the Minimal theme file alone gives you the base theme, but what about your **custom font** and other tweaks from the **Style Settings** plugin? Since Obsidian Publish doesn’t run community plugins, those customizations need to be added via CSS so the published site can mirror them. **Custom Font:** If you configured a custom font in Obsidian (via Style Settings or a snippet), you’ll need to ensure the published site loads and uses that font. Obsidian Publish allows remote fonts, but you must import them through CSS. The Obsidian developer docs recommend using an **`@import` rule** at the top of your `publish.css` (or a `@font-face` rule with a URL to the font file) to load web fonts ([Site fonts - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Reference/CSS+variables/Publish/Site+fonts#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fdocs,text)). For example, to use a Google Font, you can add something like this to the very beginning of `publish.css`: ```css /* Import custom font (example: Poppins from Google Fonts) */ @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins&display=swap'); /* Apply the font to your site’s body text */ body { --font-text-theme: 'Poppins'; } ``` This snippet (based on Obsidian’s documentation) imports the **Poppins** font and then sets the body text font-family to Poppins by overriding the `--font-text-theme` variable ([Site fonts - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Reference/CSS+variables/Publish/Site+fonts#:~:text=Fonts,size%60)). Replace the URL and font name with your chosen font. If you were using a local font or one not on Google Fonts, you can host the font file and use `@font-face` with a direct link to the file ([Setup custom font - Obsidian Publish - Help - Obsidian Forum](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/setup-custom-font-obsidian-publish/60600#:~:text=One%20idea%20I%20had%20was,face%20declaration%E2%80%A6%20Something%20like%20this)). The key is to match the CSS variable the theme uses for the default font. In Minimal (and most Obsidian themes) the main text font is controlled by the `--font-text-theme` variable (and similarly `--font-interface-theme` for UI elements, if needed) ([Site fonts - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Reference/CSS+variables/Publish/Site+fonts#:~:text=300%3B1%2C400%3B1%2C500%3B1%2C600%3B1%2C700%3B1%2C800%3B1%2C900%26display%3Dswap%27%29%3B%20body%20%7B%20,container%60.%20See%20%5B%5BBuild%20a%20Publish)). By setting those, you ensure your custom font is applied site-wide. **Style Settings (Theme customization):** The Style Settings plugin in Obsidian lets you tweak many aspects of the theme (colors, sizes, line width, etc.). Those tweaks correspond to underlying CSS variables or additional rules. To carry these over: - **Export or note your settings:** The Style Settings plugin has an **Export** feature that outputs all your current style tweaks ([obsidian-minimal/docs/Plugins/Style Settings.md at master · kepano/obsidian-minimal · GitHub](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal/blob/master/docs/Plugins/Style%20Settings.md#:~:text=Importing%20and%20exporting%20your%20settings)). You can use that to get a list of variables and values you’ve changed. If an export isn’t available, note the key changes you made (e.g., “Using Nord color scheme,” “Increased base font size,” “Custom accent color set to `#FF0000`,” etc.). - **Add CSS overrides:** Open your `publish.css` (the Minimal theme file you added) in a text editor. You can append your custom variables at the end of the file (or anywhere after the default definitions). For example, if you want to enforce a particular accent color or other variables, you might add: ```css :root { --accent-color: var(--color-red); /* example: use theme’s red as accent */ --base-font-size: 16px; /* example: increase base font size */ } ``` This is a generic example – the actual variable names depend on the theme. Minimal theme’s documentation or the exported settings can tell you the exact variables. For instance, Minimal might use `--accent-h`/`--accent-s`/`--accent-l` (HSL values) or a specific `--accent-color` for accents. Make sure to use the correct ones. If the changes are mode-specific (different in light vs dark mode), you can target `.theme-light` and `.theme-dark` in the CSS. For example, to change the **“text on accent”** color in light and dark modes, one forum example shows setting it under each theme class ([Trouble using css styling for accent color and font in Publish - Custom CSS & Theme Design - Obsidian Forum](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/trouble-using-css-styling-for-accent-color-and-font-in-publish/77706#:~:text=For%20the%20text%20on%20accent%2C,g)). In most cases, simple tweaks like font size or base colors can go under `:root` or `body` and will apply globally. - **Include any snippet CSS:** If you used any **CSS snippets** in Obsidian (for things like extra spacing, hide elements via the Hider plugin, etc.), you can also copy their content into `publish.css`. Essentially, `publish.css` can aggregate *all* your custom CSS. When in doubt, any visual change you made in Obsidian that isn’t present in the Minimal theme by default will likely need a CSS rule in this file. The goal is to have `publish.css` contain the Minimal theme **plus** any overrides for your custom font and style settings. By doing the above, you ensure that when your site loads the CSS, it not only applies Minimal’s styling but also applies your specific preferences (font, colors, sizes) on top of it. ## Step-by-Step: Easiest Implementation Summary To boil it down, here’s a concise sequence to get your published site looking like your customized Obsidian vault, with minimal manual work: 1. **Get the Minimal Publish theme CSS:** Download the `publish.css` for Minimal Theme’s Publish version (choose the color scheme that matches your vault’s theme) ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=Color%20schemes)). 2. **Place in vault:** Move or copy this `publish.css` file into the root of your vault (top-level folder of your notes). 3. **Add custom font (if applicable):** If you use a custom font, edit the `publish.css` file in a text editor. Add an **`@import`** line for your font (or a `@font-face` rule) at the top, and set the appropriate CSS variable to that font name so it applies to your text ([Site fonts - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Reference/CSS+variables/Publish/Site+fonts#:~:text=Fonts,size%60)). *(Skip this if you stick to the theme’s default font.)* 4. **Apply style setting tweaks:** Still in `publish.css`, append any additional CSS for the visual settings you changed. This could be as simple as a few `--variable: value;` lines. For example, set your chosen accent color or adjust the page width if you customized those in Style Settings. You can use the Style Settings export to guide these changes ([obsidian-minimal/docs/Plugins/Style Settings.md at master · kepano/obsidian-minimal · GitHub](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal/blob/master/docs/Plugins/Style%20Settings.md#:~:text=Importing%20and%20exporting%20your%20settings)). Ensure these lines are added after the core theme CSS so they override the defaults. 5. **Publish the CSS:** Open Obsidian and use **Publish → Publish Changes**. You should see the new `publish.css` in the list; select it for publishing and confirm. Obsidian will upload the CSS to your site ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=To%20install%20Minimal%20Publish)). 6. **Verify the site:** Visit your Obsidian Publish site and refresh. It should now reflect the Minimal theme **with your custom font and style settings** in place. Check that the font looks correct and the colors/sizes match your Obsidian app. (You might need to clear cache or do a hard refresh the first time.) If something is off, you can adjust the `publish.css` again and republish just that file. These steps require only a bit of file handling and a few edits – no complex coding. Most of the heavy lifting is done by using the existing Minimal theme file. ## Additional Tips and Fallbacks - **Minimal manual intervention:** The approach above avoids writing a full CSS from scratch. You’re basically reusing the theme’s CSS and adding a handful of lines for customization. This is as close to a UI solution as possible since Obsidian Publish doesn’t have toggles for community themes or fonts. Once set up, you typically won’t need to touch it again unless you change your theme or style dramatically in the future. - **Updating changes:** If you later tweak your appearance in Obsidian (say, choose a different font or color), remember to update the `publish.css` to match. You can republish the updated CSS at any time. - **Fallback – using your app theme directly:** If using Minimal Publish isn’t desirable, you can use the exact theme file from your app. For example, take the **Minimal theme CSS** from your Obsidian vault and publish it (as mentioned earlier) ([How to Use Obsidian.app CSS Themes in Obsidian Publish - Share & showcase - Obsidian Forum](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/how-to-use-obsidian-app-css-themes-in-obsidian-publish/21504#:~:text=3.%20Go%20to%20folder%20,New%20row%2C%20then%20press%20Publish)). It will not include Style Settings adjustments, but it’s a quick way to get the base look. You would then still add CSS for the custom font or other tweaks. - **Custom CSS snippets:** In case certain Style Settings options don’t have a direct CSS variable, you might find solutions in the Minimal theme documentation or forums. Often, any visual option can be replicated with a bit of CSS. For instance, the Minimal Theme documentation and community forum share CSS snippets for various tweaks which you can incorporate if needed. - **Keep it lean:** Try to use the Minimal Publish CSS as-is and only override [[what you]] must (font, specific colors, etc.). This keeps your published site’s CSS clean and maintainable. The Minimal Publish theme adheres to Obsidian’s Publish best practices ([GitHub - kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish: Minimal Theme for Obsidian Publish](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-minimal-publish#:~:text=Features)), so it’s better to build on it than to replace it entirely with a large custom stylesheet. By following the above guidance, you can **publish your notes with the same look and feel** as your local Obsidian setup. Your readers will see the nicely formatted Minimal theme, your chosen font, and any other stylistic touches you’ve configured – all achieved with just a few straightforward steps and minimal coding. ([Build a Publish theme - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Themes/Obsidian+Publish+themes/Build+a+Publish+theme#:~:text=,side)) ([Site fonts - Developer Documentation](https://docs.obsidian.md/Reference/CSS+variables/Publish/Site+fonts#:~:text=Fonts,size%60))