The upcoming release of WordPress 6.5, set for launch on March 26th, 2024, includes an array of enhanced design tools that we hope will help you create even more art in new ways. Mirroring the tradition with previous releases, there will be a dedicated exhibit showcasing the artworks created with WordPress 6.5 that we want to feature your pieces in! To offer a glimpse into the future and ignite the creative sparks for all block artists, this post digs into the specific improvements and newly introduced features that we think will help anyone creating art with blocks.
To make it even easier to join the fun, a WordPress Playground link has been set up on the Contribute page, making it possible to quickly spin up a blank canvas in WordPress using 6.5 to create your art from.
Fonts galore
After being punted from the WordPress 6.4 release, the Font Library finally makes it debut, ensuring it’s easy for anyone to install, remove, and activate fonts across your site. It will be available globally, independent of the theme activated, similar to the Media Library. Any installed font, whether installed by a user or a theme, can then be selected across the editing experience. When fonts are installed, they are stored in wp-content/fonts. As part of this new experience, Google Fonts is automatically included for folks to use, along with the option to upload fonts manually. This new ability unlocks a powerful way to control a key part of your site and a new pathway for possible future art with any font at your fingertips.
Even more block supports
The following block supports have been added with 6.5 and, Wwile these might not stand out as obvious go-to blocks for block artists, perhaps that can change.
- Dimensions: add aspect ratio block support (56897) allowing you to go beyond minHeight support to easily set to pre-defined aspect ratios.
- Login/out: Add spacing support (45147).
- Quote block: Add block gap support (56064).
- List block: Adjust the dimensions (margin and padding) of individual list-item blocks (55874).
- Pullquote Block: Add padding and margin support. (45731)
Embrace the shadows
Box shadow support is now available for a set of individual blocks when box shadow support is enabled by the theme. You can find the option under the Shadow panel in block settings under “Border & Shadow”. Along with buttons, Column, Columns, and Images have box shadow support added. It is important to note that the default shadow presets provided by Core are deactivated to allow for a cleaner integration. However, folks have the option to include five predefined styles or may choose to define custom configurations using theme.json when adding support.
Get creative with your background images in Group blocks
With background image options added to the Group block in WordPress 6.4, this release adds controls to the background image to adjust size, toggle repetition, and set the focal point. These options allow you to set the background image to “Cover” (default), or to “Contain”, keeping the aspect ratio intact, and when set to repeat it only repeats in one dimension. With the “Fixed” option, you can set a custom display width, and by selecting the repeat feature, the image repeats over the canvas size of the block. These controls are hidden by default but are powerful for any tinkerers, artists included.