=== Absolute 2026 ===
Contributors: don1138
Requires at least: 7.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 8.3
Stable tag: 1.2.3
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A design-forward portfolio block theme with complete starter pages and a focused library of reusable native WordPress patterns.

== Description ==

**Absolute 2026** is an opinionated block theme for portfolios, case studies, service businesses, personal work, and focused brochure sites. It combines distinctive defaults with native WordPress blocks, patterns, templates, and Global Styles.

Features include:

* Complete Home, Work, Case Study, About, Personal Project, and Contact starter-page patterns.
* Opinionated Default and quieter Inter-based Generic style variations.
* Reusable heroes, calls to action, cards, media grids, results, quotes, introductions, and text-and-image layouts.
* Polished page, post, blog, archive, search, index, and 404 templates.
* Default and full-width page templates.
* Responsive automatic light and dark colors.
* Locally bundled variable fonts with no external font requests.
* Progressive reveal effects with reduced-motion and no-JavaScript fallbacks.
* Accessible structural defaults and responsive layouts.

Starter pages are unsynced patterns inserted into **Post Content**. Their blocks remain directly editable and can be reordered, removed, or combined with other patterns.

Hero page links form a compact table of contents for substantive content sections. Calls to action and quote bands are intentionally excluded. When sections change, update both the concise link label and its corresponding block anchor.

**Featured Panels** remains a flexible layout, but its default copy presents it as the preferred pattern for highlighting case studies or selected projects.

Bundled placeholder images use empty alt text. Add meaningful alt text to replacement images that convey information; decorative images can retain empty alt text.

**Default** uses Big Shoulders and Atkinson Hyperlegible Next with the original **Absolute 2026** color system. **Generic** uses Inter with a quieter Zinc and Indigo system. Both automatically follow the visitor's light or dark preference and can be selected under `Appearance > Editor > Styles > Browse styles`.

**Absolute 2026** intentionally does not register a Project post type, project taxonomy, or dynamic portfolio feed. Work and project content remains portable, pattern-built page content.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate **Absolute 2026**.
2. Configure the header, navigation, and footer in `Appearance > Editor`.
3. Choose **Default** or **Generic** under `Appearance > Editor > Styles > Browse styles`.
4. Create a page and assign the **Full Width** template when using a complete starter page.
5. Insert a pattern from the **Absolute 2026 — Pages** category.
6. Replace sample copy, placeholder images, page-link labels and anchors, and links before publishing.

The Header and Footer include independent starter navigation. Replace every `#` destination, rename the two **Social** placeholders for their services, and test all links before publishing. The Footer's **Top** link uses WordPress's `#wp--skip-link--target`, which targets the beginning of the main content. Edit the static copyright year when appropriate.

== Optional contact form ==

**Absolute 2026** works without a companion plugin.

The separately packaged **[Absolute Contact for Absolute 2026](https://wordpress.org/plugins/absolute-contact/)** plugin adds a fixed Name, Email, and Message form block. When the plugin is active, the theme also makes its **Contact Form Section** and **Contact** starter-page patterns available.

**Absolute Contact for Absolute 2026** does not configure outgoing email. Install and configure a mail service such as **WP Mail SMTP**, verify the Administration Email Address under `Settings > General`, and send a successful test message before publishing a form.

== Copyright and resources ==

Absolute 2026 WordPress Theme, Copyright 2026 Don Schnitzius
Absolute 2026 Theme is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL
License: GNU General Public License v2.0 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Solid-color placeholder image, assets/images/image.png
Created by Don Schnitzius for Absolute 2026.
No copyright claimed.
License: CC0 1.0 Universal
License URI: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Theme screenshot, screenshot.png
Screenshot composition and capture created by Don Schnitzius for Absolute 2026.
Contains an AI-generated hero image created with OpenAI GPT/ImageGen.
No copyright claimed in the AI-generated image.
License: GPLv2 or later for the human-created screenshot composition; the AI-generated component is released under CC0 1.0 Universal to the extent any rights exist.
License URIs: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html and https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Atkinson Hyperlegible Next
Copyright 2020-2024 The Atkinson Hyperlegible Next Project Authors (https://github.com/googlefonts/atkinson-hyperlegible-next)
Source: https://www.brailleinstitute.org/
License: SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1. https://openfontlicense.org

Big Shoulders
Copyright 2019 The Big Shoulders Project Authors (https://github.com/xotypeco/big_shoulders)
Source: http://xotype.co
License: SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1. https://openfontlicense.org

Inter
Copyright 2016 The Inter Project Authors (https://github.com/rsms/inter)
Source: https://rsms.me/inter/
License: SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1. https://openfontlicense.org

== Changelog ==

= 1.2.3 =
* Aligned the Default light color palette with the Absolute 2026 design system.
* Added style-specific hero background blend colors and refined desktop hero spacing.

= 1.2.2 =
* Updated the Footer's Top link to use WordPress's skip-link target.
* Added the theme homepage URL to the theme metadata.

= 1.2.1 =
* Replaced promotional screenshot copy with placeholder text.

= 1.2.0 =
* Added existing comments and the comment form to page templates when comments are enabled.
* Added responsive page-comment layouts and polished comment-list and form styling.
* Improved translation readiness with escaped strings, translation loading, and a POT file.
* Clarified the theme copyright and GPL distribution statements.
* Removed unused development documentation from the theme package.

= 1.1.0 =
* Added independent starter navigation to the Header and Footer template parts.
* Documented navigation placeholders and the Footer's Top link.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release.
