GeneratePress is one of the fastest WordPress themes available — but its default appearance is deliberately minimal. Most of the design work happens through the WordPress Customizer (for basic configuration) and GP Premium’s additional options (for full design control). Here is how to set it up properly.
Step 1: Install GeneratePress Free Theme
Go to WordPress → Appearance → Themes → Add New. Search “GeneratePress” and install the free theme from Tom Usborne. Activate it. Your site now has a clean, minimal design — this is the starting point, not the finished product.
Step 2: Install GP Premium (Recommended)
GP Premium ($59/year for unlimited sites) unlocks the site library, advanced typography, colour controls, and the Sections builder. Purchase from generatepress.com, download the GP Premium plugin ZIP, and install via WordPress → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Activate and enter your license key.
Step 3: Use the Site Library
Go to Appearance → GeneratePress → Sites. Browse 100+ pre-built site designs. Filter by category, style, or page builder (some sites are built with Elementor, others with the native block editor). Click a site to preview, then click “Install” to apply the demo content, customiser settings, and page templates. This gives you a complete design foundation in minutes.
Prefer to have someone handle the setup? Describe what you need and get a free estimate — no obligation.
Step 4: Configure Typography
Go to Appearance → Customise → Typography (GP Premium expands these options significantly). Set:
- Body font family, size, and line height
- Heading fonts (H1-H6) — can use Google Fonts or system fonts
- Navigation font and size
GeneratePress uses a performance-conscious approach to fonts — it generates only the font weights actually used, rather than loading full font families.
Step 5: Configure Colours
Go to Appearance → Customise → Colors. Set your brand colours for: background, text, links, buttons, header, and navigation. GP Premium enables granular colour control for every site element. Set these before building any page content — global colour changes apply everywhere consistently.
Step 6: Configure Layout
Go to Appearance → Customise → Layout. Set container width (1200px is standard for most designs), sidebar position, and header layout. GeneratePress supports multiple header layouts in GP Premium — sticky header, transparent header, and navigation positions.