Substack
A reader-first publishing interface built on a white canvas with warm cream surfaces, a single hot red-orange brand accent for every call-to-action, and a serif display face (Cahuenga) that gives the product its editorial, "magazine-meets-app" voice. The system is quiet and content-forward — a left rail of navigation, a centered feed of posts, and a right rail of sign-up affordances — punctuated by orange CTAs and soft 12px-rounded cards. Brand voltage comes almost entirely from the red-orange accent and the serif headline, not from color variety.
Works with
Claude Code·Cursor·Codex·Gemini CLI·Copilot·v0·Lovable·Bolt·Windsurf·Replit
Color Palette
Accent
Neutrals
Typography
display
32px · 500 · 1.24
The quick brown fox jumps
heading
20px · 800 · 1.2
The quick brown fox jumps
label
16px · 500 · 1.2
The quick brown fox jumps
Spacing & Shape
Spacing
| Name | Value | Preview |
|---|---|---|
| xxs | 4px | |
| xs | 8px | |
| sm | 12px | |
| md | 16px | |
| lg | 20px | |
| xl | 24px | |
| xxl | 40px |
Border Radius
| Name | Value | Preview |
|---|---|---|
| md | 8px | |
| lg | 12px |
FAQ
- What colors does Substack use?
- Substack's core palette includes #ffffff, #fffdf9, #f6f4ef, #f3efe8, #363737. The full color set with usage roles (canvas, ink, surfaces, accent, semantic) is documented in the Substack DESIGN.md.
- What font does Substack use?
- Substack's primary typeface is Cahuenga. The complete type scale (sizes, weights, line-height and letter-spacing per role), with an open substitute where the original is licensed, is documented in the DESIGN.md.
- What is the Substack design system?
- A reader-first publishing interface built on a white canvas with warm cream surfaces, a single hot red-orange brand accent for every call-to-action, and a serif display face (Cahuenga) that gives the…