Presentation Settings

Make your poem visual

A poem's look can set its mood before a single word is read. The Appearance tab in the composer gives you a handful of tools for that. Every one of them is optional.

Background colour

Pick any colour to fill the space behind your poem, from a warm cream to a midnight blue. Your background is your choice: it looks the same to readers in light mode and dark mode, so the poem always looks the way you set it.

Text colour

Choose the colour for your title and text. The composer shows a contrast check against your background, so you can tell at a glance whether readers will be able to read it comfortably. Aim for strong contrast. Pale text on a pale background is hard on everyone's eyes.

Background image

Upload an image to sit behind your poem (up to 5 MB, or 10 MB for a GIF). Choose images with quiet areas where text can rest, and avoid busy patterns behind your lines.

Font and alignment

• Font: pick from the built-in typefaces, or one of your own fonts. See "Using Custom Fonts".
• Alignment: left, centred or right. Centred suits short lyrics; left alignment usually reads best for longer poems.
• Font pairs: the Appearance tab lets you choose a title font and a body font together, from suggested pairs or by picking each yourself. Leave the title font alone and the title uses the body font.
• Use for new poems: save your current title and body fonts as the starting point for new poems. It is saved per profile, so each persona can have its own look. Poems you have already published keep their fonts.

Soundtrack

Add ambient music that plays softly while readers spend time with your poem. You have two options:

• Library: browse and preview tracks from Stanza's sound library, then choose one. This is the safe choice.
• Upload: use your own audio file (up to 100 MB). You'll be asked to confirm that you have the rights to it, or that it's your own work.

Readers stay in control. They can mute the sound, and their mute and volume carry across the Stage.

Seasonal frames

While a season is running (for example autumn or winter), Appearance offers a seasonal frame for your poem. You can keep a frame after the season ends, or clear it whenever you like. Frames are only offered during their season, and you cannot add one that is not running.

How readers see it

• Your appearance choices show wherever the poem is read: on the Stage and on the poem's own page.
• Reaction buttons and other controls drawn over your background adjust their ink so they stay readable.
• Readers can still change the poem's text size for comfort in the app. See "Poem Size".

Less is more

Your poem stands on its own. Appearance settings should frame your words, not compete with them. A plain background and a readable font are never the wrong choice.