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Installing Arda

There are two ways to install the Arda theme: through Obsidian’s Community Themes (recommended) or manually from the releases page.

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Installation Methods

1

Community Themes (Recommended)

The easiest way to install Arda is directly through Obsidian’s built-in theme browser:
  1. Open Settings in Obsidian (click the gear icon or press Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
  2. Navigate to Appearance in the left sidebar
  3. Under the Themes section, click the Manage button
  4. In the theme browser, search for Arda
  5. Click Install and use to apply the theme immediately
Using Community Themes ensures you’ll receive automatic update notifications when new versions are released.
2

Manual Installation

If you prefer to install manually or need a specific version:
  1. Download theme.css and manifest.json from the latest release
  2. Navigate to your vault’s .obsidian/themes/ directory
    • On macOS/Linux: [Your Vault]/.obsidian/themes/
    • On Windows: [Your Vault]\.obsidian\themes\
  3. Create a new folder named Arda inside the themes directory
  4. Place both downloaded files (theme.css and manifest.json) into the Arda folder
  5. Open Obsidian Settings → Appearance
  6. Under Themes, select Arda from the dropdown menu
If you don’t see a .obsidian folder in your vault, make sure hidden files are visible in your file explorer.
3

Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Arda is active:
  • Your interface should display true black backgrounds
  • Headings should appear in burgundy tones
  • UI elements should have a medieval, parchment-like aesthetic
If the theme doesn’t appear to be working correctly, try:
  • Restarting Obsidian
  • Ensuring dark mode is enabled (Settings → Appearance → Base color scheme → Dark)
  • Checking that no CSS snippets are conflicting with the theme

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Important Notes

Dark Mode Only: Arda is designed exclusively for dark mode. The theme will not work properly if Obsidian is set to light mode. Make sure your base color scheme is set to “Dark” in Settings → Appearance.
Check for Updates: If you installed via Community Themes, Obsidian will notify you when updates are available. For manual installations, check the releases page periodically for new versions.

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Minimum Requirements

  • Obsidian version: 1.0.0 or higher
  • Color mode: Dark mode
  • Platform: Compatible with all platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android)

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during installation:
  • Theme not appearing in list: Ensure the folder structure is correct: .obsidian/themes/Arda/ containing both theme.css and manifest.json
  • Theme looks broken: Confirm dark mode is enabled and try disabling any CSS snippets temporarily
  • Manual installation not working: Make sure both files were downloaded completely and aren’t corrupted

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Next Steps

Once installed, explore the theme’s features:

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