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Editorial · Countdown · 4 × 2 widget

Editorial countdown widget

By the WidgetCraft team · Updated

An editorial countdown widget counts the days left until a date you choose. Magazine layouts with serif headlines, paper tones and portrait photos. This page gives the exact colors, type settings and layers, with a preview drawn from the same values.

Editorial countdown widget design preview: Magazine layouts with serif headlines, paper tones and portrait photos.
Design preview drawn from the recipe below. Example values are shown; your widget uses live data.

What an editorial countdown widget shows

A countdown widget keeps one date in view: a trip, a birthday, an exam or a launch. The number of days is the hero, the event name gives it meaning and a bar shows how far along you are.

WidgetCraft's countdown layer works from the phone's clock, so it is free, needs no permission and works offline. You pick the target date in the layer's details.

How the editorial style shapes it

Editorial widgets borrow from print magazines: a large serif headline, small spaced captions, thin rules and warm paper colors. They suit quotes, reading progress and portrait photos.

Editorial countdown widget recipe

LayerSettings
Canvas360 × 180, background #F3EEE4, corner radius 6
Layoutsplit: label and event name on the left, the number right aligned and larger on the right
Textlabel "Days until", size 12, color #7B7265
Countdowndays remaining, Libre Caslon Display, size 76, color #1D1A16
Textevent name, size 20, color #1D1A16
Progressa thin 4-point bar, 312 wide, progress #A4452C
Ornamenta single hairline rule across the top, like a column divider
FontLibre Caslon Display (import the font file), or the built-in Serif
Home screen size4 × 2 cells

Editorial color palette

How to make an editorial countdown widget in WidgetCraft

  1. Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #F3EEE4 and the corner radius to 6.
  2. Tap Add and choose Countdown. Pick your target date and show days only.
  3. Set the font to Libre Caslon Display, the size to 76 and the color to #1D1A16.
  4. Add a Text label "Days until" at size 12 in #7B7265, and a second Text layer for the event name at size 20.
  5. Add a Progress layer as a thin 4-point bar in #A4452C to show how much of the wait has passed.
  6. Add the editorial ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: a single hairline rule across the top, like a column divider.
  7. Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

Everything in this recipe works in the free version.

Tips for editorial countdown widgets

Ready-made Editorial templates

WidgetCraft includes a Editorial template pack you can import and edit instead of starting from a blank canvas.

A word to collectA word to collect5 editable layersReading bookmarkReading bookmark6 editable layersSunday coverSunday cover7 editable layers

Questions about the editorial countdown widget

What size is an editorial countdown widget?

It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 180 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

Newsprint (#F3EEE4) for the background, Press black (#1D1A16) for the main text, Caption grey (#7B7265) for labels and Masthead red (#A4452C) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Countdown widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the editorial styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for magazine countdown widget, serif countdown widget, newspaper style countdown widget. They describe the same look as this editorial countdown widget.

More editorial widgets

Countdown widgets in other styles