Newspaper clock widget

What a newspaper clock widget shows

A digital clock is the widget most people place first. It needs to be readable from arm's length, so the time takes most of the space and the date sits quietly below it.

It uses the phone's own time, so it needs no permission and works offline. WidgetCraft's clock layer follows your 12- or 24-hour setting unless you choose a format.

How the newspaper style shapes it

Newspaper widgets copy a front page: a bold serif headline, a dateline in small capitals, double rules and tight columns in black on newsprint.

• Numbers: Set the number like a headline figure with a caption beneath.
• Text: Write the title as a headline in bold serif and add a dateline in small capitals.

Newspaper clock widget recipe

Newspaper color palette

• Newsprint #F1EEE6Background
• Fold grey #E4DFD3Surface and tracks
• Ink black #111111Text
• Halftone #666159Labels
• Ink black #111111Accent

How to make a newspaper clock widget in WidgetCraft

1. Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #F1EEE6 and the corner radius to 0.
2. Tap Add and choose Clock. Set the format to hours and minutes, the font to Playfair Display, the size to 78 and the color to #111111.
3. Add a Date layer above it for the weekday at size 12 in #666159.
4. Add a second Date layer below for the day and month at size 15.
5. Add a small Shape in #111111 as the only accent, and align every layer to the same left margin of 24.
6. Arrange the layers in the stacked layout: weekday, time, then date, all left aligned.
7. Add the newspaper ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: a masthead rule at the top made of a 4-point bar with a 1-point line beneath it, and a 1-point rule along the bottom.
8. 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 newspaper clock widgets

• Add a thick rule and a thin rule together as a masthead line.
• Keep everything black on newsprint.
• Seconds make a home screen widget look busy and Android updates widgets about once a minute, so leave them out.
• Check the widest time, such as 22:58 or 12:48 PM, so it never touches the edges.
• If the launcher crops the widget, reduce the time size before reducing the margins.
• Do not use color except one dark red word.
• Do not round the corners.

Questions about the newspaper clock widget

What size is a newspaper clock 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 (#F1EEE6) for the background, Ink black (#111111) for the main text, Halftone (#666159) for labels and Ink black (#111111) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Clock widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the newspaper styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for news style clock widget, headline clock widget, print clock widget. They describe the same look as this newspaper clock widget.

More newspaper widgets

• Newspaper analog clock widget
• Newspaper calendar widget
• Newspaper battery widget
• Newspaper countdown widget
• Newspaper to-do list widget
• Newspaper photo widget
• Newspaper quote widget
• Newspaper music widget
• Newspaper year progress widget
• Newspaper step counter widget
• Newspaper habit tracker widget
• Newspaper sticky note widget
• Newspaper world clock widget
• Newspaper date widget
• Newspaper home screen setup
• All newspaper widgets

Clock widgets in other styles

• Editorial clock widget
• Monochrome clock widget
• E-ink clock widget
• All clock widgets