LT Author
Joomla template for journalists and columnists: published pieces drawn as cuttings sized by word count, a weekly column, investigations in parts, a newsletter and commission rates.
The Joomla version of this design is being rebuilt on the stack below. Until it is released, the download is the current version of LT Author for Joomla.
Key features
LT Author files a writer's work like a cuttings book, each piece a strip of newsprint as long as its word count on one ruler. This month's pieces lead the home page, and the same ruler shows commission lengths for editors, with an archive, investigation series, standards and corrections, bios and talks.
- Cuttings to scaleThe home page hangs recent pieces as newsprint strips beside a word ruler, each with headline, paper, date and length.
- Investigations in partsSeries pages with numbered parts and notes on how each was reported, plus a writing archive with small length strips.
- Rates for editorsCommission lengths from a short news story to a long read on the same ruler, with rates, turnaround and how to pitch.
- Quickstart or template packageFree: template + one-page quickstart (the home page as a one-page website). Pro: full multi-page website like the demo (a full copy of the demo site, restored with Akeeba Kickstart and Akeeba's restoration script in the browser). Or add the template to a Joomla site you already run.
- One-page website in every editionFree comes with a one-page quickstart: the home page sections on one scrolling page, with a menu that scrolls to them and highlights the current section. Pro's full quickstart has the same one-page version next to the multi-page site.
- Change it without codeColours, fonts, logo, header and footer are Helix Ultimate template options; page sections are edited in SP Page Builder Lite.
The design, section by section
Screens of the design from its WordPress version; the Joomla version is built from the same design and pages.
What you edit, and where
| What | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| Colours, fonts, logo, header, footer, layout and module positions | Helix Ultimate 2.2.x template options | System > Site Template Styles > LT Author > Template Options |
| Page sections (home, inner pages) | SP Page Builder 6 Lite (free) | Reorder, duplicate or delete whole sections in SP Page Builder and edit the words in its text editor; the layout inside a section is fixed HTML, not drag and drop. |
| Contact form | Convert Forms Free | Fields, the email it is sent to and the thank-you message (Components > Convert Forms). |
| Slider (where the design uses one) | Smart Slider 3 Free | Slides, texts and timing in Smart Slider 3; the slider is placed on the page as a module. |
| Portfolio and photo galleries | SP Simple Portfolio and SP Easy Image Gallery (free) | Portfolio items and tags, gallery albums and their pictures (Components > SP Simple Portfolio, SP Easy Image Gallery). |
| Top bar, footer columns, menus and latest posts | Custom HTML and core Joomla modules (Menu, Articles) | Content > Site Modules and Menus > Main Menu (up to 3 levels). |
Two ways to install
- One-page quickstart (Free)A small Joomla site with the template, its extensions and the home page as a one-page website: the home sections on one scrolling page with a scroll menu, the top bar, footer and the footer credit. No inner pages, blog or contact form. Upload it to an empty folder and restore it with Akeeba Kickstart and Akeeba's restoration script in the browser.
- Full quickstart (Pro)The full multi-page website like the demo: every page, the blog with sample posts, the contact form, menus and modules, plus the one-page version. In Pro Standard and Pro Unlimited; upload it to an empty folder and restore it with Akeeba Kickstart and Akeeba's restoration script in the browser, then replace the sample texts and images.
- Template package (all editions)Only the template. Install it in System > Install > Extensions on a Joomla site you already have, then build your pages; the demo layout is not imported.
What an AI assistant can do for a Joomla site
No AI writes into your Joomla site by itself. These are the honest options today; you stay in control of every change.
- AI assistant Free and Pro Ask the AI assistant on ltheme.com (the chat bubble) or Ask AI on doc.ltheme.com about installing and editing the template. Free help also comes through the contact form. Contact form
- AI help in ticket support Pro only Open a ticket and you get an instant AI-drafted answer; a person from our team follows up. Ticket support
- Texts for your pages Works with any AI assistant Ask an assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT to draft your page texts in your own words, then paste them into the SP Page Builder text editor and your Joomla articles.
- Small design changes Works with any AI assistant Describe the change and ask for CSS; paste it into Helix Ultimate's Custom Code tab and check the page before you save.
- AI kit WordPress version only The kit that lets an assistant edit pages safely (instructions, ready prompts, a checked import tool) exists for our WordPress themes only. Nothing in a Joomla site is changed by AI unless you paste it in. See the WordPress version
Compatibility and requirements
| Platform | Joomla 6 (latest version) |
|---|---|
| PHP | PHP 8.3 or newer |
| Template framework | Helix Ultimate 2.2.x (free) |
| Page builder | SP Page Builder 6 Lite (free); SP Page Builder Pro not needed |
| Contact form | Convert Forms Free |
| Slider | Smart Slider 3 Free, where the design uses one |
| Portfolio and gallery | SP Simple Portfolio and SP Easy Image Gallery (free) |
| Fonts | Trirong, bundled (no Google Fonts requests) |
| Colours | Blue pencil, Ribbon black, Copy red, Sugar paper |
| Installation | One-page quickstart (Free), full quickstart (Pro) or template package (all editions) |
| Licence | Free: footer credit stays. Pro Standard: one website. Pro Unlimited: unlimited websites. |
| Editions | Free: template + one-page quickstart. Pro: full multi-page website like the demo. |
| Support | Free: the AI assistant and the contact form. Pro: ticket support (with an instant AI-drafted answer). |
| Help | Documentation, ticket support, install service |
Questions
Is it only for journalists?
It also suits freelance writers, newsletter authors, critics and columnists who want readers and editors to find their work.
Do I need SP Page Builder Pro?
No. The pages use the free SP Page Builder Lite, with Convert Forms Free for the contact form; Helix Ultimate is free too.
Quickstart or template package: which one do I need?
For a new site take a quickstart: the Free one-page quickstart gives you the home page as a one-page website, the Pro quickstart the full multi-page website like the demo. Take the template package to restyle a Joomla site you already have; your content stays and the demo pages are not added.
What is the difference between Free and Pro?
Free: template + one-page quickstart (the template package and the home page sections as a one-page website with a scroll menu); the footer credit stays, and help comes from the AI assistant and the contact form. Pro: full multi-page website like the demo: every page, sample posts and the contact form, the one-page version too, credit removal (put your own copyright line there), updates and ticket support. Pro Standard is for one website with a year of updates, Pro Unlimited for unlimited websites with lifetime updates.
What if it does not work for me?
If a Pro product has a problem we cannot fix, open a ticket within 30 days of your order and we refund it in full.
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