Bristlecone Admin Styles

Curated, self-hosted fonts for WordPress admin list tables — off by default. v1 styles Posts → All Posts.

Bristlecone Admin Styles is a free WordPress plugin from Bristlecone IT Services. Site admins with manage_options can pick an allowlisted font family for dense admin list tables. Custom fonts are off by default.

Source on GitHub · Download will also be available on WordPress.org (listing in progress).

Requirements

What it does

Open Bristlecone → Admin Styles. Enable the checkbox, choose a family, and save.

v1 scope

• Applies only to Posts → All Posts
• Targets the posts .wp-list-table (headers, titles, cells, row actions)
• Does not change the admin menu, admin bar, Dashboard, Pages, the editor, or the front end
• Settings store a scopes list so more /wp-admin/ screens can be added later

Fonts

Allowlisted presets only — no free-text CSS, and no third-party font CDN on admin load:

• System default (no override)
• System monospace
• Inter, Source Sans 3, IBM Plex Sans, and IBM Plex Mono (bundled WOFF2, SIL OFL 1.1)

See assets/fonts/NOTICE in the plugin for font license notes. Bundled faces are served from the plugin; system stacks use fonts already on the computer.

Settings

Under Bristlecone → Admin Styles:

• Enable custom admin fonts (default: off)
• Choose a family from the allowlist

The parent menu uses a bold B icon. Sibling plugins (including Bristlecone Markdown) sit under the same Bristlecone menu when present.

FAQ

Why is nothing different after I activate the plugin?
Custom fonts default to off. Enable them under Bristlecone → Admin Styles and choose a family other than System default. v1 only changes Posts → All Posts.

Does this load Google Fonts from the internet?
No. Bundled faces are served from the plugin. System stacks use fonts already on the computer.

Will this change my theme or the public site?
No. Styles enqueue only in wp-admin on the posts list screen.

How does this work with Bristlecone Markdown?
This plugin does not change Bristlecone Markdown. It registers a top-level Bristlecone menu only if that parent is missing.

Where do I get it?
WordPress.org (once listed) and GitHub.

License and source

Bristlecone Admin Styles is GPL-2.0-or-later. Fully free — no paid tier, no account required. Bundled fonts are SIL OFL 1.1 (see plugin notices).

Bristlecone IT Services · Plugin page · GitHub