Rubik Combined Listings on Pixel Union Themes: Empire, Atlantic, Grid & Tailor (2026)
Pixel Union is part of the Tiny family (alongside Dribbble, MetaLab, and Flow), and that design pedigree shows in every theme they ship. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein has called them the studio behind “some of the richest, most beautiful ecommerce experiences available on any device.” Six active themes, 22 presets, 1,000+ combined reviews, and a price range from $100 to $340 that covers everything from a solo founder’s first store to a large-catalog operation with advanced filtering. All six run Rubik Combined Listings cleanly, without Plus, without code edits.
In this guide
- About Pixel Union
- Empire + Rubik Combined Listings
- Atlantic + Rubik Combined Listings
- Grid + Rubik Combined Listings
- Tailor + Rubik Combined Listings
- Startup & Editions (budget tiers)
- Per-theme comparison
- Setup walkthrough
- FAQ
About Pixel Union
Pixel Union is a Canadian theme studio that’s been building Shopify themes since the early days of the platform. They’re part of Tiny, a holding company that also owns Dribbble (the design community) and MetaLab (the product studio behind Slack’s original UI). That lineage explains why Pixel Union themes feel more considered than most: Empire’s dense catalog navigation, Atlantic’s warm editorial layouts, Grid’s versatile card system. Five of their original 11 themes have been retired from the Theme Store (Launch, Reach, Pacific, Handy, Gem), but the six remaining ones are actively maintained with 2025-2026 updates.
Empire + Rubik Combined Listings
Empire is Pixel Union’s most installed theme. $340, 474 reviews (79% positive), version 12.3.0 (March 2026). Ships with 4 presets: Empire, Circuit, Depot, and Forma. Target vertical: large catalogs (jewelry, food, home goods). Empire is the Pixel Union theme for stores that prioritize product discovery over editorial storytelling. Dense grids, advanced filtering, comparison-ready product cards.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Empire: Inside the product variant area and on dense collection cards. Empire’s catalog-first approach means tiny swatch dots (20px) keep card heights uniform across the grid. Use “Compact” preset. The “Depot” preset (warehouse/outlet style) pairs well with Rubik’s OOS auto-hide feature, keeping the swatch row clean as stock levels change across colorways.
Real use case. A jewelry wholesaler sells the same pendant in Sterling Silver, Gold Plated, Rose Gold, and Rhodium as separate products (different metal cost, different markup, different supplier). Empire’s dense grid shows hundreds of pendants. Rubik groups each design’s 4 metal options with tiny metal-finish swatches. Customer filters by collection, spots the pendant, sees 4 metal dots, clicks Gold Plated, lands on the Gold Plated product page with its specific pricing and supplier info.
Atlantic + Rubik Combined Listings
Atlantic is Pixel Union’s highest-rated theme. $280, 226 reviews (96% positive), version 19.1.1 (December 2025). Ships with 5 presets: Atlantic, Plush, Cotton, Atrium, and Parfum. Target vertical: jewelry, food, and mid-to-large catalogs. Atlantic has been around long enough to accumulate 19 major version updates, which means it’s one of the most battle-tested premium themes on the entire Theme Store. Warm typography, editorial product pages, and a layout that handles both small boutique catalogs and larger inventory sets.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Atlantic: Variant section and collection cards. Atlantic’s warm, editorial aesthetic pairs well with medium color circles (28px) or “Premium Pill” swatches. The “Parfum” preset (designed for fragrance and beauty) works nicely with labeled pill swatches showing scent names. The “Cotton” preset (softer, textile-focused) pairs with image swatches showing fabric textures.
Grid + Rubik Combined Listings
Grid is Pixel Union’s versatile mid-range theme. $260, 140 reviews (90% positive), version 7.2.0 (March 2026). Ships with 4 presets: Grid, Flora, Knoll, and Ember. Target vertical: beauty, clothing, jewelry, and home. Grid is the Pixel Union theme that doesn’t try to be fancy. Clean product cards, logical navigation, consistent spacing. The kind of theme that looks professional without drawing attention to itself.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Grid: Below card images and in the PDP variant area. Grid’s clean, structured card system is ideal for standard-sized color circles (24px to 28px). Use “Standard” or “Minimal Circles” preset. The “Flora” preset (botanical, softer) pairs well with earth-toned image swatches. “Ember” (warmer, lifestyle) works with “Premium Pill” labeled buttons.
Tailor + Rubik Combined Listings
Tailor is Pixel Union’s newest and most fashion-focused theme. $320, 12 reviews (92% positive), version 4.1.0 (October 2025). Ships with 3 presets: Tailor, Nylon, and Lycra. Target vertical: apparel, fashion, and jewelry. Tailor was built specifically for clothing brands, with product page layouts designed around fabric photography and fit-focused variant selection. The preset names (Nylon, Lycra) hint at the textile DNA.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Tailor: In the fashion-focused variant area and on collection cards. Tailor’s apparel-first design handles long swatch rows naturally (8+ colorways per garment). Use “Standard” or “Image Swatch” preset with medium swatches (28px). Image swatches showing actual fabric textures or dye patterns are the most effective swatch type on Tailor because clothing shoppers want to see the fabric, not just a color circle.
Startup & Editions (budget tiers)
Pixel Union also ships two $100 themes: Startup (103 reviews, 83% positive, 4 presets: Startup, Travel, Duvet, Comfort) and Editions (93 reviews, 92% positive, 2 presets: Editions, Opal). Both are OS 2.0 compatible and accept Rubik’s theme app block. Startup is for small DTC catalogs; Editions is for boutique stores with curated collections. At $100 + Rubik free ($0/month), you get a working combined listings setup for $100 total. That’s the cheapest Pixel Union + combined listings stack possible.
Per-theme comparison
| Pixel Union theme | Price | Presets | Reviews | Best Rubik preset | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire | $340 | 4 (Empire, Circuit, Depot, Forma) | 474 (79%) | Compact | Large catalogs, wholesale |
| Atlantic | $280 | 5 (Atlantic, Plush, Cotton, Atrium, Parfum) | 226 (96%) | Premium Pill / Standard | Jewelry, food, editorial |
| Grid | $260 | 4 (Grid, Flora, Knoll, Ember) | 140 (90%) | Standard / Minimal Circles | Beauty, clothing, home |
| Tailor | $320 | 3 (Tailor, Nylon, Lycra) | 12 (92%) | Standard / Image Swatch | Apparel, fashion |
| Startup | $100 | 4 (Startup, Travel, Duvet, Comfort) | 103 (83%) | Compact | Small DTC, first store |
| Editions | $100 | 2 (Editions, Opal) | 93 (92%) | Standard | Boutique, curated |
Setup walkthrough
Identical across all six Pixel Union themes.
- Install Rubik Combined Listings. Free plan covers 5 groups.
- Add the app block to your Pixel Union theme. Theme editor, product page template, drag Rubik app block into the variant section. Same for collection template.
- Create groups, pick visual settings, publish. AI Magic Fill auto-detects colors. Preview live. Real-time OOS sync.
Plan with our free Shopify variant calculator. Verify swatch colors with the color contrast checker.
Pairing with Rubik Variant Images
Many Pixel Union users also run Rubik Variant Images for in-product gallery filtering. Full stack: Rubik Combined Listings groups separate products with swatches. Inside each product, Rubik Variant Images filters the gallery per variant. Two apps, Shadow DOM isolation, no conflict with Pixel Union’s design system.
“Hands Down the best customer support of all the variation/swatch apps I have used till date. The app does everything. From individual variant gallery to really detailed customizable swatch’s. All in a single app.”
Bellissima Covers, India, Rubik Variant Images on the Shopify App Store
See the live demo store, watch the setup tutorial, or read the getting started guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rubik work on all 6 Pixel Union themes?
Yes. Empire, Atlantic, Grid, Tailor, Startup, and Editions are all OS 2.0 themes. Rubik drops in via theme app blocks. Retired Pixel Union themes (Launch, Reach, Pacific, Handy, Gem) are also supported if you still run them.
Do I need Shopify Plus?
No. Rubik works on every plan including Basic. Startup ($100) + Rubik free = $100 total for a working combined listings store.
Which Pixel Union theme is best for fashion with many colorways?
Tailor. It was built specifically for apparel with preset names like Nylon and Lycra. Atlantic is the runner-up for jewelry/fashion brands that want warmer editorial layouts. Empire for massive catalogs where density matters more than storytelling.
Related reading
Umid
Co-Founder at Craftshift