HerrTopi · Oct 2, 2026 · Sep 22, 2026
diff --git a/docs/contributing/freezing-themes.md b/docs/contributing/freezing-themes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+---
+title: Freezing themes
+category: Contributing
+order: 9
+---
+
+# Freezing themes
+
+## Why freeze?
+
+Component themes in the new theming system are generated from `@instructure/instructure-design-tokens`. That package has its own semantic version, so a major bump can rename, reshape, or drop tokens a component relies on.
+
+If a component's theme variables change in a way that breaks the component, we freeze the component's current theme structure. The component keeps resolving its tokens from that frozen snapshot, so it renders the same after the breaking token change. This is the theming counterpart of the [Multi-Version System](#multi-version-system): the old component version stays intact, and the frozen theme is what keeps it intact.
+
+## How to freeze
+
+When design tokens release a new major version, snapshot the previous one. For a 4.0.0 release, the previous major is 3, so add:
+
+```sh
+---
+type: code
+---
+packages/ui-themes/src/themes/frozenThemes/designTokensV3/
+├── index.ts
+├── primitives.ts
+├── semantics.ts
+├── sharedTokens.ts
+└── components/
+    ├── index.ts
+    └── <component>/
+        ├── type.ts
+        ├── canvas.ts
+        ├── canvasHighContrast.ts
+        ├── dark.ts
+        └── light.ts
+```
+
+The folder is a partial theme. Include only what broke:
+
+- the themes of the components that broke in 4.0.0, one folder per component with a file per theme key (`canvas`, `canvas-high-contrast`, `dark`, `light`)
+- primitives, semantics, and shared tokens, but only if those broke too
+
+Then export the snapshot and its component types from `frozenThemes/index.ts` and from the `ui-themes` entry point, and register the component value types in the `FrozenComponentValues` union in `packages/ui-themes/src/index.ts`. That union is what makes `themeOverride.components` accept the frozen token shape.
+
+See `packages/ui-themes/src/themes/frozenThemes/designTokensV1` for a worked example.
+
+## What's next?
+
+A frozen component opts in by passing the snapshot to `withStyleNew` or `useStyleNew` and typing its theme against the snapshot's component types.
+
+```js
+---
+type: code
+---
+// class component
+import { frozenThemesDesignTokensV1 } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
+
+@withStyleNew(generateStyle, null, frozenThemesDesignTokensV1)
+class Alert extends Component<AlertProps, AlertState> { /* ... */ }
+
+// function component
+const styles = useStyleNew({
+  generateStyle,
+  componentId: 'Pill',
+  themeOverride: props.themeOverride,
+  frozenTheme: frozenThemesDesignTokensV1
+})
+```
+
+`props.ts` and `styles.ts` switch from `NewComponentTypes` to the frozen types:
+
+```js
+---
+type: code
+---
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
+
+const generateStyle = (
+  componentTheme: ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Alert']>,
+  props: AlertProps,
+  sharedTokens: SharedTokens
+): AlertStyle => { /* ... */ }
+```
diff --git a/packages/emotion/src/useStyleNew.ts b/packages/emotion/src/useStyleNew.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ const useStyleNew = <
   // if a new theme has been added to the lib since this component version has been frozen, it can't be used with this
   // theme, so we throw an error. Solution: upgrade to the latest version, it will support it
   if (frozenTheme && !frozenTheme[themeKey]) {
-    console.error(
+    throw new Error(
       `The version of ${componentId} you are using does not support the currently applied "${themeKey}" theme. ` +
         `Please upgrade to the latest version of ${componentId}.`
     )

diff --git a/packages/emotion/src/withStyleNew.tsx b/packages/emotion/src/withStyleNew.tsx
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ const withStyleNew = decorator(
       // if a new theme has been added to the lib since this component version has been frozen, it can't be used with this
       // theme, so we throw an error. Solution: upgrade to the latest version, it will support it
       if (frozenTheme && !frozenTheme[themeKey]) {
-        console.error(
+        throw new Error(
           `The version of ${displayName} you are using does not support the currently applied "${themeKey}" theme. ` +
             `Please upgrade to the latest version of ${displayName}.`
         )

diff --git a/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/index.tsx b/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/index.tsx
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ import generateStyle from './styles.js'
 
 import { allowedProps } from './props.js'
 import type { AlertProps, AlertState } from './props'
+import { frozenThemesDesignTokensV1 } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 /**
 ---
 category: components
 ---
 **/
 @withDeterministicId()
-@withStyleNew(generateStyle)
+@withStyleNew(generateStyle, null, frozenThemesDesignTokensV1)
 class Alert extends Component<AlertProps, AlertState> {
   static displayName = 'Alert'
   static readonly componentId = 'Alert'

diff --git a/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/props.ts b/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/props.ts
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ import type {
   WithStyleProps,
   ComponentStyle
 } from '@instructure/emotion'
-import type { NewComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 import type { Renderable } from '@instructure/shared-types'
 import type { WithDeterministicIdProps } from '@instructure/ui-react-utils'
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 type AlertOwnProps = {
   /**
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ type PropKeys = keyof AlertOwnProps
 type AllowedPropKeys = Readonly<Array<PropKeys>>
 
 type AlertProps = AlertOwnProps &
-  WithStyleProps<ReturnType<NewComponentTypes['Alert']>, AlertStyle> &
+  WithStyleProps<
+    ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Alert']>,
+    AlertStyle
+  > &
   WithDeterministicIdProps
 
 type AlertStyle = ComponentStyle<

diff --git a/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/styles.ts b/packages/ui-alerts/src/Alert/v2/styles.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@
  * SOFTWARE.
  */
 import { boxShadowObjectsToCSSString } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
-import type { NewComponentTypes, SharedTokens } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
+import type { SharedTokens } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 import type { AlertProps, AlertStyle } from './props'
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 /**
  * ---
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ import type { AlertProps, AlertStyle } from './props'
  * @return {Object} The final style object, which will be used in the component
  */
 const generateStyle = (
-  componentTheme: ReturnType<NewComponentTypes['Alert']>,
+  componentTheme: ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Alert']>,
   props: AlertProps,
   sharedTokens: SharedTokens
 ): AlertStyle => {

diff --git a/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/index.tsx b/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/index.tsx
@@ -35,14 +35,15 @@ import generateStyle from './styles.js'
 
 import type { PillProps, PillState } from './props'
 import { allowedProps } from './props.js'
+import { frozenThemesDesignTokensV1 } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 /**
 ---
 category: components
 ---
 **/
 
-@withStyleNew(generateStyle)
+@withStyleNew(generateStyle, null, frozenThemesDesignTokensV1)
 class Pill extends Component<PillProps, PillState> {
   static displayName = 'Pill'
   static readonly componentId = 'Pill'

diff --git a/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/props.ts b/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/props.ts
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ import type {
   WithStyleProps,
   ComponentStyle
 } from '@instructure/emotion'
-import type { NewComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 import type {
   AsElementType,
   OtherHTMLAttributes
 } from '@instructure/shared-types'
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 type PillOwnProps = {
   as?: AsElementType
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ type PropKeys = keyof PillOwnProps
 type AllowedPropKeys = Readonly<Array<PropKeys>>
 
 type PillProps = PillOwnProps &
-  WithStyleProps<ReturnType<NewComponentTypes['Pill']>, PillStyle> &
+  WithStyleProps<ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Pill']>, PillStyle> &
   OtherHTMLAttributes<PillOwnProps>
 
 type PillStyle = ComponentStyle<

diff --git a/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/styles.ts b/packages/ui-pill/src/Pill/v2/styles.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
  * SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-import type { NewComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 import type { PillProps, PillStyle } from './props'
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from '@instructure/ui-themes'
 
 /**
  * ---
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import type { PillProps, PillStyle } from './props'
  * @return {Object} The final style object, which will be used in the component
  */
 const generateStyle = (
-  componentTheme: ReturnType<NewComponentTypes['Pill']>,
+  componentTheme: ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Pill']>,
   props: PillProps
 ): PillStyle => {
   const { color } = props

diff --git a/packages/ui-scripts/package.json b/packages/ui-scripts/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@babel/cli": "^7.27.2",
     "@instructure/command-utils": "workspace:*",
-    "@instructure/instructure-design-tokens": "github:instructure/instructure-design-tokens#v1.5.0",
+    "@instructure/instructure-design-tokens": "github:instructure/instructure-design-tokens#v1.9.0",
     "dprint": "^0.57.1",
     "http-server": "^14.1.1",
     "inquirer": "^14.2.1",

diff --git a/packages/ui-select/src/Select/__tests__/Select.test.tsx b/packages/ui-select/src/Select/__tests__/Select.test.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ import { render } from 'vitest-browser-react'
 import { page, userEvent } from 'vitest/browser'
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type { MockInstance } from 'vitest'
+
+import { color2hex } from '@instructure/ui-color-utils'
+import canvas from '@instructure/ui-themes'
+
 import { Select } from '@instructure/ui-select/latest'
 import {
   CheckInstUIIcon,
@@ -1327,6 +1331,9 @@ describe('<Select />', () => {
     })
 
     it('should render dynamically colored icons before option', async () => {
+      const iconTheme = canvas.newTheme.components.Icon(
+        canvas.newTheme.semantics(canvas.newTheme.primitives)
+      )
       const renderBeforeLabel = (props: any) => {
         return (
           <CheckInstUIIcon
@@ -1356,12 +1363,12 @@ describe('<Select />', () => {
         'ul[role="listbox"] li [role="presentation"] svg'
       )
       // the icons colour themselves via `stroke`, not `fill`
-      const iconStyles = Array.from(icons).map(
-        (icon) => window.getComputedStyle(icon).stroke
+      const iconStyles = Array.from(icons).map((icon) =>
+        color2hex(window.getComputedStyle(icon).stroke)
       )
 
-      expect(iconStyles[0]).toBe('rgb(207, 74, 0)')
-      expect(iconStyles[1]).toBe('rgb(43, 122, 188)')
+      expect(iconStyles[0]).toBe(iconTheme.warningColor)
+      expect(iconStyles[1]).toBe(iconTheme.infoColor)
     })
 
     it('should set maxHeight according to the visibleOptionsCount prop', async () => {

diff --git a/packages/ui-themes/src/index.ts b/packages/ui-themes/src/index.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ import type {
   Light
 } from './themes/newThemeTokens'
 
+import { frozenThemesDesignTokensV1 } from './themes/frozenThemes'
+import type { DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes } from './themes/frozenThemes'
+
 type ThemeMap = {
   canvas: CanvasTheme
   'canvas-high-contrast': CanvasHighContrastTheme
@@ -72,9 +75,32 @@ type ThemeMap = {
 
 type ThemeKeys = keyof ThemeMap
 
-// converts `AA: (semantics: any) => AA` to `AA: AA`
+type KeysOfUnion<T> = T extends unknown ? keyof T : never
+
+type ExclusiveUnion<T, All = T> = T extends unknown
+  ? T & { [K in Exclude<KeysOfUnion<All>, keyof T>]?: never }
+  : never
+
+type FrozenComponentValuesV1 = {
+  Alert: ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Alert']>
+  Pill: ReturnType<DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes['Pill']>
+}
+
+/**
+ * Every frozen token-shape map. Register a new frozen version by adding it to
+ * this union — nothing below needs to change.
+ */
+type FrozenComponentValues = FrozenComponentValuesV1
+
+type FrozenValueFor<
+  K extends PropertyKey,
+  Maps = FrozenComponentValues
+> = Maps extends Record<K, unknown> ? Maps[K] : never
+
 type NewComponentsAsValue = {
-  [K in keyof NewComponentTypes]: ReturnType<NewComponentTypes[K]>
+  [K in keyof NewComponentTypes]: K extends KeysOfUnion<FrozenComponentValues>
+    ? ExclusiveUnion<ReturnType<NewComponentTypes[K]> | FrozenValueFor<K>>
+    : ReturnType<NewComponentTypes[K]>
 }
 
 type NewThemeOverrideObject = {
@@ -105,7 +131,8 @@ export {
   primitives,
   additionalPrimitives,
   dataVisualization,
-  boxShadowObjectsToCSSString
+  boxShadowObjectsToCSSString,
+  frozenThemesDesignTokensV1
 }
 export default canvas
 export type {
@@ -128,6 +155,7 @@ export type {
   Dark,
   Light,
   NewComponentTypes,
+  DesignTokensV1ComponentTypes,
   NewBaseTheme,
   NewThemeOverrideObject,
   TokenBoxshadowValueInst,

diff --git a/packages/ui-themes/src/themes/frozenThemes/designTokensV1/components/alert/canvas.ts b/packages/ui-themes/src/themes/frozenThemes/designTokensV1/components/alert/canvas.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2015 - present Instructure, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+import type { SemanticsCanvas as Semantics } from '../../semantics'
+
+const alert = (semantic: Semantics) => ({
+  background: semantic.color.background.elevatedSurface.base,
+  borderRadius: semantic.borderRadius.lg,
+  borderStyle: 'solid',
+  borderWidth: semantic.borderWidth.md,
+  closeButtonMarginRight: '0.5rem',
+  closeButtonMarginTop: '0.5rem',
+  color: semantic.color.institutional.brandFontColorDark,
+  contentFontFamily: semantic.fontFamily.base,
+  contentFontSize: semantic.fontSize.textBase,
+  contentFontWeight: semantic.fontWeight.body.base,
+  contentLineHeight: semantic.lineHeight.standalone.base,
+  dangerBorderColor: semantic.color.stroke.error,
+  dangerIconBackground: semantic.color.background.error,
+  iconColor: semantic.color.icon.onColor,
+  infoBorderColor: semantic.color.stroke.info,
+  infoIconBackground: semantic.color.background.info,
+  successBorderColor: semantic.color.stroke.success,
+  successIconBackground: semantic.color.background.success,
+  warningBorderColor: semantic.color.stroke.warning,
+  warningIconBackground: semantic.color.background.warning,
+  contentPaddingVertical: semantic.spacing.spaceMd,
+  contentPaddingHorizontal: semantic.spacing.spaceXl
+})
+export default alert