diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd8aab5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# This workflow will install Python dependencies, run tests, and smoke
+# the sdist/wheel on a range of Python versions.
+#
+# Created: 15th August 2026
+# Updated: 15th August 2026
+#
+
+name: Python package
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - boilerplate
+      - dev
+      - idiomatic
+      - master
+      - rc1
+      - rc2
+      - rc3
+  pull_request:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        python-version:
+          - "3.8"
+          - "3.9"
+          - "3.10"
+          - "3.11"
+          - "3.12"
+          - "3.13"
+          - "3.14"
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checking out code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+
+    - name: Install dependencies
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+        python -m pip install pytest
+        python -m pip install -e .
+
+    - name: Test with pytest
+      run: |
+        pytest
+
+    - name: Build and install smoke
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install build
+        python -m build
+        python -m pip install dist/woad-*.whl
+        python -c "import woad; assert woad.__version__ == '0.0.0'; print(woad.__version__)"
+
+  build-py27:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: python:2.7-slim
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - name: Compile library modules
+      run: |
+        python -m compileall woad
+    - name: Test with unittest
+      run: |
+        python -m unittest discover -s tests
+      env:
+        PYTHONPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e342279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# directories (by name)
+
+/.venv/
+
+build/
+dist/
+scratch/
+
+*.egg-info/
+
+
+# directories (by pattern)
+
+
+# files (by name)
+
+.DS_Store
+
+
+# files (by pattern)
+
+*~
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.swo
+*.swp
+*.tmp
+*.zip
diff --git a/AUTHORS.md b/AUTHORS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05b76de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AUTHORS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# woad.Python - Authors <!-- omit in toc -->
+
+
+## Major Contributors
+
+| Name        | GitHub                            |
+| ----------- | --------------------------------- |
+| Matt Wilson | [mwsis](https://github.com/mwsis) |
+
+
+## Defect reports, fixes and suggestions (for which we are very grateful)
+
+| Name    | GitHub |
+| ------- | ------ |
+| \<none> |        |
+
+
+Contributions are welcomed.
+
+
+<!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9324d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# woad.Python - Changes <!-- omit in toc -->
+
+
+## 0.0.0 - 15th August 2026
+
+* initial project scaffolding;
+* **Python** **2.7** and **3.8+** compatibility;
+
+
+<!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c830d4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+woad.Python - BSD 3-Clause License
+
+Copyright (c) 2026, Matthew Wilson and Synesis Information Systems
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+   and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its
+   contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+   this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
+LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
+CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
+SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
+CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
+POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ebd5146..6191a0f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1 +1,99 @@
-# woad.Python
\ No newline at end of file
+# woad.Python <!-- omit in toc -->
+
+Minimal ANSI terminal colour codes, for Python
+
+![Language](https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3776AB?style=flat&logo=python&logoColor=white)
+[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-BSD_3--Clause-blue.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause)
+[![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/woad.svg)](https://pypi.org/project/woad/)
+[![GitHub release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/synesissoftware/woad.Python.svg)](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/releases/latest)
+[![Last Commit](https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/synesissoftware/woad.Python)](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/commits/master)
+[![CI](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/actions/workflows/python-package.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/actions/workflows/python-package.yml)
+![Python](https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-2.7%20%7C%203.8+-lightgrey)
+
+
+## Table of Contents <!-- omit in toc -->
+
+- [Introduction](#introduction)
+- [Installation](#installation)
+- [Components](#components)
+- [Project Information](#project-information)
+  - [Where to get help](#where-to-get-help)
+  - [Contribution guidelines](#contribution-guidelines)
+  - [Dependencies](#dependencies)
+    - [Efferent (fan-out)](#efferent-fan-out)
+    - [Development Dependencies](#development-dependencies)
+    - [Afferent (fan-in)](#afferent-fan-in)
+  - [Related projects](#related-projects)
+  - [License](#license)
+
+
+## Introduction
+
+**woad** provides the smallest useful set of fixed ANSI SGR colour sequences for library authors. It is not a console or TUI framework.
+
+**woad.Python** is the **Python** implementation. It supports **Python 2.7** and **Python 3.8+**.
+
+
+## Installation
+
+Install via **pip**:
+
+```
+pip install woad
+```
+
+Use via **import**:
+
+```Python
+import woad
+```
+
+
+## Components
+
+**woad.Python** currently ships the **`woad`** package and version metadata (`woad.__version__`). Colour codes, TTY/stream gating, and Windows virtual-terminal opt-in are not implemented in this 0.0.0 skeleton.
+
+
+## Project Information
+
+
+### Where to get help
+
+[GitHub Page](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python "GitHub Page")
+
+
+### Contribution guidelines
+
+Defect reports, feature requests, and pull requests are welcome on https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python.
+
+
+### Dependencies
+
+
+#### Efferent (fan-out)
+
+None.
+
+
+#### Development Dependencies
+
+* [**pytest**](https://docs.pytest.org/)
+
+
+#### Afferent (fan-in)
+
+None (currently).
+
+
+### Related projects
+
+* [**woad.Ruby**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Ruby/)
+* [**woad.Rust**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Rust/)
+
+
+### License
+
+**woad.Python** is released under the 3-clause BSD license. See [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.
+
+
+<!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b7e03e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# woad.Python - TODO <!-- omit in toc -->
+
+
+## Functional improvements
+
+* [ ] SGR colour and reset codes;
+* [ ] TTY-conditional colour codes (process and per-stream);
+* [ ] Windows virtual-terminal gating (OS build + `GetConsoleMode`);
+
+
+## Performance improvements
+
+* \<none>
+
+
+## Packaging improvements
+
+* \<none>
+
+
+<!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed2f41d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+[build-system]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+requires = [
+    "setuptools>=61.0",
+]
+
+
+[project]
+authors = [
+    { email = "matthew@synesis.com.au", name = "Matt Wilson" },
+]
+classifiers = [
+    "Intended Audience :: Developers",
+    "License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License",
+    "Natural Language :: English",
+    "Operating System :: OS Independent",
+    "Programming Language :: Python",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 2",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14",
+    "Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries",
+    "Topic :: Terminals",
+]
+dependencies = [
+]
+description = "Minimal ANSI terminal colour codes, for Python"
+keywords = [
+    "ansi",
+    "colour",
+    "sgr",
+    "terminal",
+    "tty",
+]
+license = { text = "BSD-3-Clause" }
+name = "woad"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*, !=3.5.*, !=3.6.*, !=3.7.*"
+version = "0.0.0"
+
+[project.urls]
+"Bug Tracker" = "https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/issues"
+Changelog = "https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python/blob/master/CHANGES.md"
+Homepage = "https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python"
+Repository = "https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python"
+
+
+[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
+exclude = [
+    "examples*",
+    "tests*",
+]
+include = [
+    "woad",
+    "woad.*",
+]
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a9acf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[bdist_wheel]
+universal = 1
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b52737c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+
+import setuptools
+
+setuptools.setup(
+
+    name='woad',
+    python_requires='>=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.*, !=3.5.*, !=3.6.*, !=3.7.*',
+    version='0.0.0',
+
+    author='Matt Wilson',
+    author_email='matthew@synesis.com.au',
+    classifiers=[
+
+        'Intended Audience :: Developers',
+        "License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License",
+        'Natural Language :: English',
+        "Operating System :: OS Independent",
+        "Programming Language :: Python",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 2",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14",
+        'Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries',
+        'Topic :: Terminals',
+    ],
+    description='Minimal ANSI terminal colour codes, for Python',
+    keywords='ansi colour sgr terminal tty',
+    license='BSD-3-Clause',
+    long_description=open('README.md').read(),
+    long_description_content_type="text/markdown",
+    packages=setuptools.find_packages(exclude=[
+        'examples',
+        'tests',
+    ]),
+    url='https://github.com/synesissoftware/woad.Python',
+)
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b13789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/tests/test_woad.py b/tests/test_woad.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d13b4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_woad.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import unittest
+
+import woad
+
+
+class Test_woad(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_version(self):
+
+        self.assertEqual('0.0.0', woad.__version__)
diff --git a/woad/__init__.py b/woad/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37096dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/woad/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+
+"""
+Minimal ANSI terminal colour codes, for Python.
+"""
+
+__author__      =   'Matt Wilson'
+__copyright__   =   'Copyright 2026, Synesis Information Systems'
+__credits__     =   [
+    'Matt Wilson',
+]
+__email__       =   'matthew@synesis.com.au'
+__license__     =   'BSD-3-Clause'
+__maintainer__  =   'Matt Wilson'
+__status__      =   'Alpha'
+__version__     =   '0.0.0'
+