Is there any way to change the workspace color in Xara Phot & Graphic Designer 18 from the relatively light layout to a darker one? I note that in Corel Paintshop Pro, you can do this easily.
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Is there any way to change the workspace color in Xara Phot & Graphic Designer 18 from the relatively light layout to a darker one? I note that in Corel Paintshop Pro, you can do this easily.
Hi Adam,
I presume that you mean for the default New US Letter which gives you a white page. Right-click on the page, Page background, Edit page color.
I usually use Blank photo. Same thing, right-click on a blank area, Pasteboard background, Edit pasteboard color.
Thanks broj2 you replied before I could.Quote:
Originally Posted by browj2
I think the question is can you make the user interface lighter?
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S (press in this order)
It looks like he wants it darker not lighter.
Xara's workspace colour is NOT definable.
Gary, I didn't know about this shortcut, never having wanted to change the UI. It looks like a different program with the light interface, similar to Photo Designer 7 that comes with Magix's video programs.Quote:
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S (press in this order)
Attachment 131422
Still not sure that the OP wants, because the default is the dark user interface. That is why I assumed that the OP wanted a darker background.
I guess we won't know until adamgosp responds. :)
Thank you to everyone who has taken time to reply. Deeply appreciate it. The control/shift/alt/S doesn't do it for me. That appears to be a page option selection.
It IS the overall initial UI that I'm talking about without any pages or images/photos opened. Currently it is light by default but I would like it darker and the ability to change it to one of several background colors including the toolbars too, similar to Corel PaintShop Pro - if some of you are familiar with that program.
It's really not unlike changing Windows 11 Personalisation mode from lighter to Darker mode.
There are basically only two choices for UI color schemes, light and dark.
Xara SHOULD default to the dark colour scheme.
true - but it is not as dark as some other programs eg affinity designer, and presumably paintshop pro
That's what I would have thought gwpriester.
That's also what I thought ss-kalm.
But sadly it doesn't and I can't find any settings to change the UI accordingly.
Quite frankly, I've never had this problem in any app I've used in the past couple of decades.
It's not a perfect program (none are). But I always advise (and I have been using Xara since 1995 and before that CorelDDRAW since 1991) don't try to make the program worth the way your previous program worked. Every program is different and has a different way of doing things. Learn the way the program works and pretty soon you don't think about it anymore. It's just another set of tools.
This is how mine displays ... Is this to light for you?
What does yours display as?
Attachment 131447
Thanks gwpriester Understood and appreciated.
ss-kalm - attached 2 x pics. First one with no file open. Second with a file open and page background darkened.
Attachment 131449
Attachment 131450
lets recap...
you have photo and graphic designer 18 - by default your program will have the darker UI skin - yours is showing the lighter one, so at some stage in the past this has been changed
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S should switch back as Gary said - you must keep the keys pressed when you press the next one until all four are pressed otherwise it will not work
if it still does not work, then the dark skin folder may have been removed from your program
to change page area or pasteboard you can just hold ctrl and drag the colour from the colourline onto page area or pasteboard [page background] as required...
without hacking these are your options in this program
Handrawn - thanks heaps. You've summed it up perfectly.
I'm beginning to think that the dark skin folder may have been removed or cleaned out from the registry etc?
PS : Interestingly, I uninstalled the latest update and went back to the previous build. Guess what? Dark Skin.
Then installed the latest update and guess what? L:ight skin with no apparent ability to change it.
Did a search of folders and registry for skin folder etc but to no avail.
Niggly and annoying. :(
That's very strange as nowadays all XDAs default to the dark UI. You could check if the following file is in the Xara program folder: xaradark_theme.xml. It assures that the dark UI is applied upon startup of the app.
You should be able to find it in: C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Photo & Graphics Designer\18.
Thanks heaps. Searched and found the file xaradark_theme.xml. It's actually the same size exactly for both build 17 & 18. It's there but something is preventing it from loading as the default.
Is it possible to do a search for the file reference in the .exe file? And if so, what would I use to search that out?
Seriously Adam, TGers are not knowledgable enough to sort out your system. Do raise this through Magix for xara to sort.Quote:
Originally Posted by adamgosp
Acorn
Quote:
Originally Posted by adamgosp
Then the problem must be on a deeper level, so it's probably best to follow Acorn's suggestion and contact Magix support.
just to confirm that the xaradark_theme.xml file is the one I was referring to [incorectly] as a 'folder' earlier on
it is possible but, quite apart from anything else, it is against the user licence which forbids us from directly accessing the program code - and you may be on a wild goose chase...Quote:
Is it possible to do a search for the file reference in the .exe file?
as others have said, contact support ;)
I agree however you might try reinstalling the program, have you tried restarting your computer to see if that helps sometimes it does.Quote:
Originally Posted by Acorn
Understood. Thanks.
Tried restarts and re-instals - no joy. Any changes or discoveries, I'll let you guys know.
Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has tried t help and assist here. Very grateful.
can you download the program again?
Good thinking and I have already tried that too. Same result sadly. So in the absence of any other suggestions, Magix - Zara support is next. ��Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard509
xara not zara.
I stand corrected Sir - thanks.