Theme studio: fonts, text size, density and canvas look
Make PlexiDesk yours in Theme studio: any accent colour, a more readable font, larger or smaller text, compact spacing, and the background behind your desks.
Theme studio is where you fine-tune how PlexiDesk looks. Pick any accent colour, switch to a font designed for easier reading, make everything larger or smaller, tighten the spacing, and change the background and pattern behind your desks. Every change shows straight away, so you can see what you are choosing.
Everything in Theme studio is free on every plan, as the studio itself says: Free for everyone. Changes apply live.
Before you start
- Theme studio is on every plan.
- Your choices are kept on this computer. On another computer, set them there too.
Open Theme studio
- Click the gear at the right-hand end of the header to open Settings.
- On the Appearance tab, click Theme studio… (it says Custom accent colour and accessibility fonts. Free for everyone.).
Theme studio opens in the middle of the window. To close it, press Esc, click its ×, or click outside it.
Base theme
The same themes as on the Appearance tab: Light, Dark, Auto, Futuristic, Atelier and Gemstone. See Light, dark and colour themes.
- With Atelier, the studio reminds you that Atelier keeps its heritage-gold accent. Choose another theme to use your own accent.
- With Gemstone, the sparkle and refraction take on your accent colour.
Accent colour
Click one of the seven accents, or make your own:
- In the Custom colour row, click the colour swatch and pick a colour. Or type a hex code, such as
#0f766e, in the box beside it. - The row shows Active while your custom colour is in use.
PlexiDesk works out a matching hover shade for your colour, in light and dark themes alike.
Interface font
Each font shows a sample, The quick brown fox jumps over 1,234, in its own letters.
| Font | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Inter | The standard interface face — crisp at every size. New installs use it. |
| Atkinson Hyperlegible | Designed so that letters which look alike, such as I, l and 1, are easy to tell apart. A good choice for low vision. |
| Lexend | Shaped to lower visual stress and improve reading speed. |
The font changes everywhere in the app's own interface.
Text size
Makes everything in the app larger or smaller, like zooming a web page: menus, lists, buttons and text.
| Size | Scale |
|---|---|
| Compact | 80% |
| Small | 90% |
| Default | 100% |
| Large | 115% |
| Larger | 130% |
| Largest | 150% |
You can also zoom from the keyboard: ⌘ + and ⌘ - on a Mac, or Ctrl + and Ctrl - on Windows. ⌘ 0 or Ctrl 0 goes back to 100%. The same commands are in the View menu as Zoom In, Zoom Out and Actual Size. Theme studio shows the change as you make it.
The first time PlexiDesk opens on a small laptop screen, it starts a little smaller so your desk has more room.
Density
| Density | What it does |
|---|---|
| Comfortable | Roomier spacing. |
| Compact | Trims the padding around the side menu, toolbars, menus and pills, so more of the screen is your desk. Reading text stays the same size. |
The first time PlexiDesk opens, it picks Compact on laptop-sized screens and Comfortable on larger ones. Your own choice replaces that.
Canvas background
The background behind the widgets on every desk.
- Default is the standard desk surface for your theme.
- Solid uses one colour. Choose it with Background colour: click the swatch, or type a hex code.
- Gradient blends two colours. Set From and To, and turn the Angle from 0° to 360°. A preview strip shows the result.
Canvas pattern
The texture on the desk: Dots, Grid or None. New installs show dots.
A Solid or Gradient background replaces the pattern. To see the pattern, set Canvas background back to Default.
Glass & depth
The side menu, toolbars, pop-ups and dialogs are frosted glass. Two sliders tune them all at once:
- Blur, from 0% to 200%. Lower is clearer, higher is softer.
- Translucency, from 40% to 130%. Lower lets more of what is behind show through.
Both start at 100%.
Icons
- Weight: Light, Regular, Medium or Bold line thickness for icons across the app.
- Style: Filled or Outlined.
A row of sample icons shows the result.
Start again
Click Reset at the top of Theme studio. It puts the canvas background, canvas pattern, glass and icons back to their starting values. Your theme, accent, font, text size and density stay as they are; change those by choosing again.
Tips
- For easier reading, combine Atkinson Hyperlegible or Lexend with the Large text size.
- On a small laptop, try Compact density with Default text size: more desk, same reading size.
- Keep a gradient subtle. Two close colours keep widgets easy to read on top.
- Need more help with access? See Use the desk with a keyboard or screen reader.
Common questions
My pattern disappeared. A Solid or Gradient background replaces the pattern. Set Canvas background to Default.
My custom colour is not used. Check that the Custom colour row says Active, and that the theme is not Atelier, which keeps its own gold accent.
The text size changed by itself. ⌘ or Ctrl with +, - or 0 changes it from anywhere in the app. Choose the size again in Theme studio.
Related
Was this helpful?
Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].