# 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.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/theme-studio
Section: Settings and integrations > Look and feel
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

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

1. Click the gear at the right-hand end of the header to open Settings.
2. 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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-appearance).

- 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:

1. 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.
2. 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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-accessibility).

## 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

- [Light, dark and colour themes](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-appearance)
- [Settings overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-overview)
- [Use the desk with a keyboard or screen reader](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-accessibility)
- [Canvas navigation settings](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-navigation-settings)