I know that it has been almost three years since Windows 10 first came on the scene, but as you may recall the first iteration of the operating system was pretty bland when it came to color. In fact, the only color in the title bars was white. That was frustrating for the mere fact that we've been able to change the color of title bars ever since Windows 3.x—but having only white title bars also made it difficult to distinguish between active and inactive windows.
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Within five months of the initial release, Microsoft released the Windows 10 November Update, which, among other things, included the capability to set the color of the active title bar. (For a look back, check out my December 2015 article The Windows 10 November Update: A look at the smaller details.)
While being able to once again set the color of active title bars made it easier to distinguish between active and inactive windows, it would have been nice to be able to set the color of inactive title bars as well. Unfortunately, Microsoft never completely brought back that feature. It did, however; leave some codes in the registry you could use to add color to inactive title bars. To make it easy to access those registry codes, I created a little HTML application, which I presented in a July 2016 article titled Colorize the Windows 10 inactive title bar with this handy HTA.
If like me you have been longing for more control over the colors in Windows 10's user interface, you'll be happy to learn more about the new colorization features Microsoft has bestowed upon the operating system in the Creators Update. Let's take look.
The Colors tab
The new colorizing features are of course found on the Colors tab, which you can quickly access by pressing Windows+I to bring up the Windows Settings window, typing Color, and clicking Color settings, as shown in Figure A.
Figure AYou can find the new color features by searching for Color settings in Windows Settings.
When you see the Colors tab, shown in Figure B, you'll notice that Microsoft has simplified and reorganized the layout.
Figure BThe new Colors tab is simplified and better organized.
You can still have Windows automatically pick an accent color based on your background color, pick one of the colors in the default color palette, enable transparency, and choose which UI components to colorize. You can also choose the Light or Dark setting for certain apps.
Just below the color palette, you'll see the Custom Color button. Clicking it brings up the Choose A Custom Accent Color dialog, where you can use the various controls to select a custom color.
SEE: Microsoft Surface Laptop: The smart person's guideCreating a custom accent color
Creating a custom accent color is an interesting endeavor. To see how this works, let's begin by picking a color from the default color palette. For example, choose Red and click the Custom Color button.
When the Choose A Custom Accent Color dialog appears, you can see the color is targeted on Red, as indicated by the circle in the upper-right corner of the color field and the tool tip, as shown in Figure C. The bar on the right also shows the selected color. The Color Preview boxes show you how the color will appear in the user interface.
Figure CThe Choose A Custom Accent Color dialog shows Red as the selected color.
The slider on the bottom of the color field allows you to adjust the value of the selected color. Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color. Sliding to the right increases the value, making the color lighter. Sliding to the left decreases the value, making the color darker. As you move the slider, you'll see a tool tip appear above the slider that displays the value and the color. When you have a dark color selected, as you decrease the value you'll reach a point where the color is too dark and you'll see this message appear below the Color Preview boxes: This color is not supported. As you adjust the value, the top half of the bar on the right of the palette will change to match the color value, while the bottom of the bar will stay the original color. All these items are shown in Figure D.
Figure DAs you decrease the value, you'll reach a point where the color is too dark.
In addition to adjusting the value, you can change the color by clicking and dragging the targeting circle to different locations on the color field. When you have a light color selected and you increase the value, you'll reach a point where the color is getting too light. At that point, you'll see the message This color looks like it might be hard to read. Figure E shows these items. If you continue to increase the value, you'll reach a color that is not supported.
Figure EAs you increase the value, you'll reach a point where the color is too light.
If you click the More down arrow, you can choose and customize your colors using Hexadecimal color codes, RGB values, or HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) values, as shown in Figure F. This makes it easy to get the exact color you want if you already know the Hexadecimal code number or the series of RGB or HSV values.
Figure FYou can choose and customize your colors using Hexadecimal color codes, RGB values, or HSV values.
It also works the other way around: You can move the targeting circle to different locations on the color field or adjust the value slider. As you do, the numbers in the Hexadecimal, RGB, or HSV fields will change.
SEE: Windows 10: The big changes headed your way in 2017Custom background color
In addition to choosing a custom accent color, you can choose a custom background color. When you are finished choosing your custom accent color, select the Background tab.
Select Solid Color from the Background dropdown and you'll see a Custom Color button just below the color palette, as shown in Figure G. Now, choosing a custom color for your desktop background works just like choosing your accent color.
Figure GYou can also choose a custom color for the desktop background.Microsoft Weekly Newsletter
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What do you think of the new colorizing features in the Windows 10 Creators Update? Share your thoughts with fellow TechRepublic members.
Windows 10 allows you to add one or multiple keyboard layouts during setup — also known as Out-of-box experience (OOBE) —. However, if you configured the wrong layout, or you need to type in different languages, you can add and change your keyboard configuration at any time.
Usually, you won't need to change your input settings, but if you need to type in Spanish (you know, when you need to type words that include the letter 'Ñ'), you have to switch to United States-Dvorak, or another layout, the language settings on Windows 10 makes it an easy task for hardware as well as for the touch keyboards.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to add and switch keyboard layouts on your device.
How to add keyboard layout on Windows 10
To add a new keyboard layout on Windows 10, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the new layout will installed on your device, and you can start using it with the steps below.
Windows 10 allows you to add as many keyboard layouts as you need. If you require even more keyboards, simply repeat the above instructions.
Removing keyboard layouts
If you no longer need a keyboard layout, you can remove it with these steps:
After you complete the steps, the keyboard layout will be uninstalled from your device.
How to change keyboard layout on Windows 10
To switch between the available keyboard layouts on your device, use these steps:
Warning: Changing the keyboard layout will reconfigure the actions of the keyboard keys, which means that depending on your settings, the keys on the keyboard may output a different character on the screen.
Alternatively, you can also use the Windows key + Spacebar keyboard shortcut to quickly change between the available keyboard layouts.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Mauro recommends all these affordable accessories
Hi, I'm Mauro Huculak, Windows Central's help and how-to guru. I wrote the post you're reading now, and I know the Windows OS inside and out. But I'm also a bit of a hardware geek. These are some of the affordable gadgets on my desk today.
Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse($72 at Amazon)
I know mice, and this is the one I use every day. The MX Master is a wireless high-precision mouse that's very comfortable to use and has many great features, including the ability to connect with multiple devices, an infinite scroll wheel, back and forward buttons, all of which you can customize.
Ktrio Extended Gaming Mouse Pad($12 at Amazon)
If you spend a lot of time typing, your palms and mouse will leave tracks on your desk. My solution was to start using gaming mouse pads, which are big enough for you to use the keyboard and the mouse comfortably. This is the one I use and recommend.
Supernight LED light strip($20 at Amazon)
You could just use a regular light bulb in your office, but if you want to add some ambient lighting with different colors, an RGB LED strip is the way to go. This one is Mauro-approved.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.
I'm using Illustrator CS5.1 and started a new document in RGB mode. When I change the color mode to CMYK under Mᴏɴᴋᴇʏ♦
File > Document Color Mode > CMYK Color , the Color window in my workspace doesn't change from RGB to CMYK mode. I can change the RGB levels using the Color window but I want to change CMYK levels.
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4 Answers
Open the flyout menu in the Color panel and click on CMYK. The Color panel stays in whatever mode it started in, or is switched to. This doesn't affect the color mode of the document or the color; it's just a different way of describing the color.
If you used RGB swatches in your document, you'll find that double-clicking on a swatch after switching to CMYK mode will bring up a CMYK dialog automatically, but even here you can choose any of the color modes to work in for that particular swatch.
Alan GilbertsonAlan Gilbertson
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There's a very important distinction between the document color modes many aren't aware of.
When you open an RGB document color profile, all the swatches, symbols, brushes, etc are RGB items.
When you open a CMYK document color profile, all the swatches, symbols, brushes, etc are CMYK items.
When you switch Document Color Modes mid-stream, all those Library items (swatches, brushes, symbols, etc.) do not change color modes. This is why you can often see CMYK files with an RGB swatch or an RGB Symbol used in a CMYK file.
It's sometimes better to open a new document in the desired color mode then copy/paste your art to the new document. Especially if you are using symbols, styles, or brushes.
Adjust Rgb Windows 10ScottHow To Change Rgb Settings On Windows 10 FreeScott
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NephNeph
In the color guide panel select the options on the Top right corner of the window and select CMYK from the pop up menu.
Mᴏɴᴋᴇʏ♦
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Digiscape GalleryDigiscape Gallery
How To Change Saturation On Windows 10protected by CaiJul 20 '17 at 11:08
Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
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In Windows 10, you sometimes want to return to the way things were before you started messing around with them. Your salvation lies in the Restore Default button, which awaits your command in strategically placed areas throughout Windows. A click of that button returns the settings to the way Windows originally set them up.
Here are a few Restore Default buttons you may find useful:
Finally, don’t forget the Reset option in Windows. Although it’s overkill for many problems, it resets most of your settings to the default.
Updated:
Guest post by Margaret Copeley
Adjusting the colors of various Windows components––text, backgrounds, buttons, and so on––can make a big difference for computer users who are sensitive to overly bright screens. Windows 10 offers some options for doing this. Colors are grouped by “themes.” There are numerous resources online for modifying standard Windows themes, such as this one. If those adjustments aren’t sufficient for you, you can fine-tune the colors further by selecting a high-contrast theme, specially designed for people with vision problems. This article will show you how to do that.
Unfortunately, Windows 10 is a rapidly moving target, making it difficult to give durable instructions for modifying the theme colors. The first Windows 10 version, 1507, was issued in July 2015. As of today, there have been five more versions––1511, 1607, 1703, 1709, and 1803––not to mention Home, Pro, Enterprise, and other versions. To make things more confusing, some versions are known by another name, such as “Fall Creators Update” for 1709, and yet another codename, such as “Redstone 3” for 1709. And then there are multiple builds for each version. The most recent version as of this writing is 1803/Redstone 4. 1809/Redstone 5 will be launched around October 2018.
The instructions below are for Windows 10 version 1703. They may also work with 1709 and 1803. (As many other users have reported, 1709 will not install on my computer, so I’m still using 1703.) To find out which Windows version you have, press the Windows key and type “winver” in the search box to bring up the “About Windows” box. If you have an earlier version of Windows 10 see these instructions. For other operating systems, including Windows 7, and other applications, see this article.
If you have Windows 10 version 1703 or 1803, please try the instructions below and let us know whether they worked for you in the poll to the right (or bottom for smaller screens).
Please note that to minimize eyestrain I have made several modifications to my Windows 10 setup, including installing Classic Shell and Winaero Tweaker. In fact my screen doesn’t look at all like Windows 10. Thus the steps and screenshots below may not correspond exactly to your setup, and your colors will look different from mine.
How to Change High-Contrast Theme Colors in Windows 10, version 1703
1. Colors are controlled through the Personalization menu.
There are several ways to get to that menu, but they don’t all lead to the menu that applies to high-contrast themes. We will start by installing a shortcut to this menu on your desktop so you can access it with a single click whenever you need it. You will use it frequently to finetune your colors.
The shortcut will now appear on your desktop:
Notice that I also keep a shortcut for “Ease of Access” on my desktop––another handy resource for people with visions problems.
2. Left click on the personalization shortcut to open it and you arrive here:
3. The Personalization screen has three parts:
Special themes you’ve created (“My Themes”) at the top, as in the screenshot above. I have 7 personalized themes that I’ve already created.
Malwarebytes premium free. Windows default themes in the center:
And high-contrast themes at the bottom:
4. Before you change anything, note which theme you’re currently using so you can return to it later if you want to. The current them will be highlighted.
5. Under High Contrast Themes select “white” because it’s the easiest to see initially. Don’t panic when things suddenly look very different––you will be able to change all of the colors. This is just your starting point. Also notice that you can change the desktop background, sounds, and screen saver associated with a theme in the bottom row.
6. Select “Color” in the bottom row (see above screenshot) to bring up this screen:
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7. Scroll down and select High contrast settings on the right side.
8. On the right side of the high-contrast settings screen there are 8 boxes for changing colors:
For Selected Text and Button Text the text color is the box on the left and the background color is on the right.
9. When you click on one of the 8 boxes this rainbow comes up:
Click anywhere on the rainbow to choose a color. The vertical box on the right side shows your old color on the bottom and the new color on the top so you can compare them.
10. Scroll below the rainbow box and you find this:
Use the slider at the top to lighten or darken the color. The RGB (red, green, blue) code for your new color is on the left. (The hex number, top right, is just another type of color code.)
This is quite different from the previous versions of Windows, where you were offered dozens of preset and custom colors, with the ability to fine-tune them. In the current Windows 10 you wander around the rainbow hoping to land on a color you like. If this seems too haphazard, there are many websites that offer sample color palettes with RGB and HEX codes. If you can find a color you like, simply enter the code in the above boxes. If you don’t know where to start, try the colors below, which I chose after extensive experimentation. This theme will give you the colors in the images above: a cream/tan color for backgrounds and a soothing green accent color for menus and toolbars, with no bright white anywhere. The colors may look different on your screen because I use f.lux (highly recommended) set at 3400K both night and day to reduce blue light.
For more about choosing colors see Increasing Eye Comfort for Writers, Editors, and Others Who Work in Intensive Text Environments.
11. When you’re satisfied with the colors, click Apply at the bottom of the boxes.
12. The theme you just created will now appear on the My Themes list on the main Personalization page. It will be called “Unsaved theme” until you give it a name. Although it says “unsaved” it will actually be available for future use; it won’t disappear when you turn off your computer. To rename it, right click on it and select “Save theme.” I recommend incorporating the theme colors into the name so you remember what they are, as in “Tan, dark green” or even better, something like “Tan 175 160 160” so you have the exact color code.
13. To change the colors of an existing high-contrast theme, click on the theme you want to change, select “Colors” at the bottom of the screen, and follow steps 5–11 above.
Known Problems with High-Contrast Colors in Windows 10
Several forum threads confirm that a high-contrast theme causes problems in recent versions of Windows 10. Version 1703 has these confirmed problems:
These problems have been discussed extensively in user forums, but to date no workaround has been found. Please let us know if you know of a solution.
Solutions for MS Word
I have two solutions to suggest for Word users. The first is to use Word 2002, which works just fine on Windows 10. All Word 2002 color functions work with high-contrast themes, including tracked changes. It’s a very simple and intuitive program with full capability for tracking changes.
Yes, you can have two version of Word installed, like 2002 (doc) and 2013 (docx).
Second, if you must use a more recent version of Word, the only solution I’ve found in order to see colors is to turn off the high-contrast theme, switch to a standard Windows theme, and modify it for easier viewing. Two steps will make the stark white Word 2013 design more tolerable:
It’s very easy to toggle between a high contrast theme for most of your usage and a regular Windows theme for specific applications when necessary: Final fantasy unable to complete version check.
No settings are lost when you switch back and forth between themes. I use this when I have to use Word 2013 for some reason.
You can also explore the Classic Shell and Winaero Tweaker apps for changing the appearance of menus and other elements, and the color options in Firefox (Tools––Options––Font and Colors) to change the background color of all web pages. I get the best eye comfort from combing all of these fixes plus f.lux.
Can’t I Just Use an Older Version of Windows 10 that Handles Colors Better?
Not at the moment. Prior to version 1703 it was possible to block Windows updates by setting your wifi to “metered connection.” This option has now been eliminated. You may be able to defer Windows updates for 365 days with a registry edit: see Option 2 in this post in the Windows Ten Forums.
Can I Use Windows 7?
Windows 8 and 8.1 were short-lived and not well liked. But Windows 7 remains very popular and is friendlier to people with vision problems. Basic support for Windows 7 ended in 2015, meaning that Microsoft has ended development for it. But security updates for Windows 7 will continue until January 14, 2020.
Does Microsoft Care about Your Eyes?
Microsoft operating systems are reported to be running 90% of the world’s computers. The company shows no awareness of the impact of computers and software designs on vision, leaving users responsible for their eye safety. Yet with each new rollout of Windows, users have less and less control over what is done to their computers after purchase and over adjustment of things that impact vision such as font size and colors. Increasing eye comfort on a computer should be as simple as a few clicks, not having to comb through user forums hunting for an obscure registry edit. It seems that the ultimate solution to the problem would be an entirely new operating system that prioritizes vision protection.
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