HOWTO: Change Font Color in Gnome Panels

**aktiwers** · January 9th, 2007

- THIS THREAD IS OUTDATED - It doesn't seam to work on newer versions of Ubuntu.

I have been looking around for a way to change the font color in the Gnome Panels. I found many ways, but non of them worked.

Finally I found a way it works for me in Edgy, so I will post a small howto do this below.

1)
In terminal write:

Code:

gedit .gtkrc-2.0

2)
An empty Text document will open, and you need to copy/paste this into it:

include "/home/autocrosser/.gnome2/panel-fontrc"style "desktop-icon"

{
NautilusIconContainer::frame_text = 1
text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
NautilusIconContainer::normal_alpha = 70
}
class "GtkWidget" style "desktop-icon"

#NautilusIconContainer::dark_info_color="#888888"
#NautilusIconContainer::light_info_color="#bbbbbb"
#NautilusIconContainer::highlight_alpha=200

style "my_color"
{
fg[NORMAL] = "#FFFFFF"
}
widget "*PanelWidget*" style "my_color"
widget "*PanelApplet*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*MenuItem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*ToolItem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*SeparatorMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*SeparatorToolitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*ImageMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*RadioMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*CheckMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*TearoffMenuitem*" style "my_color"

And save.

3)
Change the color code of: fg[NORMAL] = "#FFFFFF"
To whatever you like, and the text in gnome panels will become that color.
I made the part you need to change red.

4) (optinal)
If you dont know the code for the color you want, you can use this little handy program.

In Terminal type:

Code:

sudo apt-get install gcolor2

And when you are done, type:

Code:

gcolor2

To open the program.

5)
Screenshots below, of my Gnome Panels with white text fonts. And one of the program gcolor2.

Good Luck!
Aktiwers

**sv452** · January 9th, 2007

i am happy to say i tried it in dapper and it worked great !!!!

thanx !!

**DarkN00b** · January 11th, 2007

Your script works in Edgy as well. Here's the one I use personally, and it is also confirmed working in Edgy:

Code:

style "panel"
{
# fg[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
# fg[PRELIGHT] = "#000000″
# fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000"
# fg[SELECTED] = "#000000″
# fg[INSENSITIVE] = "#8A857C"
# bg[NORMAL] = "#000000″
# bg[PRELIGHT] = "#dfdfdf"
# bg[ACTIVE] = "#D0D0D0″
# bg[SELECTED] = "#D8BB75″
# bg[INSENSITIVE] = "#EFEFEF"
# base[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
# base[PRELIGHT] = "#EFEFEF"
# base[ACTIVE] = "#D0D0D0″
# base[SELECTED] = "#DAB566″
# base[INSENSITIVE] = "#E8E8E8″
# text[NORMAL] = "#161616″
# text[PRELIGHT] = "#000000″
# text[ACTIVE] = "#000000″
# text[SELECTED] = "#ffffff"
# text[INSENSITIVE] = "#8A857C"
}
widget "*PanelWidget*" style "panel"
widget "*PanelApplet*" style "panel"
class "*Panel*" style "panel"
widget_class "*Mail*" style "panel"
class "*notif*" style "panel"
class "*Notif*" style "panel"
class "*Tray*" style "panel"
class "*tray*" style "panel"

Just uncomment the line you want to change the color for and change the hex value.

EDIT:
Actually I noticed that yours is the same as mine with the addition of the top few lines:

Code:

include "/home/autocrosser/.gnome2/panel-fontrc"style "desktop-icon"

{
NautilusIconContainer::frame_text = 1
text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
NautilusIconContainer::normal_alpha = 70
}
class "GtkWidget" style "desktop-icon"

#NautilusIconContainer::dark_info_color="#888888"
#NautilusIconContainer::light_info_color="#bbbbbb"
#NautilusIconContainer::highlight_alpha=200

I added these lines and have the best of both! Thanks!

**bernt** · January 15th, 2007

Hi!

I have tried both ways but nothing happens. The text stays black.

Changing the panelcolor works.

/Bernt

**ScottFW** · January 17th, 2007

Thanks for posting this info, it's just what I was looking for!

**towsonu2003** · March 1st, 2007

Originally Posted by DarkN00b

Your script works in Edgy as well. Here's the one I use personally, and it is also confirmed working in Edgy:

Code:

style "panel"
{
# fg[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
# fg[PRELIGHT] = "#000000″
# fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000"
# fg[SELECTED] = "#000000″
# fg[INSENSITIVE] = "#8A857C"
# bg[NORMAL] = "#000000″
# bg[PRELIGHT] = "#dfdfdf"
# bg[ACTIVE] = "#D0D0D0″
# bg[SELECTED] = "#D8BB75″
# bg[INSENSITIVE] = "#EFEFEF"
# base[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
# base[PRELIGHT] = "#EFEFEF"
# base[ACTIVE] = "#D0D0D0″
# base[SELECTED] = "#DAB566″
# base[INSENSITIVE] = "#E8E8E8″
# text[NORMAL] = "#161616″
# text[PRELIGHT] = "#000000″
# text[ACTIVE] = "#000000″
# text[SELECTED] = "#ffffff"
# text[INSENSITIVE] = "#8A857C"
}
widget "*PanelWidget*" style "panel"
widget "*PanelApplet*" style "panel"
class "*Panel*" style "panel"
widget_class "*Mail*" style "panel"
class "*notif*" style "panel"
class "*Notif*" style "panel"
class "*Tray*" style "panel"
class "*tray*" style "panel"

Just uncomment the line you want to change the color for and change the hex value.

EDIT:
Actually I noticed that yours is the same as mine with the addition of the top few lines:

Code:

include "/home/autocrosser/.gnome2/panel-fontrc"style "desktop-icon"

{
NautilusIconContainer::frame_text = 1
text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
NautilusIconContainer::normal_alpha = 70
}
class "GtkWidget" style "desktop-icon"

#NautilusIconContainer::dark_info_color="#888888"
#NautilusIconContainer::light_info_color="#bbbbbb"
#NautilusIconContainer::highlight_alpha=200

I added these lines and have the best of both! Thanks!

can't decypher it... what do all the stuff mean? any pointers? thanks

**brt** · March 5th, 2007

yeehaaa !!

you are the greatest !

10000000 THANKS!

this is what i am waiting for since years

i already managed to change the color of the whole panel including the menu but what i needed was white font in the panel and black in the menu

thanks to your howto i was able to manage it seperatly !

yeah !

**notwen** · March 29th, 2007

Is there any way to change the menus coming down from my newly "white font-ed" gnome panel? Kinda difficult to make out what my menus say w/ white font. =]

**notwen** · April 1st, 2007

/bump

**aktiwers** · April 4th, 2007

Im not sure, but if you look at the code it says:

include "/home/autocrosser/.gnome2/panel-fontrc"style "desktop-icon"

{
NautilusIconContainer::frame_text = 1
text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
NautilusIconContainer::normal_alpha = 70
}
class "GtkWidget" style "desktop-icon"

#NautilusIconContainer::dark_info_color="#888888"
#NautilusIconContainer::light_info_color="#bbbbbb"
#NautilusIconContainer::highlight_alpha=200

style "my_color"
{
fg[NORMAL] = "#FFFFFF"
}
widget "*PanelWidget*" style "my_color"
widget "*PanelApplet*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*MenuItem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*ToolItem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*SeparatorMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*SeparatorToolitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*ImageMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*RadioMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*CheckMenuitem*" style "my_color"
widget_class "*TearoffMenuitem*" style "my_color"

See? "my_color" is in this example set to #FFFFFF.
Now all the widgets has been set to "my_color".

I think the one you are talking about is :

widget_class "*MenuItem*" style "my_color"

Now try to change the "my_color" part to whatever color you want.

Does this work?

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