Changing your desktop font color

[LordFett]

I am using a white background and my font is white so Windows is shading around the letter but it is still very hard to read. I would like to make the font black.

I am using WinXP.

[LordFett]

Found how to adjust the font, font size but still no way to adjust the font color.

[Skunny]

How to Change the Color, Size, and Font of Individual Window Elements

To change the font, size, or colors of individual Window elements, follow these steps: 1. Right-click an empty area of your desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click the Appearance tab, and then click Advanced.

3. In the Item list or in the preview window, click the Window element that you want to change. You can select from any of the following items:

3D Objects

Active Title Bar

Active Window Border

Application Background

Caption Buttons

Desktop

Icon

Icon Spacing (Horizontal)

Icon Spacing (Vertical)

Inactive Title Bar

Inactive Window Border

Menu

Message Box

Palette Title

Selected Items

ToolTip

Window

4. Do any of following to achieve the look that you want:

NOTE: Not all options for all Window elements are available. For example, the Font option appears dimmed and is unavailable for elements in the Item list that do not display text.• Under Item:• In the Size box, specify the size that you want to use for the item.

• In the Color box, specify the color that you want to use for the item.

• Under Font:• Click the font that you want to use for the item.

• In the Size box, specify the font size.

• In the Color box, specify the color that you want.

• To apply a bold font, click B. To italicize the font, click I.

A preview of your current settings is displayed in the preview window.

5. When you are finished making the changes that you want, click OK twice to save your settings.

NOTE: • If you click Window in the Item box, and then modify the font color for that item, the automatic font color that is available in many programs is also modified. Any documents that use the automatic font color are affected if you change this setting. Many programs, including WordPad and Microsoft Word, use automatic as the default font color. Any new documents that you create in these programs use the new font color that you select for the Window item.

To use a different default font color in programs that use automatic as the default font color, you may be able to create a template that uses the font color that you want as the default font color, and then use that template instead of the default template. For information about how to do this, view the documentation that is included with the program, or contact the program manufacturer.

• As you modify items, note their appearance in the preview window. Note that you must use the same font and size for the Active Title Bar and Inactive Title Bar items, and that bold or italic selections for either item are applied to both items. If you choose a desktop theme after you change fonts or colors, the fonts and colors for that desktop theme override your selections.

[LordFett]

This does not allow you to change your desktop font color. It is actually "Icon" and through this the only thing you can change is the font itself and font size.

[LordFett]

This is the most afflicted area. It doesn't look as bad in the screen shot as it does on my desktop.

And this is what the advanced properties looks like when you try and change the font for Icons.

[matthewk]

hmm, I am curious about this too. Does anyone know? thanks in advance

[Littlebr00k]

The desktop icon colour is hardcoded into windows. If you have a dark background colour (not wallpaper), you get a white text, and vice versa if you have a light background colour your get black text. This is all done by windows with an algorythm.

The only way to get a different icon text colour is to use a 3rd party application there are many out there but the best (AFAIK), is TransText available Here.

Hope this helps.

[LordFett]

The desktop icon colour is hardcoded into windows. If you have a dark background colour (not wallpaper), you get a white text, and vice versa if you have a light background colour your get black text. This is all done by windows with an algorythm.

I thought this might be true and tried setting the background color to white, orange and black. It stayed the same color for each. I'll give the program a try.

Thanks.

[jfettu]

I know this topic is old but I just stumbled upon this post and thought I could add some clarity. On Windows XP Pro, if you use a light colored background color, Windows automatically adjusts the color of the desktop font color to the opposite (black) for easy viewing. And if you use a dark color, Windows will adjust the font color to a light color (white).

Now, the problem is when you use a light background image, depending on your settings your Font color could be light as well (with a black shadow) thereby rendering the Font barely readable.

Here's a little trick I found that works great:

- Start Menu |Control Panel | System : In the System Properties window, under the advanced tab, click on "Settings in the Performance Row.

- In the Performance Options Windows, scroll down and uncheck the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop". Click Apply, ok and close the window.

- Start Menu | Run | desk.cpl

- in the Display Properties windows, under the Appearance tab, click on Advanced.

- by default it should be pointing to Desktop if not, select Desktop from the drop down menu and choose a matching color to your desktop image.

- click Ok, Apply, ok and now your Desktop Fonts should be a dark color in contrast to your light colored background IMAGE.

Hope this trick helped out,

Jules Fettu, IT.

PS This trick should resolve the problem being experienced in post #5, white background, white font with dark shadows.

Edited October 23, 2009 by jfettu

[garywilson]

The desktop icon colour is hardcoded into windows. If you have a dark background colour (not wallpaper), you get a white text, and vice versa if you have a light background colour your get black text. This is all done by windows with an algorythm.

Hope this helps.

thats right , my icon text color changes automaticaly when i am changed background from picture to white