Bob4K

Join Date 10/2017

Changing the color of the taskbar button text

Hi,

I am new to Windowblinds, I just bought a license and testing it on a Virtual machine. I hoping to get a Windows 7 classic look with Windows 10, which I truly hate. I plan to get some new hardware that won't support Windows 7.

I downloaded the "True Classic" theme, which uses a taskbar style I like, but other items are not to my liking.

I like the Precision style for these other items, except for the taskbar.

So, I choose the Precision theme, and in the settings, I choose to use the True Classic taskbar.

I have the following problem: when True Classic is used directly as style, the text on the taskbar buttons is black, which is what I want.

But when I use Precision + True Classic taskbar, the text is a very pale green very hard to read.

How can I change the text color using this mix of styles? Do I have to use the Skinstudio, or is there a setting in Windowblinds itself?

I find the color settings within Windowblinds extremely confusing, is there a tutorial or an article on that subject? I don't understand at all what the various rulers do, and I am unable to make any meaningful change.

Thank you in advance for your help.

skinning

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DaveBax

Join Date 10/2007

+629

First any changes you make to these Windowblinds are for your personal use only. I think I know what you are saying but not a 100% sure so here goes.

How you are using the True classic TB and Precision WB I have no idea. Unless you are taking the image for TC and adding it to Precision. What I would suggest is this. Also has to be done using SkinStudio (SKS). Open Precision in SKS. click on edit Startmenu and Taskbar. Click on Edit Horizontal Taskbars. Horizontal Tasbars. Highlight Background. Go to "Edit Image and open it in what ever program you use. Note this is one image but two parts and you can see. Make this whatever color, style you wish. Save as a .png file. Load it in the Background spot replacing the Blue image there. Click apply. You change the button colors here. Same location go to Teskbar buttons highlight "buttons" Click on Text at the bottom. Look for state to modify above. First state is "Normal" Use the dropdown menu to change the different states. Also use the dropdown menu where it says "Text color" To see more colors.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+477

But when I use Precision + True Classic taskbar, the text is a very pale green very hard to read.

Maybe you have some color changes hanging around on one of the skins. For each skin, go into WindowBlinds, click on the "Modify style" text, click on the color tile that says "None", then click the "Apply style to desktop" button. Might clear up the text color.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+477

Quoting DaveBax,

reply 1

How you are using the True classic TB and Precision WB I have no idea.

WindowBlinds/Settings/"Use the taskbar and startmenu from this style:"/Dropdown selector.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+477

A much better skin for experimenting with the color adjustments is the Win8 skin. Generally speaking, the color adjustments work as a hue-shift, there needs to be some color to shift. Precision has some blue in it, but not a lot. True Classic is basically grey. You'll see the adjustment much more readily on the Win8 skin.

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DaveBax

Join Date 10/2007

+629

Quoting DaveRI,

reply 3

Quoting DaveBax,

reply 1

How you are using the True classic TB and Precision WB I have no idea.

WindowBlinds/Settings/"Use the taskbar and startmenu from this style:"/Dropdown selector.

Thanks Dave. Guess knowing SKS in and out I just do any changing from there.

Maybe your tips will solve his situation.

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Quoting DaveRI,

reply 2

But when I use Precision + True Classic taskbar, the text is a very pale green very hard to read.

Doing that changes the pale green button color to a more visible blue, but it's still not the native dark I would like.

I am indeed using the Settings to merge the 2 styles, without using Skinstudio.

I'll try, but I don't think using SKS on True Classic will be useful, since the text is already natively black!

Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming!

As an aside, I did not get any email about your answers, even though I am subscribed and "Email m" is set to ON. Any idea why?

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Quoting DaveBax,

reply 1

First any changes you make to these Windowblinds are for your personal use only.

Noted.

I think I know what you are saying but not a 100% sure so here goes.

How you are using the True classic TB and Precision WB I have no idea.

As posted above, in the settings you can use the taskbar of another style.

Same location go to Teskbar buttons highlight "buttons" Click on Text at the bottom. Look for state to modify above. First state is "Normal" Use the dropdown menu to change the different states. Also use the dropdown menu were it says "Text color"

That changes indeed the text color of the native taskbar, but has not effect on the color of the used one.

Editing the True Classic text button is pointless, it's already black. It's the mix between styles that does not work as it should.

I opened a ticket with the support, and they told me to ask here!

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DaveBax

Join Date 10/2007

+629

Quoting Bob4K,

reply 7

I opened a ticket with the support, and they told me to ask here!

My guess they said the above is because there is no way I guess to change mix and match so to speak.

Also maybe it's because I did explain you need to make a new image and how to do it above. This is the only way it's going to work for what you are trying to do. I wish you luck with any other method.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+477

Quoting Bob4K,

reply 6

Doing that changes the pale green button color to a more visible blue,

That would be "correct" - that seems to be how it works. I've played with this with various skin combinations (it's not something I use) and as far as I can tell WB changes the text color of the source taskbar (e.g. True Classic) to go with the blind being used (e.g. Precision). I can't tell exactly what it's using, sometimes the results are "interesting".

So, like Dave said, you're left with editing the skin in SkinStudio. I'd create a new substyle in Precision and edit that one. You'll want to keep it backed up, a WindowBlinds update will mess with it. Or, if you go into SkinStudio and "make a copy" of Precision, then edit that new skin, the WindowBlinds updates will leave it alone.

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Ok, so it's a feature, not a bug.

To get what I want, I'll have to stop using the mixing of 2 styles, and edit a copy the style I want to change.

Thanks for the advice.

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DaveBax

Join Date 10/2007

+629

Quoting Bob4K,

reply 10

Ok, so it's a feature, not a bug.

To get what I want, I'll have to stop using the mixing of 2 styles, and edit a copy the style I want to change.

Thanks for the advice.

Have a question using SKS just ask on the forum. Feel free to PM me if you wish.

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