Getting rid of gradients in Windows XP theme

External Since: Aug 01, 2008 Posts: 6

Thanks for the suggestion, LVTravel, but from my original post:

I know I can do so by selecting the Classic theme and then customizing it
but apparently there's no way to do so with the Windows XP theme. I've been
resisting the Windows XP theme because of this but it's time to adopt it to
avoid confusing folks or having people crab about the "old" look of my
documents.

Mike
"LVTravel" wrote:

> It will take some work but it can be done. Here's one way:
>
> Right click a blank area on your screen. Left click Properties then left
> click Appearance tab. I find it easier to do what you want with Windows
> Classic style so click the Windows and buttons dropdown and click Windows
> Classic style. Then make sure the Color scheme is set to Windows Standard.
> Once that is done click the Advanced tab. When the next window opens click
> the Item: dropdown. For each item that shows two colors in the Color 1: and
> Color 2: box make the Color 2 box the same color as color 1 box. There are
> only two items there which are Inactive and Active title bar to change.
> That will take out all of the gradient shading you are talking about.
>
>
> Hope this helps, let us know.

External Since: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 603

Leonard Grey wrote:
> I beg your pardon, but I see none of that. Like I said, I use the
> Windows XP theme (at work and at home). My title bars are solid blue (or
> silver or olive, depending on my mood), and the max/min/close buttons
> are also solid. No gradients.
>
> It occurs to me that you may be referring to the way graphic images are
> made to look more 'natural' by trying to mimic the way light falls on an
> object. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but if you remember how
> 'flat' kid's cartoons looked 30 years ago compared to how they look now,
> you know what I mean.
>
> To get rid of the lighting effect you have to reduce your color depth.
> Changing to 16-bit color ought to do it, but you will also lose
> considerable image detail. Failing that, you'll need image editing
> software.
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
> R.I.P Usenet: 1980-2008 (PC Magazine)
> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2326848,00.asp
>
> Mike Starr wrote:
>> The title bar is multiple shades of blue; the maximize, minimize, and
>> restore buttons are multiple shades of blue, the close button is
>> multiple shades of red.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> "Leonard Grey" wrote:
>>
>>> I use the Windows XP theme and I must confess that I do not see any
>>> gradients. What gradients are you referring to specifically?
>>> ---
>>> Leonard Grey
>>> Errare humanum est
>>> R.I.P Usenet: 1980-2008 (PC Magazine)
>>> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2326848,00.asp
>>>
>>> Mike Starr wrote:
>>>> I'm a technical writer and do screen captures many times each day
>>>> for documentation.
>>>>
>>>> I want to customize the appearance to get rid of the gradients so
>>>> that when I do screen captures the title bar and other screen
>>>> elements are all solid colors. They print out much nicer that way. I
>>>> know I can do so by selecting the Classic theme and then customizing
>>>> it but apparently there's no way to do so with the Windows XP theme.
>>>> I've been resisting the Windows XP theme because of this but it's
>>>> time to adopt it to avoid confusing folks or having people crab
>>>> about the "old" look of my documents.
>>>>
>>>> Any tools for creating a custom Windows XP theme that allows me to
>>>> get rid of the gradients?
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>> Mike
In your desktop properties, what color level do you have set for your video?

If you have it turned down to 16 colors or such it might be that simple.
Not 16 bit, but 16 colors or 256 colors maybe. If so, then you don't
have a rich enough color scale for the video card to vary the colors
from light blue to dark blue through the 1000's of colors to get from
one end to the other thus you get that blocky gradients.