Customizing Specific Components of the Desktop

This section describes how to customize specific components of the desktop individually.

4.3.1. To Customize the Desktop Background

The themes do not affect the desktop background. Therefore to modify the desktop background to complement your desktop, you must customize the desktop background separately using the Desktop Background preference tool. To start the Desktop Background preference tool,choose System ▸ Preferences ▸ Desktop Background.

4.3.2. To Customize Desktop Background Objects

The size of the icons that are displayed on the desktop background is controlled by the File Management preference tool. To change the size of the icons, perform the following steps:

  1. From the File Manager window, choose the Edit ▸ Preferences menu item.
  2. Select the Views tabbed section.
  3. In the Icon View Defaults group, select the zoom level that you require in the Default zoom level drop-down list.

4.3.3. To Customize Fonts

This section describes how to customize the font settings for the desktop and frequently-used applications.

If you have difficulty with the default font type and font size that is used on the desktop and desktop background, you can customize the font settings to suit your needs.

You can specify individual font settings for the following desktop components and applications:

  • Entire desktop excluding the desktop background
  • Desktop background only
  • Terminal
  • Text editor
  • Help
  • Web Browser

4.3.3.1. To Customize the Desktop Fonts

The Font preference tool allows you to specify the default fonts for the desktop.

To start the Font preference tool, choose System ▸ Preferences ▸ Font. The Font Preferences dialog contains the following options:

Application font

Click on this button to select a default font to use for the text that is displayed on the desktop, including the text displayed on the windows and dialogs associated with GNOME-compliant applications and panel applications.

If you use the Theme preference tool to select a theme and you click on the Apply Font button, the font that is associated with the theme overrides the font that you select using the Font preference tool.

Document font

Click on this button to select a font to use for displaying documents.

Desktop font

Click on this button to select a font to use for the text that is displayed on the desktop background only.

Window title font

Click on this button to select a font to use for the text that is displayed in titlebars of your windows.

Fixed width font

Click on this button to select a font to use for editing documents.

Font rendering

To specify how to render fonts on the desktop, select one of the following options:

  • Monochrome
  • Best shapes
  • Best contrast
  • Subpixel smoothing

If you use large fonts, you may need to change the size of panes in applications that use panes such as, the file manager and the Help browser.

For more information about the Font preference tool, see the User Guide.

4.3.3.2. To Customize Application Fonts

By default, GNOME applications use the default font specified in the Font preference tool. Some applications allow this default font to be customized. These applications are:

Using Themes to Customize the Desktop Meeting Specific Accessibility Needs