TOPIC
What settings are available in the Appearance control panel?
DISCUSSION The Appearance control panel has been updated to provide additional features and controls for Appearance Manager 1.1. Each feature is accessible through one of six tabs in the Appearance window: Themes, Appearance, Fonts, Desktop, Sound, and Options. Themes - the Themes tab provides the ability to configure the desktop appearance as a group of settings called a Theme. Selecting a theme will automatically adjust your system font, appearance, sound, desktop pictures and patterns, and options to the specified settings. You can use the predefined Themes included with Mac OS 8.5, or create a custom Theme. To create a custom Theme, after selecting your appearance settings, click the Save Theme button. A window appears allowing you to name the Theme. After saving the Theme, to use its Appearance settings, click on your Theme in the Themes section of the Appearance control panel. Appearance - the Appearance tab allows you to select a set of Appearance settings and specify highlight colors and color variations for menus and controls. Appearance - this provides the overall look of menus, icons, windows, and controls. Use the Appearance pop-up menu to select an Appearance type. Mac OS 8.5 includes "Apple platinum" appearance. In the future, other appearances from Apple and other companies can be added by dropping its Appearance file into the System Folder. Highlight Color - use this pop-up menu to select a color to be used when highlighting text. Variation - use this pop-up menu to select color variations to be used when displaying menus and controls. Fonts - the Fonts tab allows you to choose a font to be used for System menus, headings, text, labels, lists, and icons. Large System Font - use this pop-up menu to select a font to be used when displaying system menus and headings. Mac OS 8.5 includes seven fonts to choose from: Charcoal, Chicago, Chisel, Textile, Techno, Capitals, and Sand. Additional fonts added to the Fonts folder in the System Folder are not available in this selection. Small System Font - use this pop-up menu to select a font to be used when displaying explanatory text and labels. Mac OS 8.5 currently allows only the Geneva font to be selected. Views Font - use this pop-up menu to select a font to be used with lists and Finder icons. Any font installed in the Fonts folder of the System Folder can be selected. Select the font point size to use through the size pop-up menu or type the size in the window. NOTE : 9 point is the minimum that can be selected. Smooth all fonts on screen - selecting this option enables anti-aliasing for all fonts displayed on the screen. Select the font smoothing minimum size through the Size pop-up menu or type the size in the window (NOTE: 12 point is the minimum that can be selected). Desktop - the Desktop tab allows you to select a pattern or picture to be displayed on the Finder desktop. Patterns - To select a pattern, click a pattern name in the window, then click Set Desktop. Many patterns available in the Desktop section will not display correctly at monitor bit depths of 256 colors or less. In order to view the full effect of a pattern, select thousands or millions of colors. If a desktop picture has already been selected, it will cover the pattern in the preview panel and the message "The pattern may be covered by the picture" is displayed. Click the Remove Picture button first, then the Set Desktop button to display the pattern. Pictures - To select a Desktop picture, click the Place Picture button. You can select a picture file in graphics formats such as PICT, GIF, and JPEG. Click the Show Preview button to see a smaller (thumbnail) image of the selected file. Select the picture file you wish to use, then click the Open button. Once you have selected a picture, click the Set Desktop button. Sound - the Sound tab allows you to select a set of sound effects to be used when actions take place. Sound Track - choose a Sound track from the Sound track pop-up menu. Mac OS 8.5 includes the "Platinum Sounds" sound track. Play sound effects for - select which sets of actions you wish to have sound effects. To enable or disable an action, click its checkbox. Options - the Options tab allows you to specify settings for scroll arrows, scroll boxes, and window collapse. Smart Scrolling - selecting this option will place two arrows on either end of a scroll bar and adds proportional scroll bar thumbs. Double-click title bar to collapse windows - selecting this option will allow you to collapse windows by double-clicking the title bar of the window, similarly to clicking the collapse window icon. |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Mac OS System Software |
| Category: | Mac OS 8.5 |
| Sub Category: | System Software Components |
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