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V24.1

Customize an Application Appearance

  • 2 minutes to read

You can change the appearance of an application built with DevExpress WPF controls and standard WPF controls in any of the following ways:

Switch an Application Theme

The DevExpress WPF Subscription ships with over thirty custom designed application themes. Themes change the appearance (colors, padding values, margins, and more) of DevExpress WPF controls and standard WPF controls. Refer to the following topic for information on how to switch an application theme: WPF Application Themes.

Run Demo: Outlook Inspired Demo

WPF Themes

Use a Control’s Built-in Appearance Customization Properties

LayoutGroup Appearance Properties

Refer to the following topics for information on available appearance customization properties:

Modify Theme Palettes

The following DevExpress WPF themes include palettes:

Theme Family Themes
Windows 10 Dark, Light
Office 2019 Black, Colorful, Dark Gray, White, HighContrast
Visual Studio 2019 Blue, Dark, Light
Office 2016 SE Black, Colorful, Dark Gray, White
Visual Studio 2017 Blue, Dark, Light

Palettes allow you to integrate colors (for example, corporate colors) into your application and customize colors used in these themes.

Theme Palettes

Follow the steps below to apply a custom palette to an application:

  1. Create a custom palette in code.
  2. Generate a new theme that includes this palette.
  3. Apply the theme to an application.

Use the WPF Theme Designer

You can also create custom theme palettes in the WPF Theme Designer tool in any of the following ways:

Modify Theme Resources (Advanced Approach)

If a visual element has no associated appearance property or palette color, you can modify this element’s theme resources in your application.

See Also