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How to Customize the Program’s Visual Environment
There are many ways you can customize the program’s visual environment to optimize it for your needs.
How to change the program’s color theme
How to change the background color in Preview
How to customize toolbar icons
How to adjust the information displayed in Preview
How to adjust the information under thumbnails
How to adjust icons on thumbnails
How to change the view in the Browser and Filmstrip
How to change the program’s color theme
The default color theme of Zoner Studio is neutral gray, but the program offers two other color variants. You can change them in Preferences | Appearance, where you will find the option Color theme.
How to change the background color in Preview
Regardless of the selected color theme, you can also adjust the background color of Preview mode in Zoner Studio. This can be done in two ways:
If you want the Preview background color to change in all program modules, open Preferences | Appearance and adjust the option Editor background color. By default, this is set to Use Theme's Color, but you can change it to Custom.
If you want to choose specifically in which module the background color should change, use the Preview Options and select Set up Preview Information from the menu. In the dialog, under Configuration, choose the specific location for which you want to change the background color. Then uncheck the option Automatic color setting and select any color you prefer.
Changing the background color can be useful if you prepare photos in Zoner Studio for publishing on social networks. These usually have a pure white or black background, which often requires stronger contrast in published photos.
How to customize side panels
Side panels include the left Navigator panel, the right panel with information or editing options, and the bottom Filmstrip panel. Each of these panels can be opened and closed, and you can also change their width (Navigator and right panel) or height (Filmstrip). More details on these operations can be found in the article Side panels and Filmstrip Are Not Visible.
Customizing the right panel in the Editor module
By default, the main toolbar in the Editor module is located in the right panel. However, the toolbar can be removed from the right panel and placed as a vertical bar next to the image preview, allowing you to access tool icons with a single click. You can change this in Preferences | Editor by selecting either Right or Left in the Main toolbar location menu.
In addition to the main toolbar position, the Editor allows you to decide on the placement and display of the Adjustments section. By default, the Adjustments section is available after clicking the Adjustments button in the right panel, and the list of filters and functions it contains then appears as a pop-up window. Clicking the three horizontal lines icon in the upper right corner of the pop-up window displays all placement options for this section: Main panel, Second column, and Pop-up window.
If you select Main panel, the Adjustments button disappears entirely and the list of filters and functions will be displayed in the right panel, just like the basic adjustment menu in the Develop module.
Customizing the right panel in the Develop module
The Develop module’s basic adjustments menu contains several groups, starting with Color Style and ending with Effect 3D LUT. If you use some sections more than others, you may want to reorder them so that your most-used ones are at the top. You can reorder them by clicking the three horizontal lines icon and selecting Change order of groups.
How to customize toolbar icons
Although the default toolbars in the program contain the most important functions, every user can customize their contents. Toolbars can be customized in the Browser and Filmstrip, and in the Manager, Develop, and Editor modules. You can edit toolbar content by right-clicking the panel in question or by going to Preferences | General and clicking the Toolbars button.
How to adjust the information displayed in Preview
When viewing or editing photos, metadata information, rating controls, and other elements are displayed around the image by default. Using the Set up Preview Information settings, you can adjust, move, or remove all these elements. You can find this function by clicking the Preview options icon.
How to adjust the information under thumbnails
By default, the file name is displayed under thumbnails in the Browser and Filmstrip. In Preferences | Thumbnails, you can specify Extended information for photos and Extended information for videos. Using metadata tokens, you can choose what additional information should be displayed under thumbnails and in what format.
After saving the changes, you must also enable the display of extended information. This can be done in the Display and Sorting dialog by clicking the Thumbnails with extended information icon.
More information
How to adjust icons on thumbnails
In addition to the file name, various icons are displayed on thumbnails. These either inform the user about the presence of certain metadata (e.g., GPS data or edits made in the Develop module) or allow the user to perform specific actions with the file (e.g., rotate 90°, pin, or rate). The list of possible icons can be found in Preferences | Thumbnails, where you can also choose which icons should be displayed.
How to change the view in the Browser and Filmstrip
Although the default Browser mode is Thumbnails, Zoner Studio offers three other modes: Thumbnails with extended information, Tiles, and Details. You can switch between these modes in the View and sort dialog using the icons at the top.
In the Thumbnails and Thumbnails with extended information modes, you can also set the Filmstrip to scroll vertically.
How to customize label colors
Label colors are a useful feature for organizing photos. Zoner Studio offers 9 label colors, and you can customize their colors and names. This can be done in Preferences | Labels.