Main Tutorials

How to change Eclipse theme

In this tutorial, we will show you how to change the Eclipse Theme.

Tools used :

  1. Eclipse 4.4 Luna, works on earlier version.
  2. Eclipse Color Theme Plugin
eclipse-change-theme-color-example

Figure : This is how your final Eclipse IDE looks like

1. Install Eclipse Color Theme Plugin

Install the theme plugin and restart Eclipse.


Eclipse menu -> Help -> Eclipse Marketplace, search "Eclipse Color Theme Plugin"
eclipse-change-theme-color

2. Change the Theme

2.1 Go “Windows Preferences”, select the “Dark” theme. This will change everything to “Dark”, but the editor still remains in “white” or classic theme.


Eclipse menu -> Window -> Preference -> General -> Appearance
eclipse-change-theme-color-2

P.S This is the Eclipse feature, not the “Eclipse Color Theme Plugin”.

2.2 To change the editor theme, go


Eclipse menu -> Window -> Preference -> General -> Appearance -> Color Theme

P.S This is the feature of “Eclipse Color Theme Plugin”

eclipse-change-theme-color-3

In this example, we choose “sublime Text 2”. Done, you just change everything to “Dark”.

3. More Eclipse Themes

3.1 More Eclipse themes are available at http://eclipsecolorthemes.org/

eclipse-theme-plugin-1
eclipse-theme-plugin-2

3.2 Eclipse color theme (XML)
Select the theme you want, download the “XML file” and imports it via the “Eclipse Color Theme Plugin”.

eclipse-theme-plugin-3

3.3 Eclipse Preferences (EPF)
If you don’t want to install the “Eclipse Color Theme Plugin”, then download the “EPF file”, and import as a preference.


Eclipse menu -> File -> Import... -> General -> Preferences 
eclipse-theme-plugin-4

3.3.1 To uninstall an imported EPF file, restore defaults to both “General Editor” and “Java editor”.


Eclipse menu -> Window -> Preference -> General -> Editors -> "Restore Defaults" 

Eclipse menu -> Window -> Preference -> Java -> Editor -> Syntax Coloring -> "Restore Defaults" 
Note
There are many similar Eclipse theme plugins, do share me your favorites 🙂

References

  1. Eclipse color theme plugin

About Author

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Founder of Mkyong.com, love Java and open source stuff. Follow him on Twitter. If you like my tutorials, consider make a donation to these charities.

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Tal Tene
7 years ago

Those themes are modifying onky the editors colors. Can I also set those (or others themes) to the exploreres? to the debug windows? etc. ? Thanks

MattB
4 years ago
Reply to  Tal Tene

Same problem. Theme changes are only applied to the code editor. They don’t change Package explorer or search, or overview tab. I cannot read black text on white background. It is too bright. Dark themes are too dark. Is it possible to change all Eclipse window backgrounds to one color?

21domerame
5 years ago
Reply to  Tal Tene

He just showed you how to do it.

Henrique
6 years ago

Thank you very much ! 😉

Ryan C
4 years ago

Eclipse version 4.12.0 it is different. For this version you click Eclipse -> Preferences -> DevStyle -> Change Theme & Look

8 years ago

that color theme option is not appearing in my eclipse..plz ne1 help….giving some kind of context.xml error while instaling color and theme

metalHead
9 years ago

Is anybody know how to change scrollbars color? this grey scrollbars on black theme spoils all. IMHO.
I want to make scrollbars somth like http://i.stack.imgur.com/3heiL.png

I’m using Eclipse Luna(4.4.0) on Windows7 32bit

Thanks in advance

uniquejava
9 years ago

great, now i have a feeling working under IDEA Darcular theme…;)

Follows are my additional customization(Hope it helps)

Hide status bar:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5645495/how-to-hide-the-status-bar-in-eclipse

Fullscreen plugin(Alt+F11)
updatesite: http://scharf.gr/eclipse/fullscreen/update/

make eclipse looks more compact under ubuntu:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13684289/can-i-make-eclipse-on-ubuntu-look-more-compact

???
9 years ago

Wow. Thanks. ^^

Mahaboob
9 years ago

Great lets add a new look….

singhakash
9 years ago

Hi mkyong,
good tutorial need more help

how can I change my Intellij Idea theme?

Sascha Kleiber
7 years ago

I’m using Eclipse Neon and if I switch to the Dark Theme, the editors scrollbar is gone (or rather it is still there, but invisible). What the f… is happening there?