How To Customize The Photoshop Interface Color
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- 0:00 Introduction
- 0:18 Why is the Photoshop Interface Gray?
- 1:00 Photoshop Themes
- 1:33 Find the "UIColors.txt" File In The Installation Folder
- 2:12 Backup The "UIColors.txt" File
- 2:51 Edit The "UIColors.txt" File
- 4:52 Find RGB Colors
- 5:45 Paste and Save the RGB Color Into The "UIColors.txt" File
- 6:42 Customizing the Photoshop Interface Using a Script
- 8:00 Save & Replace The "UIColors.txt" File Generated with The Scrip
- 9:02 Final Thoughts
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
Photoshop interface color goes beyond the four default gray themes once you edit one hidden settings file.
First, we will look at how to do this manually; then, we will use a script that can speed up the process.
Note: Photoshop’s Preferences panel only offers four preset gray themes, but a hidden settings file controls the color of every individual interface element behind the scenes.
Key Takeaways
- Every color in the Photoshop interface, not just the four preset gray themes, is stored in one plain-text file called UIColors.txt.
- Each line in that file holds four sets of RGB values, one for each of Photoshop’s Brightest Gray, Medium Gray, Dark Gray, and Darkest Gray themes.
- Always copy UIColors.txt before editing it, so you can restore the defaults if a change looks wrong.
- Photoshop must fully restart before a manually edited UIColors.txt file takes effect.
- A free community script gives you a color-swatch picker for the same file, so you never have to type an RGB value by hand.
- The folder name that holds UIColors.txt changes every year to match your installed Photoshop version.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Keyboard Shortcuts for This Photoshop Trick
- Customize The Photoshop Interface Color By Editing The System Files
- Step 1: Go To The Photoshop Installation Folder
- Step 2: Find and Back Up the Photoshop Color Settings File
- Step 3: Open The “UIColors.txt” File with a Code Editor
- Step 4: Search for the UI Element You Would Like To Customize
- Step 5: Find RGB Color Values
- Step 6: Paste the RGB Color in The Corresponding Color Slot
- Step 7: Save the UIColors.txt File
- Step 8: Restart Photoshop to Apply Your New Interface Color
- Other Useful Photoshop Interface Labels
- Customize The Photoshop Interface Color with a Script
- Photoshop Script Credits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts on Your Custom Photoshop Interface
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to find and safely back up Photoshop’s UIColors.txt file
- How to identify the UI element you want to recolor and its matching RGB values
- How to edit and save UIColors.txt so Photoshop picks up your custom colors
- How to use a free script to recolor the interface with a color swatch instead of typing RGB values
- Which other UI element labels you can customize the same way
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2020 (version 21.0 or later) or the current version
Practice Files
Download the script used in this tutorial, then double-click it to run it in Photoshop.
Keyboard Shortcuts for This Photoshop Trick
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open Preferences | Ctrl K | Command K |
| Find text in your code editor | Ctrl F | Command F |
| Paste the copied RGB value | Ctrl V | Command V |
| Save the file | Ctrl S | Command S |
Customize The Photoshop Interface Color By Editing The System Files
Step 1: Go To The Photoshop Installation Folder
On Windows, go into C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2023\Required
On macOS, go into the Application\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2023\Required
Note: Adobe names this folder after your installed version. If your Required folder is not named the same as this one, look for the Adobe Photoshop folder that matches your version instead, for example Adobe Photoshop 2026.
Step 2: Find and Back Up the Photoshop Color Settings File
On the Required folder, find the file called “UIColors.txt” and make a copy to another location. This copy will help you revert back to default if you make any mistakes.
Step 3: Open The “UIColors.txt” File with a Code Editor
Open the “UIColors.txt” with any code editor. On Windows, you can use Notepad ++ (link below).
Step 4: Search for the UI Element You Would Like To Customize
From the “UIColors.txt” file, search for the attributes (elements) that you would like to customize. For example, the scrollbar is labeled as “WidgetScrollbarArrows.” Look below for a list of other often-used attributes.
Step 5: Find RGB Color Values
You can use Google, or any other search engine to find a color picker that allows you to copy a color’s RGB values in this format: RRR, GGG, BBB.
Step 6: Paste the RGB Color in The Corresponding Color Slot
Paste the RGB value in the corresponding slot for the theme that you are currently on. Or replace the values on all four themes.
The rows of RGB values represent the Photoshop themes: Brightest Gray, Medium Gray, Dark Gray, and Darkest Gray.
Step 7: Save the UIColors.txt File
Save the file to apply the Changes
Step 8: Restart Photoshop to Apply Your New Interface Color
You must restart Photoshop so that your custom colors take effect on the UI.
Other Useful Photoshop Interface Labels
- RulerText – Numbers on the Horizontal & Vertical Rulers.
- RulerMarkers – The lines on the Rulers
- ScrollingListSelectedDefault – Selected layers in the Layers Panel.
- WidgetButtonStroke – Button outlines.
- WidgetButtonFillPressed – Pressed buttons.
- WidgetPillStrokeFocused – Buttons on hover outline.
- WidgetScrollbarArrows – Scrollbar arrows.
- WidgetScrollbarElevatorFill – Scrollbar Rectangle.
Photoshop hides plenty of other tricks the same way. Three secret shortcuts open menus Photoshop never shows in its own interface, in case you want to keep exploring.
Customize The Photoshop Interface Color with a Script
You can use a script to customize the Photoshop interface color.
Download the script from the link below, then double-click on it to open it. Photoshop will open as well, and you will see a panel that contains all the attributes and RGB color values.
Click on the Color Swatch to edit any UI element.
If you like finding shortcuts like this one, five more Photoshop tricks most users never discover are just as quick to pick up.
When you’re done, export the “UIColors.txt” file, and save it into the “Required” folder.
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2023\Required
Photoshop Script Credits
- Script by jazz-y
- Forum with Script Snippet
Pair your new look with ten genuinely useful Photoshop keyboard shortcuts to make your whole workflow faster, not just its colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open the UIColors.txt file inside your Photoshop installation’s Required folder, then edit the RGB values for the UI element you want to recolor. Restart Photoshop to see the change.
It is inside the Required folder of your Photoshop installation, for example Adobe Photoshop 2026\Required on Windows or the matching Application folder on macOS. The year in the folder name matches your installed version.
Yes, as long as you copy the original UIColors.txt file first. If a color looks wrong or Photoshop has a problem, replace your edited copy with the backup to restore the defaults.
Only four gray themes, Brightest Gray, Medium Gray, Dark Gray and Darkest Gray, appear in the Preferences panel. Editing UIColors.txt lets you replace any of those four with a color of your own.
A free script by community member jazz-y opens a panel inside Photoshop with a color-swatch picker for every UI element. You click a swatch instead of typing an RGB value by hand.
Yes. Photoshop reads the interface colors once at launch, so a manual edit or a script-generated file only takes effect after you close and reopen the application.
Yes. Replace your edited UIColors.txt file with the backup copy you made before editing, then restart Photoshop to restore the default colors.
Final Thoughts on Your Custom Photoshop Interface
Photoshop’s Preferences panel only shows four gray themes, but the UIColors.txt file behind it controls every color in the interface.
Editing that file by hand gives you full control, and the free script gives you the same result with a color swatch instead of typing RGB values.
Watch the full video above for both methods step by step, and comment on the video if you have a question.
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Keep going
Hi Jesus!
How can I change main UI color? What is the main UI color code name in script or ColorUI file?
Hi Jesus, I have watched your video on customizing the PS interface. I want to change the colour, and size if possible, of the Cursor in PS and Bridge, but this doesn’t appear to be possible?
Tell me I’m wrong as I find it hard to see the cursor being black and small on a dark grey background. The only background colour that works and is available is white which is not helpful for good editing.
Why would Adobe make this option so difficult when it a standard and easy change in Windows?
I hope you can help.
Regards
David
hi i cant save the script in the required folder it says file access denied pls help
Hi,
does it work for you in version 2022?
It doesn’t work for me.
hi Jesus,
Are there more labels that you can change above the ones you have given us already?
Greetz from Belgium