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SLiMeX · Mar 18, 2007, 05:52 PM

I've searched for a thread including the best black themes, and found nothing. I'm looking for a theme that'll go well with my background and choices for icons, etc. So far, I've tried Photopro, Cold, and nDark Aqua. Any other nice looking black/translucent themes? I love the way they look.

Also, I had to re-install OSX on my Macbook, and never saved all of my icons I used for modding. I'm looking for the realistic, black internal hard drive. If anyone can point me in the right direction, please do.

digitaljames · Mar 18, 2007, 06:03 PM

NEOS 2.2.1

Shinobi 2.4.1

Dragon

Bister 90%

SLiMeX · Mar 18, 2007, 06:08 PM

Thanks! Did you just search for those on Interfacelift?

digitaljames · Mar 18, 2007, 06:15 PM

No, I just knew where to find them.

Ren Qian · Mar 18, 2007, 06:20 PM

Void has a black version

Themes @ styleAddicted

glypht · Mar 19, 2007, 12:27 PM

Actually, you're all wrong...

Cold

Best. Black. Theme. Ever.

(Apart from UnityGK!)

;-)

fisherKing · Mar 19, 2007, 12:32 PM

don't forget:

photopro

also amazing...!

SLiMeX · Mar 19, 2007, 01:57 PM

Thanks, however I mentioned Photopro and Cold in the thread-starter.

glypht · Mar 19, 2007, 03:34 PM

*Slaps forehead*

fisherKing · Mar 19, 2007, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by SLiMeX

Thanks, however I mentioned Photopro and Cold in the thread-starter.

you mean we're supposed to read the thread before responding??

oops...

SLiMeX · Mar 23, 2007, 01:45 AM

No one else?

eyevaan · Mar 23, 2007, 11:29 AM

JetBlack has some longterm usability issues but is pretty neat for a while.
ProLCD Black is not quite "Dark" but is fully usuable.
AmunRaa is showing promise.

LBoogie · Mar 25, 2007, 01:09 AM

Kuro is really nice...
DSKY : guikit

Aron Peterson · Mar 25, 2007, 02:01 PM

Frankly none of those black themes are doing the job for me. I thought Cold or PhotoPro might but then looked at how badly they messed up Photoshop's tool palette icons. Hardly visible. The Finder also look very unattractive with some of those themes listed above.

To that end I've downloaded ThemePark and will endeavor to make a theme that is just right. I haven't themed for a long time. I was one of the few guys here back in 2001 who were the first to edit and replace resource files manually. I created a Windows Blue titlebar theme, Windows Black titlebar theme and the first NeXT theme back then. Let me see what I can do now I have a theme making app

SLiMeX · Mar 25, 2007, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

Frankly none of those black themes are doing the job for me. I thought Cold or PhotoPro might but then looked at how badly they messed up Photoshop's tool palette icons. Hardly visible. The Finder also look very unattractive with some of those themes listed above.

I couldnt've said it better myself. I hope whatever your conjuring up will be the black theme to end all black themes.

Aron Peterson · Mar 25, 2007, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by SLiMeX

I couldnt've said it better myself. I hope whatever your conjuring up will be the black theme to end all black themes.

I don't get what's up with the theme makers. They know Macs are about simplicity and then they go overboard with their themes. I'm going to take a lot of cues from Adobe Lightroom's fullscreen interface. It's simple, dark and effective. Very much like the iPhone's interface. Maybe Apple is going there anyway. Glossy, reflective black has appeared in Vista too.

SLiMeX · Mar 25, 2007, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

I don't get what's up with the theme makers. They know Macs are about simplicity and then they go overboard with their themes. I'm going to take a lot of cues from Adobe Lightroom's fullscreen interface. It's simple, dark and effective. Very much like the iPhone's interface. Maybe Apple is going there anyway. Glossy, reflective black has appeared in Vista too.

Agreed. I mean, something, just a simple, glossy black would be perfect. Absolutely perfect. I think I know what you're going for when you say the Lightroom interface, but dont go to dark gray rather than black. I look forward to whatever you have to offer. I wish I knew what I was doing, or else I would've created something.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Makki or Gerrit had a few unreleased themes tucked away somewhere that we're looking for.

Aron Peterson · Mar 26, 2007, 04:15 AM

You might want to look at the new version of Uno. It's free and unifies OS X's interface. It's not black, but it is very very slick, and free. It doesn't need Duality or ShapeShifter.

eyevaan · Mar 26, 2007, 09:55 AM

Good luck with your new theme development. The photoshop "bug" with dark themes is seemily impossible to conquer - I hope you are able to make it work. Perhaps you are right, simplicity may be the solution. FYI - PhotoShop has hard coded data and resources and the themes are unable to completely replace that coding, as far as I have seen.

fisherKing · Mar 26, 2007, 10:07 AM

i really love photopro, and crystal clear.
all the black themes have some usability issues, but...

currently trying cold; like it.
can use it with photoshop, logic, etc.
not perfect (some issues in dreamweaver), but pretty close.

am not going back to aqua (well, until leopard, and then only until shapeshifter is 10.5-ready...)

black rocks!

doccus · Apr 7, 2007, 12:44 AM

DSX is rock solid, looks great, and has a perfecly matching appearance theme for classic out there...
and you can still sort of see the tools in photoshop too

Sandy · Apr 12, 2007, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by doccus

DSX is rock solid, looks great, and has a perfecly matching appearance theme for classic out there...
and you can still sort of see the tools in photoshop too

And there's the cat's gak. I understand why themers create dark themes and dark menus...they're different. I think they're sexy.

But...although they look great in the Finder, they often cause problems in apps. My favourite theme right now is GraphiteAGV. The blue/grey GUI is different enough, while still looking Mac-like, that it really appeals to me.

My second favourite is NiCe mini. It would be my favourite and I'd use it day in, day out, until someone could develope an even better looking GUI, except it has dark blue menus. Dark menus and Adobe apps just don't work together and I spend too much time in Adobe apps to ignore them. ...Which means NiCe has become a distant 2nd favourite. Simply because of the dark menus.

Maybe it's time I played with ThemePark again and tried to cobble something together for myself.

Randman · Apr 12, 2007, 10:16 PM

Glassworks is not pure black but a very workable dark theme. I've used it for months now and it's going just fine.

Sandy · Apr 12, 2007, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Glassworks is not pure black but a very workable dark theme. I've used it for months now and it's going just fine.

I wouldn't mind looking at it Randman. Any idea where it can be had? I've taken a quick look around my usual haunts and haven't been able to locate it.

Randman · Apr 12, 2007, 11:43 PM

is what it looks like. Let me see if I can find the link to it, been awhile.

Sandy · Apr 13, 2007, 02:46 AM

Thanks Randman. I did find a copy of it (1.0) at Tucows, but couldn't find anything newer that would work with Tiger.

Aron Peterson · Apr 13, 2007, 05:13 AM

I'm having no luck using or making dark themes. There are apps like Maya that use bitmaps for tool icons that were made with grey backgrounds in mind. Any darker than the default grey and those icons show up ugly due to poor alpha channels.

Randman · Apr 13, 2007, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Sandy

Thanks Randman. I did find a copy of it (1.0) at Tucows, but couldn't find anything newer that would work with Tiger.

That's quite odd because my version works on Tiger (have latest build) and I'm running it on a Mac Book Pro.

Sandy · Apr 13, 2007, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson

I'm having no luck using or making dark themes. There are apps like Maya that use bitmaps for tool icons that were made with grey backgrounds in mind. Any darker than the default grey and those icons show up ugly due to poor alpha channels.

I know where you're coming from. I think dark themes are sexy in the Finder, but just don't play well with many other apps. There are some gorgeous light themes, but the trend now is to use black menus and many apps simply will not create their menu text in anything other than black. I really wish theme designers that create themes that use black menus would also include a light version. That said, beggars can't be choosers, and I'm thankful so many designers are willing to share their creations with the public. I created several private mods back in the Kaleidescope days, so I know how much time is involved in themeing.

roosta · Apr 14, 2007, 12:10 AM

this one plays well with photoshop

Sandy · Apr 14, 2007, 02:16 AM

I don't recognize it, but you're right it does look like it plays well with PS. Is that one of Gerrit's themes?

roosta · Apr 14, 2007, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Sandy

Is that one of Gerrit's themes?

no. its v23, it might be released someday soon.

SLiMeX · Apr 14, 2007, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by roosta

this one plays well with photoshop

I like the look of this theme sans the system icons in the top right, and the placement of the X - O buttons of the screens.

doccus · Apr 14, 2007, 07:27 PM

I've found that most apps will follow the coding in the #clr resource if it's set right..it is in the extras.rsrc as #clr id 384..almost all my theme hacks are black or very dark, and all the required fonts show up white if it's set that way..i'll post some shots when i get them hosted and you can see what I mean..
Incidentally, I was wrong about DSX..photoshop's tools show perfectly..not partially as I earlier said...

Sandy · Apr 15, 2007, 12:16 AM

Do you happen to know where a copy of DSX can be had doccus? Couldn't find a copy at InterfaceLIFT or at MacThemes.

red rocket · Apr 15, 2007, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by Randman

Originally Posted by Sandy

Originally Posted by Randman

Thanks Randman. I did find a copy of it (1.0) at Tucows, but couldn't find anything newer that would work with Tiger.

That's quite odd because my version works on Tiger (have latest build) and I'm running it on a Mac Book Pro.

The only theme called "Glassworks" I could find on the internet is a Classic appearance theme (scheme?), a link to the OS X theme you're using would be really appreciated, Randman.

digitaljames · Apr 15, 2007, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by Sandy

Do you happen to know where a copy of DSX can be had doccus? Couldn't find a copy at InterfaceLIFT or at MacThemes.

http://izappy.info/archives/themes/i...mes/index.html

Randman · Apr 15, 2007, 07:44 AM

It's GlasWorks R1
by scops ([email protected])

Sorry, can't find a working link atm so it may have been renamed. I've used it for a very long time now and it works fine with Tiger and on Mactels.

digitaljames · Apr 15, 2007, 07:56 AM

Glasworks R1

MacThemes Forums :: View topic - [REL] GlasWorks R1

Sandy · Apr 15, 2007, 03:04 PM

digitaljames! A veritable fountain of knowledge. Thanks!