I’ve started using version 7 of eM Client and like it a lot. However, in the new version 7, there isn’t an option to ‘adjust’ the theme’s colours as there was in version 6. The only options you get in tools> settings> appearance> themes> advanced are either ‘save current theme as …’ or ‘change theme directory’. I am using the Dark Frost Theme but I find that the sidebar is too light. Is there any way to change the colour of the sidebar only and independently? Thanks.
You could do this by modifying the theme (making your own custom version). First you’ll need to change the location where the themes are stored. Then save the theme you want to change and you’ll find it in the new location, where you can edit it. Then import the new version.
It’s a bit painful to find the right settings, but other than that you should find it pretty straightforward.
Thanks shanna.
I’ve done what you suggested and saved it in my changed location but when I click to open it, it opens in eM Client (by default) in my ‘New Message’ window with the saved theme shown as an attachment.
Is there a programme I can open it with which will allow me to edit, save and import the amended theme?
Thanks again.
Hi Michael,
All you need is a plain text editor. On Windows that would be Notepad. It is an XML file.
You may also need a color picker to choose your colors.
The sidebar color is a gradient, so you will need a start and end color (they could be the same).
The sidebar background is in the first section and it’s the following:
#E4E5E5
#CFD1D1
More… Just edit the file with Notepad (or equivalent) and save it. Then go into eM Client and import it at Menu > Settings > appearance > Themes
Thanks shanna.
I’m sorry but editing an XML file in notepad is all gobbledygook to me! I have found the '#E4E5E5
What’s happened to the tools> settings> appearance> themes> advanced ‘Create theme from Color’ option as in version 6? Surely it would have been wise to retain that option? As I said, I like version 7 but I’m thinking about reverting back to version 6 - or looking for a suitable alternative email client. 
Hi Michaell,
I sympathize that this is a pretty painful way to make simple theme changes, when you aren’t a theme developer, but there does not seem to be any other way, unless you can find a suitable theme.
As for finding an alternative email client - good luck with that, because in my opinion eM Client is the only viable non-cloud one available that is half-way useful. I cursed Thunderbird and then Outlook for years before finally finding eM Cient.
The Dark Frost theme is a contributed theme, so i don’t have access to it. But if you can post a link to it and tell me how much darker you want it to be, it would be trivial for me to change.
Hi shanna
I have posted a screenshot below. If you see the left hand ‘Navigation’ sidebar pane is barely visible ie it is too light. It just needs darkening so I can see the word ‘Navigation’ plainly. It wouldn’t let me attach a notepad file so I’ve copied the transcript of the theme below the image. Hope this is OK.
Thanks again
Transparent
#777777
#333333
#86C0FF
#E1E1E1
#E1E1E1
Transparent
Transparent
#CCCCCC
#888888
#888888
Transparent
Transparent
#000000
buttonhighlight
buttontext
#11529C
#787878
Transparent
#CCCCCC
#E7E8E9
#FFFFE1
buttontext
#FFFFFF
buttontext
#FFAAAA
False
0
False
#E6E6E6
buttontext
window
buttontext
#000000
#444444
#606060
#FFA500
#3C3C3C
#33B5E5
#CCCCCC
#BBBBBB
#555555
#555555
#777777
#333333
#333333
#555555
#222222
#222222
#444444
#EEEEEE
#E7E8E9
#999999
#000000
#AFAFAF
#999999
#888888
#F9F9F9
#E6E6E6
#ECF5FF
#96E3FF
#333333
#33B5E5
#BBBBBB
#33B5E5
#7F7F7F
#999999
#FFA500
True
#555555
#555555
#777777
#333333
#333333
#555555
#222222
#222222
#444444
#DDDDDD
#E7E8E9
#BBBBBB
#AFAFAF
#EEEEEE
#DDDDDD
#8F8F8F
#7F7F7F
#ECF5FF
#96E3FF
buttontext
#DCEBFC
#999999
#33B5E5
#555555
#999999
#7C7A76
#FFFFFF
False
#EBEBEB
#C2C2C2
#FFFFFF
#888888
#A0A0A0
#F8FBFF
#E3F0FF
#000FFF
#ECF5FF
#D0E5FF
#FFF000
#FF0000
#FFFFFF
#CCCCCC
#AAAAAA
#F8FBFF
#E3F0FF
#33B5E5
#ECF5FF
#D0E5FF
#DDDDDD
#FFFFFF
#AAAAAA
#555555
#656565
#F8F8F8
#F8F8F8
Transparent
Transparent
Transparent
#33B5E5
True
False
0
#8E8E8E
False
#96E3FF
#FF0000
#0000FF
#00FF00
#ABAEB1
#C9CDD0
buttontext
window
#33B5E5
#8E8E8E
#F6F6F6
#E8E8E8
#FFFFFF
#E3E3E3
#888888
Transparent
Transparent
#F8F8F8
#F8F8F8
Transparent
Transparent
False
5
#888888
#33B5E5
0
#33B5E5
True
#33B5E5
#444444
#222222
#DDDDDD
#FFFFFF
#EEEEEE
buttonhighlight
#000000
#000000
#555555
#777777
#33B5E5
#F9F9F9
#E6E6E6
#AAAAAA
#11529C
True
#FFFFFF
#EEEEEE
#000000
#000000
#555555
#777777
#656565
#777777
#555555
#7F7F7F
#8D8D8D
Crimson
White
White
True
#AAAAAA
#CDCDCD
#F0F0F0
#999999
#CDCDCD
#A0A0A0
#F0F0F0
#F0F0F0
#6C97CC
#5C80AE
Black
Black
#646464
White
White
#EAF5FF
#D2E5FF
#33B5E5
#A0A0A0
90
False
#F7F7F7
#5A5A5A
#DDDDDD
#BFBFBF
Black
Black
#FFFFFF
#F7F7F7
#FEFEFE
#DCDCDC
#666666
#E8F2FF
#C2C2C2
#D6D6D6
#E3E3E3
#A6A39D
Black
#FEFEFE
#EEEEEE
#CDE1FF
#AFC8EE
#9B9B9B
#FF4500
#FFFFFF
#D7D7D7
#FF0000
True
True
windowtext
graytext
#33B5E5
#F8FBFF
#E3F0FF
#F9F9F9
#E6E6E6
#D2D2D2
False
#999999
#323232
#BFDAE8
#F5FAFD
#787878
#F5FAFD
#FFFFFF
#FFFFFF
#D3D3D3
#F2F4F5
#CCCFCF
buttontext
#EBEDEE
#F7F9FA
#F6F6F6
#CCCFCF
#D3D3D3
#FFA500
#F8F8F8
#E1E1E1
#000000
#565656
#FFFFFF
#D3D3D3
#808080
#000000
#FFFFFF
#000000
#F5F5F5
#F7F7F7
#DCEBFC
White
#EEEEEE
White
Transparent
#000000
#E1E1E1
#000000
Transparent
Transparent
#E1E1E1
#000000
#E1E1E1
#000000
Transparent
#808080
False
False
False
False
False
False
False
False
#FFA500
#FFFFFF
#E1E1E1
#000000
Transparent
Transparent
#E1E1E1
#000000
#E1E1E1
#000000
#FFA500
#808080
True
False
False
False
True
False
False
False
#E7E8E9
#7C7A76
#FFFFFF
#E1E1E1
#000000
Transparent
Transparent
#E1E1E1
#000000
#E1E1E1
#000000
#E1E1E1
#FFFFFF
True
False
False
False
True
False
False
False
#FFA500
#FFFFFF
#E1E1E1
#000000
Transparent
Transparent
#E1E1E1
#000000
#E1E1E1
#000000
Hi Michael,
Unfortunately the theme got cut off - probably because there’s a limit to post length. If you cannot give me a link to get a copy of the theme, you could try emailing it as an attachment to info_2016(at)wildmice.ca
How did you get the folder list collapsed like in your screenshot? I don’t see any setting in eM Client for that.
I too am disappointed… Just decided to return to emClient, since ‘Mail’ on win 10 is worthless, they’re taking away ‘Windows Live Mail’, and I REFUSE to PAY $70 a year for a bunch of apps I don’t need or want (Office 365). Why would they (emClient) take away such a nice feature???
Please, bring it back!! :’(
Shanna, we appear to be getting nowhere. I had an email this afternoon from a [email protected] (Jelena Braum) advising me exactly the same as you. As suggested, I tried to email info_2016(at)wildmice.ca with the theme attachment but it didn’t recognize the email address (it doesn’t even look like a valid email address to me). So I’m back to square one and can’t amend/edit my theme and I’m not keen on the inbuilt ones. Why did they drop the option to ‘create theme from color’ from version 7? Is there any chance of reinstating it? I’m really about to give up now
Michael, It’s NOT a valid email address, to prevent bots from picking up my address. You need to change the (at) to @ (i just figured evryone knew this, sorry).
I have also been searching for more themes. Following the previous instructions of Menu>Tools>Settings>Appearance>Themes> Advanced and then saving the file, it does create and XML file.
I also found Notes will not edit the created file. I then tried Libre Office Writer, which is my MS Office alternative (free from Libre Office).
This easily opened the XML and preserved the formatting in the style you see above as posted by Michael Perry.
It appears, and I have yet to experiment, that the easiest way to create a new theme is to edit the one saved and the easiest process may be a “Find and Replace” where you replace one color throughout the whole document that appears everywhere with another.
Example would be to replace #222327 (dark grey) with, say #669999 (a sort of aquamarine)
A handy hex color chart can be found at http://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_picker.asp#00FF00
I will experiment and post results.
The key may also be to make very VERY small changes and test.
Hope this helps.
Hi Bryan,
When i modified the V7 Classic theme i saved a a copy, edited it with Notepad (comes with Windows), then imported it. I had to try a lot of settings to get the ones i wanted to changes. I suspect a search and replace would have made a big mess
Here is a link to the modified Classic theme :
http://wildmice.ca/emclient/Classic%20Plus.emtheme
You will need to right-click on the link and do “save link as”
Thanks Shana.
I see I had the wrong setting for Notepad. It will open the xml file. My mistake. I do prefer Libre Office Writer. 
As I said, I will need to experiment starting with very small changes. I see other things that will need to be modified such as descriptions for the thumbnail and title of the new theme. I think. I’ve only given the code a quick glance.
I’ll post the results in a few days. Once I develop a work flow system, I’ll share the process or post the problems I may have.
Using the above Find and Replace technique and replacing only ONE color, here is the result.
Original Dark Theme
Modified changing only ONE color
It would appear that by using the stock themes and modifying only one color, dozens if not hundreds of variations can be created very quickly. Example: Classic 1 to Classic 100.
The modification I made took me 10 minutes to choose the color, find the replacement and test.
NOTE: I did not change theme description in the XML file yet, but that looks very simple as well.
I will test more and then post the results, again, over the next few days. Anyone interested in the theme I create may contact me for a limited time. (see date of this post)
If successful, I hope to persuade the eM Client team to put together a package. The themes will be simple color modifications. If not, I will create a download page and post the link or may do so in the meantime.
Looks like you are in luck
Thanks shana. I build websites and after 20 years of it, running down markup code is now second nature.
Again, it seems the trick is to just modify one color of each stock theme. Quick and simple yet endless variations can be made.
That and don’t stray too far from the original palette of each theme. Example: use lighter or darker colors. The color picker link I posted above has a built in example of text over the color you choose so it’s easy to find something that will not make text illegible.
Bryan, you can add a thumbnail to a theme by taking a screenshot, using the top left portion, and reducing it to 80x80. Save it as a 24-bit PNG. Run it through tinypng.com, then encode it as base 64 data using this link
http://www.askapache.com/online-tools/base64-image-converter/
Then take only the data portion (after the comma) and put it into the
base64 data here
tag at the bottom of the theme file.