Xfce is a popular and customizable desktop environment for Linux and Unix-based systems. While it may not have the flashiest default appearance, there are many ways to make Xfce look modern and beautiful. Don’t know how? The following section presents you the 12 themes to make Xfce look modern and beautiful. These themes can help you transform the appearance of your desktop and make it more visually appealing and user-friendly.
12 Best Themes to Make Xfce Look Modern and Beautiful
With these themes offering a wide range of choices, you can choose from a variety of customization options that match your taste. Check out them all and see which one you like the most.
1: PRO Dark
PRO Dark offers three different editions for various GTK and Thunar File Manager versions, making it easy to install and use.
This theme is beneficial for regular desktop users as it is clean and easy on the eyes, reducing eye strain. It also provides a consistent look for GTK2 and GTK3 apps.
The theme is customizable, allowing users to modify various design aspects, including the color scheme and icon set. It uses the Xfwm window manager for a smooth user experience.
2: Dots Theme
A sleek and modern Xfce theme that features a clean and minimalist design with dotted accents and a muted color palette. It is available in both light and dark versions and supports GTK2, GTK3, and Xfce components.
The Dots Theme is regularly updated and remains compatible with the latest versions of Xfce and other dependencies. It is a great option for those who want to customize their desktop with a modern and attractive appearance while still maintaining the familiar Xfce interface.
3: Prof
The Prof Theme’s light color scheme and clean typography are designed to prevent eye strain, and its custom flat icons give it a sleek, modern look.
Notable features include a translucent application launcher and a notification panel with a black tint. It is an excellent choice for users who want a beautiful and simple Xfce desktop without sacrificing usability or performance.
4: CDE/Motif Theme
The CDE/Motif Theme now supports Xfce4, including the CDE front panel app. It has been tested on several systems and functions properly even without Xfce. Recent updates added features like a small script for OpenSuse, auto-raising the panel when the mouse hits the bottom, and adjusting volume by hovering over the pavucontrol icon.
All in all, it offers a unique and practical look to Xfce users, with the recent updates providing an even better user experience.
5: OneColor
The theme features a rounded and colorful window title bar, resembling the material design of Android OS, with buttons that look like those from Windows.
OneColor comes in six bold and bright colors, including red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and violet. It also offers a HiDPI version for 4K displays and an XXL version for touchscreen devices. The theme can be paired with flat-coloured wallpapers to achieve a minimalistic desktop.
6: Plano
An excellent choice to modernize and enhance the appearance of the Xfce desktop environment, the Plano theme provides you with three variants (Normal, Modern, and XP), all based on and made for the Plano GTK theme.
Version 1.5 of the Xfwm themes includes several new features, such as updated maximize buttons to match the latest version of the Plano theme, borderless ‘Modern’ variants and new ‘XP’ variants with 2px borders and a classic maximize button. These features offer more options for customizing the Xfce desktop.
7: McOS
A well-crafted theme McOS is designed for the Gnome desktop environment, with a solid and up-to-date version available for Gnome 3.26. It has also been adjusted for the XFCE-desktop, specifically built for Xubuntu 17.10, with two versions available: McOS-XFCE-Edition-I for Thunar below version 1.8, and McOS-XFCE-Edition-II for Thunar 1.8 or above.
The theme includes specific settings for the standard XFWM-window manager, with options such as displaying compositing, synchronizing drawing, and showing shadows under dock windows. The opacity of popup windows can be adjusted for translucency under drop-down menus.
8: Flat Remix GTK
Flat Remix GTK stands out for its rare support of GTK 2, 3, and 4, making it a top choice for users who want to customize their desktop’s appearance. Flat Remix GTK is an exceptional choice for those seeking one of the finest flat themes for Xfce Desktop. It features four variants: Normal, Dark, Darker, and The Darkest, and provides 13 color options to complement various preferences.
9: Arctodon
A simple but effective theme for the Xfwm window manager, which is the default for the Xfce desktop environment. Arctodon theme can change the appearance of the window and title bar of various applications, giving them a modern and sleek look. It is a great add-on for the popular Arc theme and also complements the Qogir theme.
The title bar buttons are flat and feature coloured highlights, while the title bar icons have a retro Windows XP style.
10: Skeuos
Skeuos is an excellent Xfce theme that offers both dark and white variants, created by the same developer who made Flat Remix GTK. It supports GTK 2, 3, and 4, providing smooth synchronization with all other apps. Skeuos has a clean and elegant design, making it easy on the eyes and perfect for those who want a modern and sophisticated desktop.
11: Neon Knights
Neon Knights is a modern and stylish theme inspired by neon light design. It looks best with dark or pitch-black backgrounds and has minimal title bar buttons available in two different styles. The theme offers several customization options, including color schemes like blue, green, red, yellow, and orange.
12: Pop Xfwm
Pop Xfwm is a theme for the Xfwm window manager that replicates the modern and stylish design of System 76’s Pop!_OS Linux distribution. It offers thin and elegant window borders, well-designed buttons, and a consistent appearance, similar to Pop!_OS.
Pop Xfwm includes dark and light variations and is highly customizable, allowing for a personalized look and feel. It’s a great choice for anyone who values both form and function in their desktop theme and wants to achieve a similar look to Pop!_OS on their Xfce desktop.
Conclusion
Xfce may have a reputation for being a lightweight and functional desktop environment, but it doesn’t have to sacrifice aesthetics to achieve its efficiency. By implementing any of the 12 best themes we’ve explored in this article, you can transform your Xfce desktop into a modern and beautiful interface that rivals even the most visually impressive desktop environments.
