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Themes & Appearance

Personalize Gaivota's appearance to match your style.

Dark Mode

Gaivota supports both light and dark modes.

Dark Mode

Switching Modes

  1. Open Settings (⌘,)
  2. Go to the Appearance tab
  3. Select your preferred mode:
    • Light: Bright background, dark text
    • Dark: Dark background, light text
    • System: Follows your OS setting

Light Mode

System Theme

When set to "System", Gaivota automatically switches between light and dark mode based on your operating system's setting.

macOS: System Settings → Appearance Windows: Settings → Personalization → Colors Linux: Varies by desktop environment

Gaivota includes several pre-built themes:

ThemeDescription
DefaultClean, neutral colors
OceanBlue-tinted interface
ForestGreen-accented theme
SunsetWarm orange tones
MidnightDeep purple dark theme

Applying a Theme

  1. Go to Settings → Appearance
  2. Browse the Theme Gallery
  3. Click on a theme to preview
  4. Click Apply to use it

Theme Gallery

Custom Colors

Create your own color scheme:

  1. Go to Settings → Appearance
  2. Click Customize Colors
  3. Adjust colors for:
    • Primary color (buttons, links)
    • Background color
    • Text color
    • Accent color

Color Picker

Click on any color swatch to open the color picker:

  • Use the color wheel for visual selection
  • Enter hex codes directly (e.g., #3B82F6)
  • Adjust saturation and brightness

Saving Custom Themes

After customizing colors:

  1. Click Save as Theme
  2. Give your theme a name
  3. It appears in your Theme Gallery

Custom Theme Creator

Window Settings

Gaivota remembers your window preferences:

Window Size & Position

Your window size and position are saved automatically. Next time you open Gaivota, it opens exactly where you left it.

Maximized State

If you maximize the window, Gaivota remembers this too.

Reset Window

To reset window position to defaults:

  1. Close Gaivota
  2. Hold Shift while opening
  3. Or delete the preferences file

The sidebar can be:

  • Expanded: Shows full folder names
  • Collapsed: Shows only icons

Toggle with the [ key or click the toggle button.

Email List Density

Adjust how much information appears in the email list:

DensityShows
CompactSubject and sender only
DefaultSubject, sender, preview snippet
ComfortableMore spacing, larger text

Set in Settings → Appearance → List Density.

Font Size

Adjust the font size for better readability:

  1. Go to Settings → Appearance
  2. Use the Font Size slider
  3. Preview changes in real-time

Or use keyboard shortcuts:

  • ⌘+ to increase font size
  • ⌘- to decrease font size

Tips

Reducing Eye Strain

  • Use dark mode in low light
  • Use light mode in bright environments
  • Consider "System" to auto-switch

Focused Work

  • Collapse the sidebar for more reading space
  • Use compact density to see more emails
  • Choose a muted color scheme to reduce distraction

Accessibility

  • Increase font size if needed
  • High contrast themes available in gallery
  • All themes tested for color contrast