Quick 5-Minute Guide to Theme Settings in Redmine
2025-10-27
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Tags: 5-minute
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Redmine allows you to customize its appearance using themes.
This guide explains how to change the default theme, add new ones, and make Redmine’s interface fit your style.
Table of Contents
Overview
A Redmine theme is a set of stylesheets and images that change the appearance of Redmine’s user interface. By using a theme, you can customize the following visual elements:
- Font type, size, and style of displayed text
- Layout of elements on the page
- Icons, background images, and other visual assets
- Background colors, text colors, and other color settings
You can create your own theme or use one developed by the Redmine community.
Changing the Theme
Redmine comes with three built-in themes: Default, Alternate, and Classic. The Default theme is applied right after installation.
Only users with administrator privileges can change the theme.
By default, the admin account has these privileges, so it’s best to log in as admin to perform this task.
From the top menu, go to Administration → Settings, and click the Display tab.
Under the “Theme” section, you can select a theme from the dropdown list.
“Theme” is found under the “Display” tab.
Once you select a theme and click "Save," it will be applied right away.
Example: The interface after switching to the “Classic” theme.
Adding a New Theme
You can use themes you’ve created yourself or ones developed by the community.
To add a new theme, you’ll need access to the server where Redmine is installed.
Once you’re on the server, go to the Redmine installation directory and open the themes directory. In this directory, create a subdirectory for each theme and place all the required files (stylesheets, images, and so on) inside it.
Place all theme files inside the themes directory.
If you’re creating your own theme, refer to the official documentation such as HowTo create a custom Redmine theme in the Redmine Guide.
If you’re using a community-developed theme, follow the installation instructions provided with that theme.
Once the theme has been installed, switch to it by following the steps in Changing the Theme.
Others
A wide variety of community-developed themes are listed on the Redmine official website’s theme list page. Take a look and find a theme that best suits your preferences.
Changing your Redmine theme can give the system a fresh, polished look and make it easier to use. The best theme depends on your project and team, but with so many options available, you’ll easily find one that fits your needs. Take advantage of Redmine’s flexibility and customization to create a workspace that feels both comfortable and efficient.
Explore Redmine's capabilities firsthand on the demo site: demo.redminecloud.net
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