SAP GUI Color Settings

If you are using the "classic" SAP graphical user interface (GUI) and you need information on customizing the color settings, see the Online Help for SAP Releases up to and including 4.5B.

Use

You can customize your SAP graphical user interface (GUI) color settings by:

• Choosing from among a number of predefined (default) color schemes, or
• Defining your own (custom) colors

Only the SAP-defined default color schemes ensure optimal readability of all items on a screen.

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

Procedure

Accessing the SAP GUI Customizing Functions

To access the SAP GUI Customizing functions:

1. In the system tray (in the corner of your Windows task bar),

1. Choose the SAP GUI customizing icon .

This icon appears on the task bar when you log on or open a new session (and stays there when you move between sessions).

When you log off the last session you were working with, the icon disappears.

2. Or, right-click .

The following context menu appears:

When you choose Close, the SAP GUI customizing icon disappears from the system tray. You can restore it by opening another session.

2. Choose Customize SAP GUI Settings.

The SAP GUI Settings dialog box appears, as shown below.

On the Color Settings tab page, you can:

• Activate the default color schemes
• Create customized color schemes, by adjusting hues, saturation, and luminosity
• Have your color settings shift gradually in the course of the day

3. You define your settings as described in the following sections.

Activating a Default Color Scheme

The default color schemes listed on the Color Settings tab page are based on either of two predefined color combinations:

• Complementary, which uses two different colors (default: blue/tan)
• Harmonic, which uses several shades of the same color (default: blue)

Each of these types also has a bright version, which has a higher contrast than the SAP delivery standard default setting. For maximum contrast, select High Contrast Blue.

When you log on to the SAP delivery standard, the default setting is Complementary.

To activate another default color scheme on the Color Settings list, place the cursor on the desired setting. The name of your selection now appears at the top of the list, and you see a preview in the simulated SAP window to the right. Then,

• Choose Apply. The color scheme takes effect, and the dialog box stays open. You can now make additional changes to your color settings.
• Or, choose OK. The color scheme takes effect, and the dialog box closes.

Creating a Customized Color Scheme

Foreground and Background Hues

In the Foreground Color and Background Color frames, you can use the slider box to create your own color schemes.

By default, the foreground and background hues are linked – that is, as you adjust the slider, the predefined intervals between the shades in a default color scheme stay the same.

• To change your color scheme while keeping these default intervals, select a predefined color scheme, and adjust the slider to the desired hue.
• To change the foreground and background hues individually, you must first deselect the Link checkbox.

As you are trying out colors, you can preview the results:

• In the simulated SAP window at the right (for the complete color scheme)
• In the shaded bar in the top right-hand corner of either slider box (for individual hues)

Color Saturation and Luminosity

In the Foreground Color and Background Color frames, you can fine-tune the hue, saturation, and luminosity of the respective colors individually.

To do this, double-click the shaded bar in the top right-hand corner of either slider box:

The Color Picker dialog box appears, as shown below:

To fine-tune the foreground and background hue, you use the slider box as before.

In the color palette to the right, a small ring localizes the selected color in relation to neighboring shades, with respect to:

• Saturation (vertical axis)
• Luminosity (horizontal axis)

To adjust either of these variables, click inside this palette, and drag the cursor to the desired position. The localizer disappears until you let go of the cursor. As before, you can preview the results.

Gradual Color Shift

You can choose to have your color settings shift gradually in the course of the day.

To do this, select the Activate Time Settings checkbox. The following additional options now appear in the lower part of the SAP GUI Settings dialog box:

To set the time frame in which you want your colors to shift:

1. Select the Start or End radio button at the right, and use the time buttons to define the respective time settings.
2. In the subsequent dialog box, enter the desired time (
hh:mm) in the Custom field. If applicable, choose Set As Default.
3. Refer to the the Start... End preview bar when adjusting the colors for the respective times of day.

Saving and Deleting Your SAP GUI Customizing Settings

1. When you have finished defining your settings, the new color scheme takes effect for all SAP sessions that are currently open.
2. To save your new color scheme, choose Save As..., and enter a name in the subsequent dialog box. Choose OK.
3. To delete a color scheme from the list, choose Delete.
4. If you have customized any of the default color schemes, and you want to revert to the default originals, choose Restore. This restores the original default settings without affecting the settings you have created.
5. To exit the SAP GUI Settings dialog box, choose OK.