Get rid of clear panel so time/date is readable

[ezas]

I had a clear task bar panel and when a light colored background rotated in it was hard to read the time (Make that impossible when it was a white background.) It wasn't just reading the clock, I found the background coming between the Icons distracting. So just changing the fonts was not going to get the result I wanted.

First I tried turning of translucency in the Graphics section of PCC, and looked at settings for Translucency in Desktop Setting under Look & Feel. But neither changed the transparent task panel.

I kept digging and I finally found it. This is probably basic for most of you, but I learn a lot by looking at what other people have done to customized their  DE.

Here is where to change it:

Configure Your Desktop
Look & Feel
Advanced User Settings
Desktop Theme
Panel Background

I changed it from Glassified to Oxygen and that gave me a nice shaded task panel. Still translucent but now darker so the white letters of the time date show up even with a white background. I really like how it looks now.

Let's see what can I change next.

[malspa]

Thanks for that post!  I used those instructions to make my clock more readable against light desktop backgrounds.

Here, using KDE 4.5.0, the way to do this looks a bit different:

Configure Your Desktop > Workspace Appearance and Behavior > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme > Details tab > change Panel Background from Glassified Panel Background to Oxygen Panel Background.

That gives me a panel with more opacity than before.

[Old-Polack]

ezas:

I just changed the color of the clock fonts. Problem solved.

[ezas]

Yeah I played with fonts . . .

didn't really like any of the results, and I really like my 'smoked' panel background. 

[sixthwheel]

ezas:

I just changed the color of the clock fonts. Problem solved.

I have a clock on the wall next to the computer.
The wife wants me to re paint the room white, but then I wont be able to see the clock.