A look at SAP GUI themes

Posted by Xavier Hacking

Did you know you can change the way SAP GUI looks? You know, that basic SAP tool most of us use for hours each day? I really don’t like the looks of the standard theme, but you can easily change it into something else. I’m not sure if people know about this. All I see around me are those awful colors and/or 3D buttons (sometimes even with animations) like we are back in 2001 again.

In this post we will look at how to change your SAP GUI theme (which is very easy) and have a look at the different themes that are available.

To change the theme you have to go to the Options menu in SAP GUI. This is the most outer right button. You can also use the shortcut ALT+F12. Select Options here.

buttontheme

Here you can choose the theme from the dropdown box. You need to restart SAP GUI before the changes take effect.

options

Some themes, unfortunately only the older ones, have the option to use a different color set for each SAP system. This is very handy if you have to work with multiple systems at once. You can use for example a grey set for development, red for test and blue for production. Or you different colors for BW and ECC systems. All themes except for Corbu and Crystal Blue have this option.

system_dep_colors

So now let’s have a look at the various themes that are available for us with their “description”. I’ll start with the oldest theme first.

Classic: This is the well-known Windows design that was standard for Windows applications up to and including Windows 2000.

Pretty plain and basic, but ooooold.

classic

Enjoy (1999): A design specifically implemented for SAP with ergonomic improvements that was offered for the first time with SAP GUI 4.6.

Ugly ugly shit. Really.

enjoy_sysdependent

Streamline: Another Enjoy mode that is more well adjusted to the design of the Enterprise Portal.

This actually looks okay.

streamline

Tradeshow: A refinement of Streamline.

A step back in my opinion. I like the finer contrast between the colors better in Streamline.

tradeshow

SAP Signature (2008): The new SAP design (standard setting in SAP GUI for Windows) that is to be provided for all SAP UI technologies and which ensures a harmonization of interfaces.

Terrible, just terrible. What’s up with the 3D shininess?

signature

Corbu (2012): A new design with an overall reduced contrast and revised SAP GUI icons that further improves the integration to other UI frameworks. 

Okay this looks really slick! Almost became my favorite theme.

corbu

Blue Crystal (2013): A design with a new color scheme and slightly revised UI elements.

I think Blue Crystal is only included in SAP GUI 7.4. This is my #1 theme at the moment. It is a different style than all previous versions, almost a bit non-SAP like. The buttons don’t have rectangles around them, it just looks more open and modern. I had to adjust for few days since some of the buttons just look very different, but now I’m very content with this theme. The only problem I have with this theme is that I can’t set a different background color for the different SAP systems I have to work in.

bluecrystal

If you want to use Blue Crystal, make sure you download the latest SAP GUI 7.4 patch (at least patch level 1, december 2014). This patch includes a number of fixes that solve issues with the Blue Crystal theme, like buttons that were not appearing. I have been using this patch for a week now and haven’t had any problems yet. 

HackingSAP.com - Jan 1, 2015 | Knowledge sharing, SAP
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12 comments

  1. Nuno José Almeida
    May 14, 2015

    Blue Crystal is too white. Corby is too grey. Can wait for SAP remakes a UI with better color and proper proper elements size. (like miro with full width!)

    Reply
  2. Jeff Miller
    November 18, 2015

    Did you ever figure out how to have different clients be different colors.
    I want the test system to be pink and production to be green, but with the 7.4 gui every time i change in one it changes all of them.
    thanks
    Jeff

    Reply
    • Xavier Hacking
      November 18, 2015

      Hi Jeff,

      Does that also happen when using the “System Dependent Theme”?

      Cheers,
      Xavier

      Reply
    • Shaun
      July 26, 2017

      You have to change it to the “enjoy” theme and then you can “set colors to system” and it will be done differently for each system.

      Reply
  3. Pepe
    July 4, 2016

    I don’t like Blue Crystal design because it is so white and tired eyes.

    Reply
  4. Manfred Forstinger
    June 7, 2017

    Just installed SAPgui 750 hoping that in this version the new ‘blue crystal’ theme would’ve been improved … unfortunately not :o(

    For me this theme is still unuseable. Ok, you now can choose system-dependent colors. But look at those curious icons! They are ugly, sorry to say that.

    This is to be the future SAP default theme?
    Hopefully not!

    Regards
    Manfred

    Reply
  5. Richard Harnwell
    May 29, 2018

    I love the general look of blue crystal except for a fundamental issue for me – I’m colour blind, and I can’t easily determine the red/green traffic light colours as they seem so undersaturated now!

    Reply
    • Robin
      December 6, 2018

      Hey Richard! I am also a colorblind SAP GUI-user, do you mind me askin what theme you prefer?

      Reply
  6. Nati
    June 18, 2019

    Hi, I was wondering if you would have the same screenshot with the new SAP 4/S HANA //Fiori Interface? 🙂

    Reply
  7. silvio
    July 17, 2020

    Please, help me. My SAP is very small. Belize Theme is very large, and others themes are very small. What do I do?

    Reply
  8. Tracy Acker,
    September 4, 2020

    They just updated my SAP and I don’t have the “Enjoy” theme any more and that is the only theme I’ve found where you can pick your own colors?

    Reply
  9. Anonymous
    August 18, 2022

    Signature!

    Reply

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