Apple OS X - Changing colours
This section explains how you can change your colours in Mac OS X.
Note: Mac key convention: ' Ctrl ' is used for 'Control', ' Apple ' is used for 'Command' and ' Alt ' is used for the 'Option' key.
Note: For keyboard access make sure ' Full keyboard access ' is turned on - you can turn it on or off; by pressing ' Ctrl ' + ' F1 ' at any time.
Using the high contrast colour scheme
Make sure you are in ' Finder ' - press ' Apple ' + ' Tab ' if necessary to cycle through open applications until you return to ' Finder '.
Click on the 'Apple ' menu or press ' Ctrl ' + ' F2 '.
Click on ' System Preferences... ' as shown in Fig 1 or press the down arrow key to highlight it and then press ' Enter '.
Fig 1
Click on the ' Universal Access ' icon or press ' Tab ' repeatedly (you might need to press ' Ctrl ' + ' F7 ' first) to cycle through the icons until the ' Universal Access ' icon is highlighted with a blue border and then press the ' Spacebar '.
Fig 2
Click on the ' Seeing ' tab or press ' Ctrl ' + ' F7 ' (once or twice) to highlight one of the four tabs for example ' Keyboard ' and then press the left or right arrow key to select the ' Seeing ' tab.
To change to a high contrast white on black colour scheme click on the ' Switch to White on Black ' button shown in Fig 3 or press ' Tab ' to highlight the 'Switch to White on Black ' button and press the ' Spacebar '.
The colour scheme will change straight away, to switch between the high contrast and standard display scheme at any time press ' Shift ' + ' Alt ' + ' Apple ' + ' * ' (asterisk)
Fig 3
You also have the option to set the display to grayscale, to do this:
Follow steps 1 to 5 above.
Click on the ' Set Display to Grayscale ' button shown in Fig 3 or press ' Tab ' to highlight the ' Set Display to Grayscale ' button and press the ' Spacebar '.
The colour scheme will change straight away to turn it back to the standard display scheme click again on the 'Set Display to Grayscale ' button or press ' Tab ' to highlight the 'Set Display to Grayscale ' button and press ' Spacebar '.
Changing the desktop background colour
Make sure you are in ' Finder ' - press ' Apple ' + ' Tab ' if necessary to cycle through open applications until you return to ' Finder '.
Click on the 'Apple ' menu or press ' Ctrl ' + ' F2 '.
Click on ' System Preferences... ' as shown in Fig 1 or press the down arrow key to highlight it and then press ' Enter '.
Click on the 'Desktop & Screen Saver ' icon or press ' Tab ' repeatedly (you might need to press ' Ctrl ' + ' F7 ' first) to cycle through the icons until the ' Desktop ' icon is highlighted with a blue border and then press the ' Spacebar '.
Fig 4
Click on the box next to ' Collection: ' tab or press ' Tab ' until the box is selected then press the ' Spacebar'.
From the pop-up list click on ' Solid Colors' or use the up and down cursor keys to highlight it and then press the ' Spacebar'.
Click on a colour you want using the horizontal scrollbar as necessary or press ' Tab ' to highlight the first colour square and use the right arrow key to cycle through the choices. You will see that as soon as you make a choice the background colour changes straight away.
When you are happy with your choice click on the Desktop window's close button or press ' Apple ' +' W '.
Fig 5
Changing folder background colours
You can change the folder background colour on your Mac.
Select a folder by double clicking on it or press ' Tab ' to highlight it and press ' Apple ' + ' O ' to open it.
Fig 6
Click on the ' View ' menu and select ' Show View Options ' or press ' Apple ' + ' J'.
Click on the radio button ' Color ' underneath ' Background: ' as highlighted in Fig 6 and a box will appear. (No keyboard shortcut).
Click on the box to bring up the 'Colors' option box which will bring up the colour circle as shown in Fig 6. (No keyboard shortcut).
Click on the colour you want to choose - you can also slide around the colours by clicking and holding the mouse down Or press the cursor keys to move around the colour circle.
When you are happy with your colour choice click the ' OK ' button or press ' Enter '.
You should see the folder background colour change to you selected colour. To choose another colour click again on the box next to ' Color ' to bring up the colour circle.
Click on the close button at the top of the view options window (no keyboard shortcut).
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