[//]: # (title: Custom UI Themes)

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Beginning with the 2019.1 release, custom UI Themes are supported.
Custom UI Themes give designers control of the appearance of built-in UI elements.
The [UI Themes available for download](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/search?headline=164-theme&tags=Theme) illustrate the creative possibilities.

[Creating a new UI element](user_interface_components.md) for a plugin is distinctly different than Custom UI Themes.

> See the [Themes in IntelliJ-based IDEs](https://blog.jetbrains.com/platform/2021/10/themes-in-intellij-based-ides/) blog post for an overview (available in multiple languages).
>
> The recording of _Busy Plugin Developer. Episode 3_ shows how to [create a new UI Theme from scratch](https://youtu.be/9J0j-90dC60?t=582).
>
{type="note"}

This section discusses creating and customizing UI Themes:
* [Creating UI Themes](themes.md)
* [Customizing UI Themes](themes_customize.md)
* [Adding Editor Schemes and Background Images](themes_extras.md)

For plugin developers, [Exposing Theme Metadata](themes_metadata.md) discusses the format of customization keys and information how to provide it to Theme authors.