Follow the steps above to access the Appearance tab of the Display Properties dialog box. One at time, click on an element in the desktop preview (or select an element under Item), then adjust any of the options that appear in the lower half of the dialog box. For example, you might select Desktop, then select a new Color. Or you might select Active Title Bar, and then adjust its size and color, as well as the font, size, and color of the text on the bar. The options you can adjust will vary depending on the desktop item you select.

Continue adjusting settings for various elements until your ideal desktop appears in the preview area. Then, assuming you want to save all your hard work, click Save As, type a name for the scheme, and click OK. (From now on, you can select your new desktop look from the Scheme list.) Click OK one more time to apply your new scheme to the desktop.