--- title: Baltic Amber Themes & Schemes for Your WordPress 2.5 Administration Panel date: 2008-04-20T18:00:56+00:00 modified: 2008-04-20T18:00:56+00:00 image:: https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-random-example.png permalink: https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard post_type: post author: name: Kaspars avatar: https://reverse.kaspars.net/gravatar/avatar/92bfcd3a8c3a21a033a6484d32c25a40b113ec6891f674336081513d5c98ef76?s=96&d=mm&r=g post_tag: - Plugin category: - WordPress --- # Baltic Amber Themes & Schemes for Your WordPress 2.5 Administration Panel **Update:** now you have the possibility to specify your own admin **colour scheme** leaving the layout exactly like it is in WordPress 2.5 by default. Matt Mullenweg recently [asked](http://ma.tt/2008/04/any-color-schemes/) if anybody has taken advantage of the new admin colour scheme switcher in WordPress 2.5, and the short answer is *yes and no*. There is the [Fluency theme](http://deanjrobinson.com/projects/fluency-admin/ "WordPress administration panel theme") by Dean J. Robinson, which is more like a complete redesign of the administration panel. ![Logo: Baltic Amber Admin Themes & Schemes](/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-logo-out-150x70.png "baltic-amber-logo-out") Therefore I made the *Baltic Amber Admin Themes & Schemes*, which allow you: - to create your own **colour scheme** by specifying only two base colours, - to have the theme colours change randomly every time you reload the page, or at any time interval you choose, - to use one of the administration **themes** which slightly alter/improve the positioning of different administration panel elements, like the main navigation, dashboard information and the plugin listing. There are eight basic colour options available or you can specify your own base colours by choosing ‘My Colour Theme’, or use the random colour generator. - to place *Tag* and *Category* selection in two columns right after the text editor in the ‘Write Post’ panel. This option can be enabled for every admin theme, including the default ones. Baltic Amber admin themes also improve the scanability of the *Plugin Management* screen by replacing the darker background colour for the activated plugins with a green ribbon on the side. ### Download & Install **Download from [WordPress Extend](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/baltic-amber-admin-themes-and-schemes/)**. Compatible with WordPress 2.5 only. 1. Download the plugin and unzip its content. 2. Upload the `baltic-amber` directory to `/wp-content/plugins/` directory. The final directory tree should look like `/wp-content/plugins/baltic-amber/baltic-amber.php` 3. Activate the plugin at the *Plugin Management* section under ‘Plugins’ menu. 4. [![Colour Scheme and Theme selection in Your Profile](/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-selection-122x150.png "Colour Scheme and Theme selection in Your Profile")](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-selection.png) Go to your *User Profile* (under *‘Users’ > ‘Your Profile’* or by clicking on your name at the top right corner of the administration panel). 5. Choose either *Random Color* scheme or *My Color* scheme, or one of the admin themes that you would like to use in the *Admin Color Scheme* section and click ‘Update Profile’. 6. If you decide to use either the *Random Colour* or the *My Colour* theme, configuration options are available under *‘User’ > ‘Baltic Amber Colour Settings’*. 7. *‘Realign Category and Tag selection as columns in the New Post panel’* option can be enabled under *‘User’ > ‘Baltic Amber Colour Settings’* [![Baltic Amber Colour Theme & Scheme settings](/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-theme-scheme-settings-480x399.png "Baltic Amber Colour Theme & Scheme settings")](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-theme-scheme-settings.png)Baltic Amber Colour Theme & Scheme settings [![Spring Scheme, Write New Post](/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-write-new-post-480x380.png "baltic-amber-spring-write-new-post")](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-write-new-post.png) ### Baltic Amber Theme & Scheme Screenshots #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-scheme-settings-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-scheme-settings) Baltic Amber Theme & Scheme Settings [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-asphalt-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-asphalt) Asphalt Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-caca-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-caca) Caca Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-caca2-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-caca2) Caca2 Pink Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-early-morning-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-early-morning) Early Morning Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-gaizins-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-gaizins) Gaiziņš Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-jurmala-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-jurmala) Jūrmala Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-liepaja-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-liepaja) Liepāja Theme, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-random-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-random) Random Colour, Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-color-scheme-spring-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-color-scheme-spring) Spring: Dashboard [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-dashboard-with-comments-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-dashboard-with-comments) Spring: Dashboard with new comment notification [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-design-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-design) Spring Theme, Design Menu [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-design-widgets-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-design-widgets) Spring Theme, Design Widget Placement [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-manage-comments-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-manage-comments) Spring Theme, Manage Comments [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-manage-posts-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-manage-posts) Spring Theme, Manage Posts [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-plugin-management-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-plugin-management) Spring Theme, Plugin Management Panel [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-spring-write-new-post-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-spring-write-new-post) Spring Theme, Write New Post [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/comparison-wordpress-dashboard-theme-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/comparison-wordpress-dashboard-theme) WordPress Default vs. Baltic Amber [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wordpress-default-classic-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/wordpress-default-classic) Classic Theme, WordPress Default [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/wordpress-default-fresh-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/wordpress-default-fresh) WordPress Default: Fresh [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-logo-out-150x91.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-logo-out) Logo: Baltic Amber Admin Themes [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-theme-scheme-settings-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-03-color-theme-scheme-settings) Baltic Amber Colour Theme & Scheme settings [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-selection-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-selection) Colour Scheme and Theme selection in Your Profile [![](https://kaspars.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-random-example-150x150.png)](https://kaspars.net/blog/baltic-amber-colour-themes-schemes-for-your-wordpress-25-administration-dashboard/baltic-amber-03-color-scheme-random-example) Baltic Amber Random Colour Scheme Example ### Browser Compatibility *Random color* and *My color* *schemes* work as fine as the default WordPress color schemes. Modified *Admin themes* work **perfectly** in Firefox 2 (and above), IE 6, IE 7, Opera 9 and also Safari. ### Questions or Suggestions? Please leave them in the comments. If something is not working like expected or you find a bug, please remember to mention the browsers (name and version) that you are using.