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Docs · Themes

LibreSprite themes: install a dark or light skin

A theme (LibreSprite calls them skins) changes every colour, icon and font in the interface. Installing one takes a minute and needs no admin rights. We installed two community themes on LibreSprite 1.3 to check the steps.

Checked with LibreSprite 1.3Updated 3 min read
On this page 5 sections
  1. The built-in themes
  2. Install a community theme
  3. Switch back or remove a theme safely
  4. Make your own theme
  5. FAQ

Short answer

How do I change the theme in LibreSprite?

Edit → Preferences → Theme, pick a theme, press Select, then restart LibreSprite. To add a community theme, click Open Folder on that tab, copy the theme’s folder (the one that contains skin.xml and sheet.png) into it, and restart so it appears in the list.

The built-in themes

FolderLook
defaultThe dark theme you see on first start. Its skin.xml names it Neutral Dark, by BlackRaven: a community theme that became LibreSprite’s default.
classicThe original Aseprite-era look LibreSprite inherited in 2016 (its file calls it “Default”), light beige-grey panels with black text and the old pixel icons.
Edit → Preferences → Theme.
Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · LibreSprite 1.3 (AppImage)Edit → Preferences → Theme.Xvfb 1440×900, Openbox · taken 2026-11-01

Install a community theme

  1. Download the theme

    Most themes are GitHub repositories or zip files. The project’s Theming.md and the community resources page list several (Neutral Dark, Purple Tint, Unofficial Dead Cells…). Extract the zip.

  2. Find the right folder inside

    You need the folder that directly contains skin.xml and sheet.png. Some downloads wrap it in extra folders (the Nord theme we tested keeps it in skins/Nord-Theme).

  3. Copy it into your user skins folder

    Preferences → Theme → Open Folder opens it for you, or go there yourself:

    Windows%AppData%\LibreSprite\data\skins\
    macOS~/Library/Application Support/LibreSprite/data/skins/
    Linux~/.config/libresprite/data/skins/ (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/libresprite/data/skins/)
    Linux Flatpak~/.var/app/com.github.libresprite.LibreSprite/config/libresprite/data/skins/ (tested)

    The program’s own data/skins folder (next to libresprite.exe, or inside the app) works too. Older guides send you there, but the user folder survives updates and needs no admin rights.

  4. Restart, select, restart

    Restart LibreSprite so the theme is listed, choose it in Preferences → Theme, press Select, and restart again when asked.

Selecting a theme: LibreSprite asks for a restart.
Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · LibreSprite 1.3 (AppImage)Selecting a theme: LibreSprite asks for a restart.Xvfb 1440×900, Openbox · taken 2026-11-01
The community Nord theme after selecting it and restarting.
Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · LibreSprite 1.3 (AppImage)The community Nord theme after selecting it and restarting.Xvfb 1440×900, Openbox · taken 2026-11-01

Older themes on 1.3

Themes made for earlier versions may not include icons for newer buttons. With the Nord theme on 1.3, several buttons in the tool options bar showed up blank. If that bothers you, check the theme’s page for an update, or switch back to default.

Aseprite theme extensions: opening an .aseprite-extension file with File → Open in LibreSprite 1.3 unpacks it into the skins folder and selects it as the theme (restart to see it). Aseprite themes made for recent versions may look broken because the two programs’ theme formats have drifted apart.

Switch back or remove a theme safely

  1. Preferences → Theme → select default (or another theme) → Select → restart.
  2. Only then delete the theme’s folder.

If you delete the folder of the theme that is still selected, LibreSprite stops at start with “File skins/<theme>/sheet.png not found”. Fix: put the folder back, or delete the selected = … line under [theme] in libresprite.ini. Step by step in troubleshooting.

Make your own theme

A theme is a folder with:

  • sheet.png: one image holding every icon, button frame and widget part.
  • skin.xml: the theme’s name and author, then sections for dimensions, colors, cursors, tools (toolbar icons), parts (which rectangle of sheet.png is which piece) and a stylesheet.
  • Optional fonts (font.ttf, font.otf or a pixel font.png, plus per-language variants) and a palette.png.

The easiest start is to copy the default folder from the program’s data/skins into your user skins folder under a new name, change the name in skin.xml, and recolour sheet.png in LibreSprite itself. View → Refresh & Reload Skin (F5) reloads it without restarting while you work.

Tested on the Flatpak

To check the Flatpak folder, we made a deliberately ugly test theme (orange panels, inverted icons), placed it in ~/.var/app/com.github.libresprite.LibreSprite/config/libresprite/data/skins/ and set it in libresprite.ini. The Flathub build loaded it:

A test theme placed in the Flatpak’s own config folder (…/config/libresprite/data/skins/) loads: here deliberately orange.
Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · LibreSprite 1.2 (Flathub; prints 1.2-dev)A test theme placed in the Flatpak’s own config folder (…/config/libresprite/data/skins/) loads: here deliberately orange.GitHub runner, Xvfb 1440×900, Openbox · taken 2026-11-01

FAQ

Does LibreSprite have a dark mode?

Yes: the default theme is dark. For a lighter look, select classic or install a light community theme.

Why doesn’t my new theme appear in the list?

Either LibreSprite hasn’t been restarted since you copied it, or the folder is one level too deep. The folder you copy must contain skin.xml directly.

Can I change the font?

Only through a theme: put font.ttf (or .otf) in a theme folder. For text you draw on the canvas, Edit → Insert Text lets you pick any font file.

Do themes work on the Flatpak?

Yes. We put a test theme in the Flatpak’s own folder (~/.var/app/com.github.libresprite.LibreSprite/config/libresprite/data/skins/), selected it, and the Flathub build loaded it.

Keep going

PreferencesEvery setting, UI scale, language, and where settings live.The interfaceEvery panel, bar and window of LibreSprite, labelled.TroubleshootingWon’t open, crashes, lag, huge UI: fixes for every common error.

Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us: hello@libresprite.dev. We fix mistakes within a day.