Adding Borders and Shadows to Borderless Applications in KDE (Kubuntu 23.10)

Adding Borders and Shadows to Borderless Applications in KDE (Kubuntu 23.10)

In this article, we will explore how to add borders and shadows to borderless applications in KDE, specifically in Kubuntu 23.10. This can be useful for improving the visual appearance of applications that do not have a standard KDE border and title bar, such as Trilium or MSTeams.

Finding the Right Settings

To add borders and shadows to borderless applications in KDE, we will need to modify the window decoration settings. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Configure Desktop.
2. In the Desktop Behavior section, click on Window Behavior.
3. In the Window Behavior settings, click on the Window Decorations tab.

From here, we can modify the settings for borderless applications. However, it is important to note that not all applications will respond to these settings in the same way. Some applications may not allow their borders to be modified, while others may have their own built-in border styles that cannot be overridden.

Adding Borders and Shadows

To add a border and shadow to a borderless application, follow these steps:

1. In the Window Decorations tab, click on the Inactive tab.
2. Under Border Style, select Custom.
3. Under Custom Border Width, enter a value for the width of the border. A value of 2 or 3 pixels is usually sufficient.
4. Under Custom Shadow, select Enabled.
5. Under Shadow Blur Radius, enter a value for the blur radius of the shadow. A value of 10 or 15 pixels is usually sufficient.
6. Under Shadow Offset, enter a value for the offset of the shadow. A value of 2 or 3 pixels is usually sufficient.

Once you have made these changes, click Apply to see the new border and shadow. If you are satisfied with the result, click OK to save the changes. The new border and shadow will now be applied to all borderless applications.

Code Block Example

Here is an example of how to add a border and shadow to a borderless application using the KDE window decoration settings:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Configure Desktop.
2. In the Desktop Behavior section, click on Window Behavior.
3. In the Window Behavior settings, click on the Window Decorations tab.
4. In the Window Decorations tab, click on the Inactive tab.
5. Under Border Style, select Custom.
6. Under Custom Border Width, enter a value for the width of the border.
7. Under Custom Shadow, select Enabled.
8. Under Shadow Blur Radius, enter a value for the blur radius of the shadow.
9. Under Shadow Offset, enter a value for the offset of the shadow.
10. Click Apply to see the new border and shadow.
11. Click OK to save the changes.

• Adding borders and shadows to borderless applications in KDE can improve their visual appearance.
• To add borders and shadows, modify the window decoration settings in KDE.
• Not all applications will respond to these settings in the same way.
• Use the Custom border style and adjust the border width, shadow blur radius, and shadow offset to achieve the desired result.

References

• KDE Window Behavior Settings
• Adding a Border to a Window Without a Border in KDE
• How do I add a border to a window without one?