Install and Use Kvantum Themes in KDE Plasma

Kvantum is a popular theming engine for the KDE desktop environment, known for its ability to transform the look and feel of your desktop.

Kvantum themes provide a wide range of customization options, allowing you to create a unique desktop appearance. These themes are typically created using Qt Style Sheets, which are CSS-like files that define the appearance of Qt widgets. Some of the benefits of using Kvantum themes include improved aesthetics, performance enhancements, and a seamless user experience.

In this article, we’ll explore how to install and use Kvantum themes in KDE, enhancing your desktop experience and personalizing it to your liking.

Table of Contents

What do you need before installing Kvantum themes?

You need to ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

A KDE desktop environment in any Linux distribution (such as Kubuntu, KDE Neon, Fedora KDE, etc.). You can check out some of the best KDE Plasma distributions for reference.
Basic knowledge of using the terminal.
Moderately newer hardware.

Install Kvantum Manager

To get started with Kvantum themes, you first need to install the Kvantum Manager. It helps you to tweak and apply various Kvantum themes.

Open a terminal and use the following commands to install it.

Ubuntu and related distributions

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:papirus/papirus
sudo apt update
sudo apt install qt5-style-kvantum qt5-style-kvantum-themes

Fedora

sudo dnf install kvantum

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S kvantum

For other distribution installation instructions, visit this page.

Download Kvantum themes

Now that you have Kvantum Manager installed, you can download themes from various sources, such as the KDE Store. There are many websites and forums where you can find a wide selection of Kvantum themes.

If you install using the above method, then some themes are already installed as part of the Kvuntam manager. So you don’t need to install anything extra to start with. See next section below for pre-installed themes.

If you insist on exploring Kvantum themes, there are many different Kvantum themes available, including both light and dark themes, as well as themes that are designed to mimic the look and feel of other operating systems. Some popular Kvantum themes include:

You can download the themes from the above link and extract the theme files. Ideal place to keep the extracted files in ~./config/Kvantum (see below). This path is recognized by the Kvantum manager for manual installation.

Installation path of Kavantum theme files

Install Kvantum themes

Once you’ve downloaded your desired Kvantum themes, it’s time to install them. You can skip this step if you are good with the pre-installed themes.
From the application menu, launch the Kvantum manager.
In the “Install/Update theme” section, click on “select a Kvantum theme folder”. Then click on Install the theme.
This is how you can install the themes manually.

Install custom Kvantum themes in manager

Apply themes

To apply the theme, expand the “change/delete theme” section.
On the Select a theme drop-down, select the theme you installed Or, select a pre-installed one.
Click on Use this theme to apply.
You can also click on the preview to see how the window and other controls look for the selected themes.
Open KDE Plasma Settings. Go to Appearance> Global Theme > Application Style.
Choose “Kvantum” or “Kvantum dark”. Select Apply.
Go to Appearance> Global Theme > Colors.
Choose a colour which goes with your theme. If you are applying pre-installed Kvantum themes, you can select the same colour scheme from this list. Select apply once done.
You need to reboot your KDE Plasma session to apply it correctly.

Customizing Kvantum themes

Kvantum allows for extensive customization. You can tweak the theme’s appearance according to your preferences. You can adjust window borders, transparency, and other visual elements to create a unique look.

On the Kvantum manager in the KDE Plasma desktop, expand the “configure active theme” section.

You can see four tabs with “hacks”, “compositing and general look”, “sizes and displays” and “misc” sections. You can tweak it further for your taste.

Here’s an example of a KDE Plasma desktop showing the Graphite Kvantum theme.

Conclusion

Kvantum themes are a fantastic way to personalize your KDE desktop environment. With an array of themes available as default and the ability to customize them to your liking, you can truly make your desktop your own.

Cheers.