3 Ways to Customize Menus and Toolbars in LibreOffice | TechBuzz

One of the great things about OpenOffice software like LibreOffice is its customization. You can choose where the buttons are, create custom menus, rename the tools, and even replace the icons.

Keep reading to learn the three ways to customize LibreOffice menus and toolbars.

1. Customize the Contents

By default, LibreOffice organizes tools between three places. First are the Toolbars, which can dock to the edges or float freely. Second is the Sidebar, which can dock to the left or right side of the window, or float. Last is the Menu Bar, which is always at the very top of the window.

You can edit menus and toolbars by going to Tools > Customize. From here, you can change various kinds of menus. Each one has its own tab:

• Menus has options for changing the drop-down options in the Menu Bar.
• Toolbars is where you change the tools in the toolbars. These changes apply whether the toolbars are floating or docked.
• NotebookBar lets you change the toolbar options in the Tabbed User Interface option. This option better resembles Microsoft Office’s Ribbon menus.
• Context Menus are the menus that appear when you right-click specific targets.

After selecting the section you want to change, you need to select the subsection. For instance, if you are editing the Menu Bar, you need to select which menu or sub-menu from the Target drop-down.

Next, choose a tool from the left-hand menu and click the right-facing arrow to add it to your target menu. The tool will appear immediately below any item selected in the target menu. You can add section dividers using the Insert option below the target menu. You can move a tool within the menu by selecting it and using the up/down arrows on the right.

Making a whole new menu can be a good idea if you have a group of tools that you tend to use together. For instance, you could create a toolbar for note-taking, or one for when you are editing a PDF file in LibreOffice Writer.

Open Tools > Customize and select the tab for the kind of menu or toolbar you want to add. Once selected, click the hamburger (three horizontal lines) icon. You should see it beside the Target drop-down menu. Pick Add from the options.

Give your new menu or toolbar a name, then open the hamburger menu again. Choose whether your menu should display Icon and Text, Icon Only, or Text Only. Text options will display the tool’s name.

After that, you can begin adding options using the arrow functions. Your new menu or toolbar will appear right away when you’re done.

Changing names and icons can help you clarify your interface. For instance, if you find a tool name confusing, you can change it to be more specific.

To rename an option:

1. Locate it in the Tools > Customize menu on any tab.
2. Select it, then click Modify > Rename from beneath the Target menu.
3. When the dialog appears, type your new name.

To change the icon, select Modify > Change Icon. From there, you can select from the included icons that come with LibreOffice, or Import a new icon. New icons should be 24×24 pixels, with no extra room on the edges.

You can also download a complete set of matching icons. Go to Tools > Options and select LibreOffice > View from the left-hand menus. LibreOffice comes with a few options. You can also download more using LibreOffice Extensions. After which, you can click Apply to save your changes.

Tailor Your LibreOffice Experience

You will find LibreOffice much more comfortable if you can put the tools you want where you want them. Take some time to customize the menus, toolbars, tool names, and icons.

To finish, try fully customizing LibreOffice’s appearance. You can change the color scheme, toolbar locations, and more!

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