https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=169935
Bug ID: 169935
Summary: Draw does not preserve display mode (Color / Grayscale
/ B&W) across sessions or documents
Product: LibreOffice
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux (All)
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: medium
Component: Draw
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Created attachment 204573
--> https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/attachment.cgi?id=204573&action=edit
Detailed report in ODT format.
Title:
Draw does not persist display mode (Color / Grayscale / Black & White), causing
user confusion and loss of visual information.
Summary:
In LibreOffice Draw, the display mode setting
(View → Color / Grayscale / Black & White)
is not preserved when:
Creating a new Draw document
Reopening an existing Draw document
Starting Draw after closing the application
Using a user-defined template
Resetting the user profile
Using Flatpak, system package, or different VCL backends
This behavior leads to Draw always opening with “no display mode selected” or
reverting to an implicit monochrome rendering mode.
As a result, users experience:
Lines and shapes appearing black even when assigned a color
A mismatch between saved document data (which contains correct colors)
and the displayed output (often monochrome)
Difficulty recognizing whether color settings are applied correctly
Confusion, especially for first-time users
This affects usability and contradicts modern expectations for drawing
applications.
Steps to Reproduce:
Open LibreOffice Draw
Select View → Color
Draw colored shapes or lines
Save and close the file
Reopen the file or open a new Draw document
Expected Behavior:
Draw should:
Remember the last-used display mode
OR
Allow the user to define a default display mode
OR
Persist the mode inside the document or template
So that when users open Draw, the interface behaves consistently.
Actual Behavior:
Display mode reverts to “unselected” on startup
New documents ignore the last-used mode
Templates do not preserve display mode
Even saved documents open with display mode reset
Colors stored in the document render as black until display mode is manually
changed
This makes Draw appear “broken” or “color-incompatible,”
even though the underlying color data is intact.
Impact:
Modern users expect drawing software to display colors consistently.
Today’s Draw is used for:
Diagrams
Network & wiring charts
Process flows
Educational materials
Presentation graphics
Technical illustrations
In these contexts, color is not optional metadata;
it is semantic information.
Resetting display mode on startup leads to:
Misinterpretation of documents
Incorrect assumptions of data loss
Preventable user frustration
Increased support overhead
Poor first-time experience (especially on Linux distributions)
Technical Observation:
Even after:
Deleting registrymodifications.xcu
Resetting user profile
Removing templates
Reinstalling LibreOffice
Using different VCL plugins (gtk3, gen, cairo)
Testing APT version and Flatpak version
Draw still refuses to persist display mode,
suggesting that this is not merely a configuration problem but a
deliberate design from legacy code that no longer fits modern workflows.
Proposal for Improvement:
The following improvements are suggested:
Persist display mode across sessions
through user profile
or through application state
or per document template
Provide a user preference:
Example:
Tools → Options → Draw → Default Display Mode: Color / Grayscale / B&W
Show an initial hint to new users:
“Your document may contain color information that is currently hidden due to
display mode.”
Clarify behavior in documentation
Current documentation does not explain that color display is non-persistent.
Why This Matters:
In 2025、color is a fundamental component of diagrams.
Draw’s current behavior reflects a 1990s workflow where monochrome printers
dominated.
Color-as-optional-view is no longer suitable for current uses of Draw.
Making display mode persistent would dramatically improve usability with
minimal architectural change.
Environment Tested:
Linux Mint + LibreOffice 7.x (deb)
LibreOffice Flatpak latest stable
VCL backends: gtk3, gen, cairo
Clean user profiles
Multiple machines
Issue persists in all environments.
Reporter’s Note:
This report is written to improve LibreOffice Draw for all users,
especially beginners who often assume the application “cannot display color”
because Draw opens in an ambiguous visual state.
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