How to Install a Vital Skin on Mac and PC
Why install a Vital Skin?
Maybe it’s the glow of the LFOs, or the way the waveform shimmers in your favourite colour. Perhaps you simply want Vital to look more appealing in your YouTube videos. Whatever the reason, installing a Vital skin or theme is one of the quickest ways to personalise your production setup.
And let’s be honest — when your synth looks great, it’s more fun to use.
Skins vs Themes: What’s the difference?
Vital originally launched without custom skins, but things changed after version 1.0.7. Later in version 1.5.5 Themes were introduced, a more advanced system that lets you customise just about everything:
- Line weights
- Button shapes
- Glow effects
- Colour, spacing, drop shadows.... the lot
If you’ve downloaded something called a “Vital skin,” it’s probably an older file. Modern themes use .vitaltheme format and give you more visual control as a skin designer, or if you want to tweak an existing skin. The great news? The installation method is the same for both. Before You Start
- Make sure you've downloadeded Vital version 1.5.5 or higher (my new theme packs don’t work in anything less) You can run one of the free vital skins that comes with synthwave light using only version 1.0.7 but there’s a much better theme for it using 1.5.5 which glows.
- If you're upgrading Back up your personal presets, wavetables, and custom LFOs, also any of the skins you previously created or downloaded — upgrading Vital is usually painless, but better safe than sorry.
- Download your .vitaltheme or .vitalskin file
If you're still on an older version, I really recommend updating. Themes are much more fun — and I've leaned hard into glow, detail, and UI clarity in my latest designs (like The Deep, my free underwater-themed skin).
How to install a Vital Skin / Theme Video
How to Install Vital Skins (Method 1 – Quick & Easy)
This is the method I use most often — fast and it works like a charm.
- Open Vital
- Hold down Command (⌘) on Mac or Alt on Windows
- Click the burger menu (☰ in the vital header section)
- From the popup menu, choose Load Theme
- Locate your .vitaltheme file and open it
Boom. Instant glow.
How to Install Vital Skins (Method 2 – Advanced Tab)
An alternative method that basically achieves the same result
- Click on the Advanced tab inside Vital from the header
- Scroll to the bottom to find the Theme section
- Click where it says Default (or your currently selected theme)
- Choose Load Custom Theme
- Select your .vitaltheme file and you’re done
This method is great if you're switching between themes regularly or testing out your own designs.
A Few Quick Tips
-
Themes are more powerful than skins If you’re planning on creating your own vital skin, then newer versions support much better skinning with vital themes.
- Always download themes from creators you trust (like me!)
- Want Some Ready-Made Inspiration?Try my free Vital theme, The Deep, a glowing, underwater-inspired skin built for version 1.5.5 and above. It’s been thoroughly tested to ensure it works just as well as it looks.
