WPF - TabItem Background color changes when tabitem selected or hover over

Question

I set the Background color of the tabitem in the xaml to RED, but when i run it and hover over it or select it it changes back the the default greyish looking. It only shows correctly when the other tabitem is selected. How do i keep it RED all the time. Thanks!

Answer 1

Here is example of TabItem ControlTemplate

Copy it to your resources and set wherever you need Red color as Background.

SAMPLE

<Window x:Class="TestCustomTab.Window1"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" Title="Window1" Height="300" Width="300">
    <Window.Resources>
        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="RedBrush" Color="Red"/>       

        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="SolidBorderBrush" Color="#888" />

        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="GreenBrush" Color="Green" />

        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="DisabledBackgroundBrush" Color="#EEE" />       

        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="DisabledBorderBrush" Color="#AAA" />        

        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="DisabledForegroundBrush" Color="#888" />

        <Style TargetType="{x:Type TabItem}">
            <Setter Property="Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type TabItem}">
                        <Grid>
                            <Border 
                                Name="Border"
                                Margin="0,0,-4,0" 
                                Background="{StaticResource RedBrush}"
                                BorderBrush="{StaticResource  SolidBorderBrush}" 
                                BorderThickness="1,1,1,1" 
                                CornerRadius="2,12,0,0" >
                                <ContentPresenter x:Name="ContentSite"
                                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                    ContentSource="Header"
                                    Margin="12,2,12,2"
                                    RecognizesAccessKey="True"/>
                            </Border>
                        </Grid>
                        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                            <Trigger Property="IsSelected" Value="True">
                                <Setter Property="Panel.ZIndex" Value="100" />
                                <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource GreenBrush}" />
                                <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="BorderThickness" Value="1,1,1,0" />
                            </Trigger>
                            <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False">
                                <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource DisabledBackgroundBrush}" />
                                <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="BorderBrush" Value="{StaticResource DisabledBorderBrush}" />
                                <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{StaticResource DisabledForegroundBrush}" />
                            </Trigger>
                        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>        
    </Window.Resources>
    <Grid>
        <TabControl>
            <TabItem Header="MyTabItem" />
            <TabItem Header="MyTabItem"  />
        </TabControl>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Create test WPF project and paste sample code instead of Window1.xaml code.