How to Change Texture in Penumbra FFXIV

Changing a texture in Penumbra lets you customize how an FFXIV asset looks on your own client. You can replace the texture for gear, hair, eyes, face details, body skin, tattoos, accessories, or other supported visual assets.

This guide explains how to change texture in Penumbra FFXIV, from choosing an existing texture option to creating a personal texture replacement with Penumbra’s advanced editing tools.

Penumbra is third-party software and is not officially supported by Square Enix. Use it at your own risk, keep cosmetic changes private, respect creator permissions, and do not redistribute edited mod files unless the creator allows it.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer: How to Change a Texture in Penumbra

The easiest way is to use an existing mod option:

Open Penumbra.
Select the mod.
Open its option groups.
Choose the texture variant you want.
Enable the option in your active collection.
Refresh your character or the affected item.

To create your own replacement texture:

Make a backup or duplicate of the mod.
Open the mod’s Advanced Editing tools.
Identify the texture file used by the item.
Add a compatible edited texture file to the mod.
Redirect the original game texture path to your edited file.
Apply changes, save, and test in-game.

Penumbra’s advanced editing tools include File Redirections and Import from Screen, which can help identify and redirect assets currently displayed on an actor.

What Is a Texture in FFXIV Penumbra?

A texture is an image-based asset that controls visual surface details. It can affect colors, patterns, skin detail, tattoos, eye designs, fabric appearance, metal effects, and other visual elements.

Common texture-editing goals include:

Changing gear colors or patterns.
Replacing an eye texture.
Adding a tattoo or skin overlay.
Editing face markings.
Changing hair highlights.
Recoloring accessories.
Creating a custom clothing design.
Replacing a logo or emblem.
Making a subtle personal texture variation.

A texture change does not automatically alter the 3D shape of an item. Shape changes require model editing, while texture changes alter the appearance applied to the model.

Before You Change a Texture in Penumbra

Texture editing is easier when you prepare your workflow first.

Before making changes:

Confirm that your Penumbra installation is working.
Test the original mod before editing it.
Duplicate or back up the mod.
Read the creator’s permissions.
Check whether the mod already includes a color or texture option.
Use a private character collection for personal edits.
Keep the original texture file untouched.
Change one asset at a time.

Penumbra ffxiv supports mod options, enabling creators to provide alternate textures, colors, and compatibility choices without requiring a manual edit.

Option 1: Change Texture with an Existing Penumbra Mod Option

Many mods already include texture variants. This is the safest and easiest method because it does not require editing files.

How to Select an Existing Texture Option

Open Penumbra.
Go to the Mods tab.
Select the mod you want to customize.
Open the mod’s groups and options.
Find the texture, color, material, dye, tattoo, eye, or pattern option.
Enable the version you want.
Disable conflicting alternatives.
Refresh the character or affected item.

Examples of texture-related options may include:

Option group	Example choices
Color	Black / White / Red / Blue
Pattern	Plain / Striped / Floral / Metallic
Eye style	Natural / Glow / Fantasy
Tattoo	Full body / Arms / Back / Off
Skin texture	Smooth / Detailed / Freckles
Hair highlights	Default / Light / Dark / Custom
Gear material	Matte / Gloss / Metallic

Use an existing option whenever possible. It is more stable than manually replacing files and respects the creator’s intended setup.

Option 2: Create Your Own Texture Replacement

If the mod does not include the texture you want, you can create a personal replacement. This workflow requires careful file management and a basic understanding of texture assets.

The general process is:

Identify the original texture path.
Export or copy the relevant texture asset.
Edit the texture with a compatible image workflow.
Add the edited texture to a mod folder.
Redirect the game’s original texture path to your edited asset.
Apply and test the result.

Step 1: Back Up or Duplicate the Mod

Never start by editing your only copy of a mod.

Create a duplicate or backup so you can restore the original if the texture becomes broken, invisible, too bright, or incompatible.

A good personal backup structure is:

FFXIV Mods
├── Original Mods
├── Personal Edits
├── Texture Backups
└── Testing Mods

Keep the creator’s original package separate from your edited version.

Step 2: Identify the Texture You Want to Change

You need to identify the correct texture before replacing it.

For example:

A gear recolor may use a diffuse texture, normal texture, mask, or material asset.
An eye mod may use a face- or eye-specific texture.
A tattoo may use a body or face skin texture.
A hair mod may use a hair texture and material path.
An accessory may use separate metal, gem, and pattern textures.

Penumbra’s Import from Screen tool can help inspect the assets currently displayed on an actor. The official documentation explains that you can refresh the list, inspect associated model, material, texture, and shader assets, and export or copy a selected asset into the current mod option.

Step 3: Use Import from Screen in Penumbra

To identify an on-screen asset:

Equip or display the item you want to edit.
Open the relevant mod in Penumbra.
Go to Advanced Editing.
Open Import from Screen.
Refresh the displayed asset list.
Filter the results if needed.
Expand the asset tree to inspect models, materials, textures, and shaders.
Export or copy the relevant texture into the current mod option.

Penumbra’s documentation notes that Import from Screen does not refresh automatically, so use the refresh control after changing gear, actors, or location.

Step 4: Edit the Texture File

After you have copied or exported the texture asset, edit it with a compatible FFXIV texture workflow.

Common texture edits include:

Recoloring a garment.
Changing a pattern.
Removing or adding a logo.
Adding a tattoo design.
Adjusting opacity.
Adding highlights or shadows.
Creating an alternate eye color.
Improving a personal skin texture.

Keep these principles in mind:

Preserve the original texture dimensions unless you know the mod supports a different size.
Preserve transparency where needed.
Do not flatten important alpha-channel information.
Avoid heavily compressing the image.
Keep a copy of the unedited file.
Use the creator’s texture template if one is available.
Check that your edit follows the mod’s license and permissions.

Step 5: Add the Edited Texture to Your Mod

Place the edited texture file in a subfolder inside your personal mod folder.

Penumbra’s File Redirections interface shows files placed in a subfolder of the mod directory.

Use clear names, such as:

My_Custom_Texture_Mod
├── textures
│   ├── original_texture_backup
│   └── custom_texture
└── mod.json

A clean folder structure makes it easier to find, update, and remove your personal edit later.

Step 6: Create the File Redirection in Penumbra

After adding the edited asset, direct the original texture path to the new file.

In Penumbra:

Open your personal texture mod.
Go to Advanced Editing.
Open File Redirections.
Find your edited texture file.
Add or select the original game path that you want to replace.
Apply the changes for the current option.
Save the mod.
Enable the mod in your active collection.

Penumbra describes File Redirections as the place where you tell the game file path which mod file should replace it.

How to Change a Gear Texture in Penumbra

To change the texture of a shirt, coat, accessory, armor piece, or other gear item:

Equip the item.
Use Import from Screen to identify its texture.
Copy or export the relevant texture asset.
Edit the color, pattern, or design.
Add the edited file to your personal mod.
Redirect the original texture path to the edited texture.
Test the gear in different lighting.
Check it with dyes, glamour plates, and other gear mods.

Remember that a gear item may use more than one texture. A recolor can require separate edits for cloth, metal, trim, or decorative details.

How to Change a Body or Tattoo Texture in Penumbra

Body textures require extra care because they can conflict with body mods, skin textures, freckles, scales, makeup, or other tattoos.

For body or tattoo textures:

Confirm which body framework your character uses.
Check whether a compatible tattoo or skin option already exists.
Identify the body texture path.
Create the edit on a duplicate mod.
Test with minimal gear equipped.
Test with your usual body, tattoo, and clothing mods.
Adjust priority only if you identify a specific conflict.

Do not layer multiple full-body texture mods unless their creators explicitly state that they are compatible.

How to Change an Eye Texture in Penumbra

Eye texture edits are usually face- and race-specific.

Before editing an eye texture, confirm:

Race.
Gender.
Face number.
Eye type.
Left-eye or right-eye variation.
Heterochromia support.
Glow or non-glow material behavior.
Compatibility with face makeup and face tattoos.

A texture that works on one face may not work on another. Always test it on the exact character model you intend to use.

How to Change a Face Texture in Penumbra

Face textures can affect makeup, freckles, tattoos, scars, lips, brows, and skin details. Because several mods may target the same face file, conflicts are common.

Best practice:

Use one main face texture mod.
Add face tattoos only when compatibility is confirmed.
Test makeup, eye, and scar mods one by one.
Use a separate Penumbra collection for personal face edits.
Keep original files in case you need to revert quickly.

How to Fix Texture Conflicts in Penumbra

A texture conflict happens when two or more mods redirect the same game file path.

Common conflict combinations include:

Body mod and tattoo mod.
Face texture and makeup mod.
Eye mod and face mod.
Gear recolor and outfit mod.
Hair texture and hairstyle mod.
Skin texture and scale or freckle mod.

Penumbra can resolve mod conflicts through mod order and priority settings.

Texture Conflict Troubleshooting Steps

Disable all related texture mods.
Enable only the texture mod you are testing.
Confirm that it appears correctly.
Re-enable one conflicting mod at a time.
Identify which mod overrides the texture.
Adjust priority only for the confirmed conflict.
Consider creating a combined compatible option if creator permissions allow it.

Why Is My Custom Texture Not Showing?

If your custom texture does not appear, check the following.

The Mod Is Not Enabled

Make sure the mod is enabled in the Penumbra collection assigned to your character.

The File Redirection Is Missing

Confirm that the original game path points to your edited texture file.

The Wrong Asset Was Edited

Some items have multiple textures. You may have edited a mask, normal texture, or unused variation instead of the visible diffuse texture.

Another Mod Has Higher Priority

A different mod may override the same texture path.

The Texture Is in the Wrong Folder

Reload the mod files and confirm that the texture is in a valid subfolder inside the mod directory.

The Texture Format Is Incompatible

Use a compatible FFXIV texture workflow and preserve the required dimensions, alpha channel, and material relationship.

The Character Model Needs a Refresh

Teleport, re-equip the item, reopen the Character window, reload the collection, or restart the game if required.

Common Penumbra Texture Errors

Texture Appears Black, White, or Transparent

This often means the texture format, alpha channel, material mapping, or file redirection is incorrect.

Restore the original file, verify the edit, and test again with one change at a time.

Texture Looks Too Bright or Too Dark

The issue may come from the material, normal texture, shader behavior, or lighting—not only the visible texture image.

Test the item in normal gameplay lighting and Gpose before changing the file again.

Texture Is Stretched or Misaligned

The edited image may not match the original UV layout. Use the original texture as your template and do not move important design elements randomly.

Another Mod Removes My Texture

Check Penumbra’s conflict information and mod priority. A texture can only display if your mod wins for the relevant game path.

Best Practices for Changing Textures in Penumbra

Use these habits for a cleaner texture-editing workflow:

Use an existing mod option before creating a manual edit.
Back up every original texture.
Create a separate personal mod for custom changes.
Use clear folder and option names.
Edit one texture at a time.
Preserve dimensions and transparency.
Test with only one relevant mod enabled first.
Check conflicts before changing priorities.
Respect creator permissions and licenses.
Do not redistribute a creator’s edited files without permission.
Review Square Enix’s current mod-related guidance before using third-party tools.

FAQ: Change Texture in Penumbra FFXIV

Can I change textures directly in Penumbra?

Penumbra can manage texture files and redirect game paths to your mod files. The image-editing step itself is normally done with a compatible texture-editing workflow outside the game.

Where do I find textures in Penumbra?

Use Advanced Editing → Import from Screen to inspect the model, material, texture, and shader assets currently displayed on an actor.

Why is my texture not showing?

Check mod enablement, collection assignment, file redirection, texture compatibility, conflicting mods, and character refresh behavior.

Can I recolor FFXIV gear with Penumbra?

Yes. You can create a personal texture replacement by editing the correct gear texture and redirecting the original game path to your edited file.

Can I use multiple texture mods at once?

Only when they affect different file paths or are explicitly designed to work together. Two mods replacing the same texture will conflict.

Conclusion

To change a texture in Penumbra FFXIV, first check whether the mod already includes a texture option. If not, make a backup, identify the correct asset with Import from Screen, edit a compatible copy, and use File Redirections to replace the original texture path.

For the best results, work one asset at a time, test every change in-game, keep your personal edits organized, and resolve conflicts only after identifying which mods affect the same texture file.