diff --git a/examples/automotive/ButtonBar.cpp b/examples/automotive/ButtonBar.cpp
index 93839a7a..abc2a823 100644
--- a/examples/automotive/ButtonBar.cpp
+++ b/examples/automotive/ButtonBar.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ public:
     IndicatorLabel( QQuickItem* parentItem = nullptr ):
         QskGraphicLabel( parentItem )
     {
+        // so the skins are able to colorize them
+        setGraphicRole( SkinFactory::Indicator );
     }
 
     virtual QskAspect::Subcontrol effectiveSubcontrol(
@@ -43,9 +45,6 @@ void ButtonBar::addIndicator( const char* name )
 {
     auto* label = new IndicatorLabel( this );
 
-    // so the skins are able to colorize them
-    label->setGraphicRole( QskGraphicLabel::Graphic, SkinFactory::Indicator );
-
     /*
         The label should adjust vertically and be stretched horizontally
         according to its aspect ratio.
diff --git a/examples/layouts/main.cpp b/examples/layouts/main.cpp
index ea7583c7..b280b211 100644
--- a/examples/layouts/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/layouts/main.cpp
@@ -30,9 +30,8 @@ public:
         QskTextLabel( text, parent )
     {
         setBackgroundColor( Qt::black );
-        setColor( QskTextLabel::Text, Qt::white );
-
-        setFontRole( Text, QskSkin::MediumFont );
+        setTextColor( Qt::white );
+        setFontRole( QskSkin::MediumFont );
 
         QskTextOptions textOptions;
         textOptions.setWrapMode( QskTextOptions::WordWrap );
diff --git a/examples/qvgviewer/MainWindow.cpp b/examples/qvgviewer/MainWindow.cpp
index aca62300..0a74e04d 100644
--- a/examples/qvgviewer/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/examples/qvgviewer/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -42,19 +42,18 @@ public:
     {
         using namespace QskAspect;
 
-        const QskAspect::Aspect aspectRole = QskGraphicLabel::Graphic | GraphicRole;
-        const int oldRole = graphicRole( aspectRole );
+        const int oldRole = graphicRole();
 
         QColor color;
         if ( on )
         {
             color.setRgb( 40, 40, 40 );
-            setGraphicRole( aspectRole, Inverted );
+            setGraphicRole( Inverted );
         }
         else
         {
             color.setRgb( 255, 228, 181 );
-            setGraphicRole( aspectRole, Normal );
+            setGraphicRole( Normal );
         }
 
         const int duration = 500;
@@ -68,7 +67,8 @@ public:
             startTransition( aspectColor, duration, oldColor, color );
         }
 
-        startTransition( aspectRole, duration, oldRole, graphicRole( aspectRole ) );
+        const QskAspect::Aspect aspectRole = QskGraphicLabel::Graphic | GraphicRole;
+        startTransition( aspectRole, duration, oldRole, graphicRole() );
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/examples/tabview/main.cpp b/examples/tabview/main.cpp
index 7de20068..8e26d8eb 100644
--- a/examples/tabview/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/tabview/main.cpp
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ public:
     Label( const QString& text, QQuickItem* parent = nullptr ):
         QskTextLabel( text, parent )
     {
-        setColor( Text, Qt::darkRed );
-
-        setFontRole( Text, QskSkin::LargeFont );
+        setTextColor( Qt::darkRed );
+        setFontRole( QskSkin::LargeFont );
         setAlignment( Qt::AlignCenter );
     }
 };
diff --git a/examples/thumbnails/main.cpp b/examples/thumbnails/main.cpp
index 9182b11f..ee9ba895 100644
--- a/examples/thumbnails/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/thumbnails/main.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,23 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
+class ScrollArea : public QskScrollArea
+{
+public:
+    ScrollArea( QQuickItem* parentItem = nullptr ) :
+        QskScrollArea( parentItem )
+    {
+        using namespace QskAspect;
+
+        // settings usually done in the skins
+        setMetric( Viewport | Radius, 20 );
+        setMetric( VerticalScrollBar | Size, 20 );
+        setMetric( VerticalScrollHandle | Radius, 8 );
+        setMetric( HorizontalScrollBar | Size, 20 );
+        setMetric( HorizontalScrollHandle | Radius, 0 );
+    }
+};
+
 int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
 {
 #ifdef ITEM_STATISTICS
@@ -123,20 +140,10 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
         But here we only want to demonstrate how QskScrollArea works.
      */
 
-    auto scrollArea = new QskScrollArea();
+    auto scrollArea = new ScrollArea();
     scrollArea->setMargins( QMarginsF( 25, 25, 5, 5 ) );
     scrollArea->setScrolledItem( new IconGrid() );
 
-#if 1
-    // settings that are usually done in the skins
-    scrollArea->setMetric( QskScrollView::Viewport | QskAspect::Radius, 20 );
-    scrollArea->setMetric( QskScrollView::VerticalScrollBar | QskAspect::Size, 20 );
-    scrollArea->setMetric( QskScrollView::VerticalScrollHandle | QskAspect::Radius, 8 );
-    scrollArea->setMetric( QskScrollView::HorizontalScrollBar | QskAspect::Size, 20 );
-    scrollArea->setMetric( QskScrollView::HorizontalScrollHandle | QskAspect::Radius, 0 );
-#endif
-
-
     QskWindow window;
     window.resize( 600, 600 );
     window.setColor( "SteelBlue" );
diff --git a/examples/tlabels/main.cpp b/examples/tlabels/main.cpp
index 3ecdfbbf..f420a040 100644
--- a/examples/tlabels/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/tlabels/main.cpp
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@
 #include <SkinnyFont.h>
 #include <SkinnyShortcut.h>
 
-#include <QskAspect.h>
-#include <QskModule.h>
 #include <QskObjectCounter.h>
-#include <QskSkin.h>
 #include <QskLinearBox.h>
 #include <QskTextLabel.h>
 #include <QskWindow.h>
 
 #include <QGuiApplication>
-#include <QFont>
 
 class TextBox: public QskLinearBox
 {
@@ -29,7 +25,7 @@ public:
         for ( int i = 0; i < texts.size(); i++ )
         {
             auto label = new QskTextLabel( texts[i] + " Font", this );
-            label->setFontRole( QskTextLabel::Text, i );
+            label->setFontRole( i );
         }
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.cpp b/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.cpp
index 39a207bf..db038ba2 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ void QskGraphicLabel::setGraphic( const QskGraphic& graphic )
     }
 }
 
+void QskGraphicLabel::setGraphicRole( int role )
+{
+    const int oldRole = graphicRole();
+
+    QskSkinnable::setGraphicRole( effectiveSubcontrol( Graphic ), role );
+
+    if ( role != oldRole )
+    {
+        update();
+        Q_EMIT graphicRoleChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+int QskGraphicLabel::graphicRole() const
+{
+    return QskSkinnable::graphicRole( Graphic );
+}
+
 QskColorFilter QskGraphicLabel::graphicFilter() const
 {
     // can be removed once we can store a filter inidividually
diff --git a/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.h b/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.h
index fa02695d..041b3e54 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskGraphicLabel.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskGraphicLabel : public QskControl
     Q_PROPERTY( QSize sourceSize READ sourceSize
         WRITE setSourceSize RESET resetSourceSize NOTIFY sourceSizeChanged )
 
+    Q_PROPERTY( int graphicRole READ graphicRole
+        WRITE setGraphicRole NOTIFY graphicRoleChanged )
+
     Q_PROPERTY( Qt::Alignment alignment READ alignment
         WRITE setAlignment NOTIFY alignmentChanged )
 
@@ -80,10 +83,14 @@ public:
 
     bool isEmpty() const;
 
+    void setGraphicRole( int role );
+    int graphicRole() const;
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void sourceChanged();
     void mirrorChanged();
     void sourceSizeChanged();
+    void graphicRoleChanged();
     void alignmentChanged();
     void fillModeChanged();
 
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
index 439ec414..f5da57b0 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
@@ -173,11 +173,6 @@ QColor QskSkin::color( QskAspect::Aspect aspect ) const
     return skinHint( aspect | QskAspect::Color ).value<QColor>();
 }
 
-QColor QskSkin::baseColor() const
-{
-    return color( QskAspect::Control | QskAspect::Color );
-}
-
 void QskSkin::setMetric( QskAspect::Aspect aspect, qreal metric )
 {
     setSkinHint( aspect | QskAspect::Metric, metric );
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkin.h b/src/controls/QskSkin.h
index 0efec70f..6f918b12 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkin.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkin.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ public:
     void setColor( QskAspect::Aspect, const QColor& );
 
     QColor color( QskAspect::Aspect ) const;
-    QColor baseColor() const;
 
     void setMetric( QskAspect::Aspect, qreal metric );
     qreal metric( QskAspect::Aspect ) const;
diff --git a/src/controls/QskTextLabel.cpp b/src/controls/QskTextLabel.cpp
index 58875267..8c39932f 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskTextLabel.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskTextLabel.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,44 @@ QskTextOptions QskTextLabel::textOptions() const
     return m_data->textOptions;
 }
 
+void QskTextLabel::setFontRole( int role )
+{
+    const int oldRole = fontRole();
+
+    QskSkinnable::setFontRole( effectiveSubcontrol( Text ), role );
+
+    if ( oldRole != role )
+    {
+        resetImplicitSize();
+        update();
+
+        Q_EMIT fontRoleChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+int QskTextLabel::fontRole() const
+{
+    return QskSkinnable::fontRole( Text );
+}
+
+void QskTextLabel::setTextColor( const QColor& color )
+{
+    const QColor oldColor = textColor();
+
+    QskSkinnable::setColor( effectiveSubcontrol( Text ), color );
+
+    if ( oldColor != color )
+    {
+        update();
+        Q_EMIT textColorChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+QColor QskTextLabel::textColor() const
+{
+    return QskSkinnable::color( Text );
+}
+
 Qt::Alignment QskTextLabel::alignment() const
 {
     return flagHint< Qt::Alignment >(
diff --git a/src/controls/QskTextLabel.h b/src/controls/QskTextLabel.h
index 942dc929..e3f9d24a 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskTextLabel.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskTextLabel.h
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskTextLabel : public QskControl
 
     Q_PROPERTY( QString text READ text WRITE setText NOTIFY textChanged )
 
+    Q_PROPERTY( int fontRole READ fontRole
+        WRITE setFontRole NOTIFY fontRoleChanged )
+
+    Q_PROPERTY( QColor textColor READ textColor
+        WRITE setTextColor NOTIFY textColorChanged )
+
     Q_PROPERTY( QskTextOptions textOptions READ textOptions
         WRITE setTextOptions NOTIFY textOptionsChanged )
 
@@ -34,6 +40,12 @@ public:
 
     QString text() const;
 
+    void setFontRole( int role );
+    int fontRole() const;
+
+    void setTextColor( const QColor& );
+    QColor textColor() const;
+
     void setTextOptions( const QskTextOptions& );
     QskTextOptions textOptions() const;
 
@@ -51,7 +63,9 @@ public:
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void textChanged( const QString& );
+    void textColorChanged();
     void textOptionsChanged();
+    void fontRoleChanged();
     void alignmentChanged();
 
 public Q_SLOTS: