PDF Dark Mode

PDF Dark Mode opens PDF files in a custom VS Code editor based on PDF.js and applies a dark reading mode by default.

This extension is based on PotatoZhou/darkpdf.

Features

• Applies an inverted dark mode by default.
• Defaults to page-width zoom on load.
• Uses a toolbar checkbox for dark mode, plus a VS Code command and keyboard shortcut.
• Adds Back and Forward buttons for PDF navigation history.
• Adds Print command in the Tools area.
• ignoreDestinationZoom is enabled, which prevents zoom jumps when you click PDF bookmarks or internal links.
• The print shortcut is removed, so Cmd+P stays available for VS Code's own Go to File command.
• The default view when opening the sidebar is the Document Outline (if available) instead of the thumbnails.

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• pdfDarkMode.default.colorMode: Enable dark mode by default.
• pdfDarkMode.default.cursor: Choose the initial cursor tool: select or hand.
• pdfDarkMode.default.scale: Set the initial zoom level. Supports auto, page-actual, page-fit, page-width, or a numeric scale such as 1.25.
• pdfDarkMode.default.sidebar: Show or hide the left sidebar on load.
• pdfDarkMode.default.sidebarView: Choose the default sidebar tab: thumbnails or outline.
• pdfDarkMode.default.scrollMode: Set the initial scroll mode: vertical, horizontal, or wrapped.
• pdfDarkMode.default.spreadMode: Set the initial spread mode: none, odd, or even.

To change these settings:

1. Open VS Code Settings.
2. Search for pdf dark mode or pdfDarkMode.
3. Change the values in the Settings UI, or edit them directly in settings.json.

Usage

1. Open any PDF file in VS Code.
2. If VS Code does not open it with this extension automatically, use Reopen Editor With... and select PDF Preview.
3. Toggle dark mode with the toolbar checkbox, or run PDF Dark Mode: Toggle Dark Mode from the Command Palette.
4. Use the pdfDarkMode.default.* settings to choose your preferred default zoom, sidebar, cursor, scroll, and spread behavior.

Keyboard Shortcut

The extension contributes a default shortcut for PDF Dark Mode: Toggle Dark Mode:

• Windows/Linux: Ctrl+Alt+D
• macOS: Cmd+Alt+D

You can change it in VS Code:

1. Open Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Search for PDF Dark Mode: Toggle Dark Mode.
3. Assign the shortcut you want.

If you prefer editing JSON directly, remap the pdfDarkMode.toggleDarkMode command in keybindings.json.

Known Limitations

• Dark mode is implemented by inverting the rendered PDF pages, so images and colored diagrams are inverted too.
• This extension is focused on reading and navigation, not on color-accurate rendering.

Release Notes

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.