Not every PDF needs a white background. The Dark Mode template preserves the aesthetics of dark-themed websites and creates documents optimized for on-screen reading — less eye strain, more focus.
Free — 3 PDFs per month, all 5 templates. No credit card required.
A dark palette that looks intentional, not inverted.
The Dark Mode template inverts the traditional PDF palette. Dark charcoal background with light text creates a reading experience that is easy on the eyes during extended sessions. Code blocks stand out with slightly lighter backgrounds. Links use a brighter accent color for visibility. The result looks intentional, not like an inverted printout.
Every element has been considered against the dark surface. Headings carry enough weight to anchor each section. Body text is sized and spaced for comfortable reading without glare. Images are rendered with subtle borders so they do not bleed into the background. Tables use faint grid lines that provide structure without visual noise.
A carefully tuned palette designed for extended screen reading.
Light gray text on a dark charcoal background — not pure white on pure black, because that is too harsh. The contrast ratio is calibrated for readability without fatigue, even during long reading sessions. Code blocks use a slightly elevated surface color with syntax-friendly contrast that makes variables, keywords, and strings easy to distinguish.
Headings use slightly brighter tones for hierarchy. An H1 is visually distinct from an H2, which is distinct from an H3 — the brightness gradient guides your eye through the document structure. Links use a cyan-shifted accent for visibility on dark backgrounds, making them immediately identifiable without underlining.
The palette is designed for extended screen reading without fatigue. Where a white-background PDF can feel like staring into a lightbulb in a dim room, the Dark Mode template matches the ambient brightness of most screens, reducing the contrast between the document and its surroundings.
Content types where the dark palette makes the most difference.
Developer documentation, API reference pages, technical tutorials, code-heavy content, dark-themed website archives, late-night reading, presentations with dark backgrounds. Any content where you want to preserve a dark aesthetic or prioritize screen readability over printability.
GitHub READMEs and wiki pages that are already consumed on dark-themed screens feel natural in the Dark Mode template. Stack Overflow answers with multiple code blocks are easier to scan when the code does not sit in a bright white box. Technical blog posts from sites like Dev.to and Medium transition smoothly into a dark PDF that matches the reading environment most developers prefer.
The template also works well for archiving content you plan to revisit on a tablet or laptop. Reading a saved article at night is far more comfortable when the PDF does not blast white light from every page. If you read PDFs on screens more than you print them, Dark Mode is worth trying as your default.
A template that matches your working environment.
Most developers work in dark environments: dark IDE themes, dark terminal backgrounds, dark browser DevTools. Saving a reference document as a blinding white PDF breaks that continuity. The Dark Mode template keeps your saved content consistent with everything else on your screen.
Save a GitHub README and the code blocks retain their structure and readability against the dark background. Archive a Stack Overflow answer and the accepted solution, code samples, and comments are all clearly differentiated. Capture MDN documentation and the API signatures, parameter tables, and example code all render with appropriate contrast.
Technical blog posts from Dev.to, Medium, and Substack translate well too. The article text flows naturally in light gray, code samples pop with their elevated surface color, and the overall reading experience feels like it belongs in a developer workflow rather than a printed binder.
The dark palette matches the developer's typical environment — dark IDE, dark terminal, dark docs. Your saved PDFs no longer feel like an interruption.
An important distinction about where this template works best.
Important caveat: Dark Mode is optimized for screen reading, not printing. Printing a dark PDF uses significant ink and may not reproduce well on all printers. Inkjet printers will burn through ink covering every page with dark charcoal. Laser printers handle it better but still produce heavier, slower pages. The toner or ink cost alone makes it impractical for regular printing.
If you plan to print, use the Clean or Minimal template instead. Both use dark text on white backgrounds, which is what printers are designed to produce. Clean gives you a polished editorial layout. Minimal gives you maximum whitespace and understated styling. Either one will print beautifully and cost a fraction of the ink.
Dark Mode is for PDFs that live on screens — tablets, monitors, e-readers with dark mode support. If your PDF will be opened in Adobe Reader, Preview, a browser PDF viewer, or a tablet reading app, Dark Mode delivers a superior reading experience. If it is going to a printer, choose a light template.
Dark background, light text, zero eye strain. See how your content looks in a PDF built for screens.
Install Free Extension