4 Easy Ways to Know How to View PDF in Dark Mode

More often than not, you might want to view PDF in dark mode for various reasons. For instance, less strain on your eyes, optimized readability, lower power consumption, or maybe just because the dark mode is visually aesthetic. 

Whether you want to extend your battery life or reduce eye strain, you can adjust your PDF files to dark mode on various devices. However, It seems many people still don’t know how to view PDF in dark mode.  

But worry not, this article is the ultimate guide to help you out. You can find the 4 best ways to read PDF in dark mode, which are all easy to set up. Just make sure to continue reading.

The best way to view PDF in dark mode on Windows is to use a helpful PDF editor and iTop PDF is the No.1 choice. As the best PDF editor on the block, it allows you to view PDF files in dark mode and eye-care mode. The software is super lightweight and easy to use, which takes up a very low usage of system resources. You can also make edits of all sorts with this all-around PDF editor. Most impressively, it’s 100% free to use. Just have a look at its main features as follows.

Why Select iTop PDF to Read PDF in Dark Mode

• Free PDF Reader with Dark Mode

iTop PDF is completely free to download and use. No upfront fees. No catch. Just install it on your computer and you are ready to view PDF in dark mode. In addition, you can make PDF editing, add watermark to PDF, manage PDF documents, and export new PDF files without spending time.

• Various PDF Reading Modes to Select

With various modes for reading, including light mode, dark mode, and eye-care mode, iTop PDF is the best PDF reader dark mode Windows 10. While the regular dark mode effectively reduces eye strain, the eye-care mode helps protect your eyes, allowing you to enjoy reading with extra comfort. 

• Comprehensive PDF Annotating & Editing Features

iTop PDF is a one-stop solution for PDF editing, which offers full features for PDF annotating and editing. For instance, you can add annotations and highlights,  convert/merge/split PDF documents, compress PDF without losing quality, encrypt PDF files, and so much more!

• Lightweight & Simple for New Users

Unlike Adobe Acrobat, which is too bulky to boot up, iTop PDF is a super lightweight PDF editor that takes up very few computer resources. In addition, with an intuitive UI and Microsoft Office ribbon-style toolbar, iTop PDF is easy to pick up for everyone without a steep learning curve.

How to View PDF in Dark Mode with iTop PDF

Step 1. Free download and install iTop PDF on your PC.

What makes iTop PDF a must-have software?

• Edit PDF smoothly without hassle
• Convert PDF to any format in high quality
• Split and Merge PDF files easily and quickly
• Add e-signature effortlessly to your PDF

Free Download

Step 2. Click on the “Open PDF” button to add the PDF file you want to view in dark mode. 

Step 3. Switch to the “View” tab on top. Click on “Light mode” and you can find dark mode and eye care mode in the drop-down menu.

That’s it. This best PDF editor also provides online services for simple PDF management, which allows you to convert PDF and compress PDF online without losing quality. Just go check them out!

With built-in PDF viewer functionality, the Google Chrome browser allows you to open and access PDFs easily. If you open a PDF directly with Chrome, it will display a white-colored PDF by default. But you can do a few tweaking in the source codes to view PDF in dark mode. Want to learn more? Here are the steps. 

How to Read PDF in Dark Mode in Chrome

Step 1. Open a PDF document with Google Chrome. 

Step 2. Right-click on the PDF and select “Inspect” to proceed. 

Step 3. Select the “Console” tab, paste the following codes and press Enter.

var cover = document.createElement("div");

let PDFCSS = `

    position: fixed;

    pointer-events: none;

    top: 0;

    left: 0;

    width: 100vw;

    height: 100vh;

    background-color: white;

    mix-blend-mode: difference;

    z-index: 1;

`

cover.setAttribute("style", PDFCSS);

document.body.appendChild(cover);

Now the PDF will turn black and you can read PDF in dark mode on Chrome. Just mind that the codes apply to the current PDF file for one time only. When you open the PDF or other PDF documents with Chrome next time, you have to paste these codes again to view PDF in dark mode.

While Chrome allows you to view PDF in dark mode with codes, Microsoft Edge can put your PDF in dark mode with an add-on. The browser is quite convenient if you don’t have a PDF viewer at hand and is also completely free to use. Simply install the “PDF Dark Mode” extension on your Edge, and you can open and access every PDF document with a dark background. Here’s how to do it in simple steps. 

How to Read PDF in Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge

Step 1. Head to Microsoft Edge Add-ons and search for “PDF Dark Mode.” 

Step 2. Install the add-on on your Edge. Click on the Puzzle icon in the top right to make sure it’s activated.

Step 3. Now you can open a PDF and view PDF in dark mode.

It’s just as simple as that. You can open every PDF in dark mode as long as you turn on the extension. Meanwhile, Microsoft Edge is a simple PDF editor that comes in handy. You can add/remove highlights, delete pages from PDF, and make other quick PDF editing easily.

As the default software to manage PDFs of all kinds, Adobe Acrobat also allows you to view PDF in dark mode in 2 ways: change the color of the interface or the background color of the PDF. With this sophisticated PDF software, you can not only enjoy dark mode features but also a rich combination of creation, editing, reviewing, and security features that remains the industry standard.

However, Adobe Acrobat is quite pricey, which puts it out of reach of most average home users and small businesses. You can enjoy a 7-day free trial only if you are a new user and a subscription is needed after that. But if you do have an Adobe Acrobat at hand, here’s how to view PDF in dark mode with it.

How to View a PDF in Dark Mode with Adobe

Step 1. Open a PDF with Adobe Acrobat. Go to View > Display Theme > Dark Gray. Now the interface, not the PDF page, should change to dark gray.

Step 2. Or you can go to Edit > Preferences. Select “Accessibility” from the “Categories” menu on the left. 

Step 3. Select “Replace Document Colors” and “Use High-Contrast colors.” Then select “White text on black” from the dropdown box next to the “High-contrast color combination.” Click OK and leave the settings. 

Now you should be able to view PDF in dark mode on Adobe Acrobat. And any PDFs you view in the future will apply this dark mode. 

• 1. Is dark mode better for your eyes?

Compared to light mode, dark mode is indeed better for your eyes. It can effectively cut down glare and reduce blue light, helping with your digital eye strain.

• 2. How do I read a PDF in a dark mode online?

Currently, there is no dark mode online PDF viewer but you can view PDFs in a dark mode with browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox by using dark mode extensions.

• 3. What is the best PDF reader with dark mode?

There are plenty of good PDF readers out there, for instance, Smallpdf, PDF Studio, iTop PDF, FineReader PDF, and more.

• 4. How to read PDF in dark mode Android?

You can view PDF in dark mode on Android in 2 ways:

1) Install Adobe Acrobat Reader on Android and enable the Dark settings.

2) On your Android, go to Settings > Display > Dark Theme to enable dark mode.

The Bottom Line 

How to view PDF in dark mode? Now you should find the 4 best free ways to make it. While adding codes on Chrome is a bit inconvenient, extensions could be much simpler. Adobe Acrobat is also a viable option, but the expensive pricing might not be worth it. Hence, iTop PDF is surely the best choice. As the best PDF viewer out there, it provides an eye-care mode to help you with digital eye strain. You can make PDF edits of all sorts with this best PDF editor, too! Most impressively, iTop PDF is 100% free, just give it a try and see it yourself!

What makes iTop PDF a must-have software?

• Edit PDF smoothly without hassle
• Convert PDF to any format in high quality
• Split and Merge PDF files easily and quickly
• Add e-signature effortlessly to your PDF

Free Download