PDF dark mode for Chrome

Install once, toggle with one key, tune darkness and contrast per document.

Setup (2 minutes)

1. Install from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Open any online PDF.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+1 (Mac: Cmd+Shift+1) or click the toolbar button.
4. Drag Darkness down for scanned pages, push Contrast up for faint text.

Enable local files

Chrome blocks extensions from file:// URLs by default. Open chrome://extensions, open PDF Dark Mode Details, turn on Allow access to file URLs, then refresh the PDF tab. Full steps with screenshots: help page.

Scanned or gray-background PDFs

Lower Darkness to ~225–240 instead of max 255, then nudge Contrast to 105–115%. For multi-hour sessions try Sepia (Pro) instead of pure dark — it reads warmer without losing glyph sharpness.

Troubleshooting

• Shortcut does nothing: check chrome://extensions/shortcuts for conflicts.
• Some PDFs stay bright: these render inside Chrome's built-in viewer where the overlay cannot reach — open them from the popup in the experimental full-dark viewer (beta).
• No install option: use the free web reader — files stay on-device.