Software to read PDFs with inverted colors

Question

I sometimes want to read a long PDF file in a computer, but because white background I can read only a few pages until my eyes weep.

Is there any software to invert colors of a PDF (PDF converter, PDF viewer with "invert colors" option, a program to invert all colors in Windows...)?

I tried "magnify" for Windows XP, but I don't like to split my screen to do that or to move the mouse a lot to see only a page. I would like to see the document in full screen...

Solution 1

Evince can invert colors. Use view -> invert colors or the keyboard shortcut ctrl+I. You can then set it to presentation (shortcut F5) if you want it to be full screen.

Solution 2

You can use SumatraPDF, launching it with appropriate command line switches:

White text on black:

sumatrapdf.exe -invert-colors

Green text on black:

sumatrapdf.exe -set-color-range 0x00dd00 0x000000

You can pass any hexadecimal colors (first being foreground color, second background color) and all the contents of the PDF (texts, images, background colors) will be "scaled" accordingly.

Solution 3

Adobe Reader allows you to use a custom color scheme for the document background and text (already suggested by paradd0x). In v9.5, this option can be found in Prefs > Accessibility.

I believe this solution is superior to simply inverting colors as in Evince, as in this case you will often get a very nasty contrast: very white on very black. With Adobe Reader you can however choose a color scheme much nicer on the eyes, such as light grey on dark grey. Such a scheme, similar to that used by Darklooks on Linux, would help reducing eyestrain when reading PDF documents on-screen.

Solution 4

PDF Xchange Viewer can change the color scheme of a pdf. Edit -> Preferences -> Accessibility -> Document Color Options (as of version 2.5). There are high contrast presets (I use green on black) as well as the option to create your own color scheme.

Solution 5

Excerpt from the Adobe Forum page Night Mode Adobe PC Version:

There is no such Night Mode feature in Adobe Reader for Windows however, as a work around you can try this

1. Please Open Adobe Reader, go to Edit menu & select Preferences from the drop-down.
2. Preferences window will pop up on the screen.
3. Choose Accessibility from the Categories section.
4. Now check the Replace Document Color box.
5. In front of Custom Color Please change the Page Background to Black & Text Document to White.
6. Click OK to confirm the changes. This will give you the similar result as that of Night mode in Mobile Adobe

View more solutions

Comments

[paradd0x]

Have you tried using the Windows theme settings for High Contrast? It changes all the settings and can assist you in reading the PDF's as it changes the colors for those too.

[kokbira]

I tried after you said, but I tested with some PDFs and I can see that they maintain its colors, including the white background...

[kokbira]

I do not use Adobe Acrobat, but I have. I tested now with modifications in Edir > Preferences > Accessibility but for some parts of PDFs the colors aren't changed... Well, it is a good solution for text-only PDFs...

[HikeMike]

While not exactly what you ask for, have you tried f.lux?

[kokbira]

well, evince solves that, but i'll try your f.lux.

[kokbira]

very good! all can be inverted including images; better than Adobe solution, that cannot do that for some pdf parts... I'll find portable version too to use in my work.

[kokbira]

I like to know. I'll test it...

[Lizzy]

Tested this and it is nice. Notice that if the text color does not change, un-check the option "Only change the color of black text or line art"

[Thalys]

Welcome to superuser. Link only answers are going to end up pretty useless, should the link you posted go down. You'd really want to paraphrase what's in that link and post an answer, rather than 'simply' linking it

[kyb]

and how to get normal mode after these manipulations?

[kyb]

Go to menu->settings->advancedOptions and comment in section FixedPageUI lines TextColor and BackgroundColor.

[tigerjack]

Just to say that this trick is not even comparable to a true dark mode. I still use PDF Xchange Editor for everything, but the lack of a true Dark mode is really annoying.

[Alex]

I didn't manage to find a Windows build of Evince, but I've found a Windows version of Okular