this post was submitted on 12 May 2025
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Is there any way I can convert my PDF into a dark mode version without converting it into images first and invert that image and combine them, instead simply invert every element in the PDF and make it dark (preserving the original text and hyperlinks). appreciate any help!

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[–] roflo1@feddit.nl 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I don’t remember where I got this. I jotted it down in my notes. (Sorry to whoever was the original author for not giving credit)

gs -o inverted.pdf -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -c "{1 exch sub}{1 exch sub}{1 exch sub}{1 exch sub} setcolortransfer" -f original.pdf

Edit: this might well be the original post I found: https://stackoverflow.com/a/30287097

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee -3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If it works for your use case. Dark Reader and a Firefox PDF tab works.

[–] Override4414@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can I save it locally as an inverted pdf?

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, but you can open it locally in Firefox. You'd just have to use that as your reader. Unfortunately I don't know if any other readers have a dark mode feature; I only discovered Dark Reader working for PDFs by accident.

[–] ruk_n_rul@monyet.cc 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

SumatraPDF can.... But it's a Windows only program (run with wine, perhaps?)

[–] maxprime@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

zathura does this as well