Theme Quick Switch

One-click theme switching and eye-care reading for Obsidian, with extra care for PDF reading.

What This Plugin Is For

This plugin exists to remove one of the most annoying parts of daily Obsidian use: diving into Settings every time you want to switch between light mode, dark mode, follow-system mode, and a softer reading mode.

It is especially useful if you:

• switch between day and night themes frequently
• want Obsidian to follow your operating system theme
• read long notes or long PDFs and find the default colors too harsh
• want a more comfortable "eye-care" reading look without changing themes manually all the time
• want PDF pages to feel softer in daytime reading instead of staying stark white

Why It Is Useful

This plugin gives you a fast, visible control surface directly inside Obsidian:

• a ribbon icon for instant light/dark toggling
• status bar buttons for light, dark, system, and eye-care
• an eye-care mode that softens the overall palette
• eye-care PDF styling so daytime PDF pages can look light green instead of bright white

In short: fewer clicks, less eye strain, faster switching, and a better PDF reading experience.

Features

1. One-click light/dark toggle

Click the ribbon icon to switch between light mode and dark mode without opening Settings.

2. Follow-system mode

Use the status bar to switch Obsidian back to system-follow mode whenever you want.

3. Eye-care mode

Turn on a softer reading palette for long reading sessions.

4. Eye-care PDF pages

When eye-care mode is on in light theme, the PDF page background becomes a soft green tone instead of pure white, making PDF reading feel much gentler.

5. Command palette support

The plugin also adds commands, so you can bind your own hotkeys if you want.

Included Commands

The plugin adds these commands:

• 亮色/暗色切换
• 切换到亮色
• 切换到暗色
• 切换到跟随系统
• 切换护眼模式

You can assign hotkeys from Obsidian's Hotkeys settings if you prefer keyboard-based switching.

UI Overview

After enabling the plugin, you will get:

• a sun-moon ribbon icon on the left sidebar
• a status bar control group that shows:
  • 浅 for light mode
  • 深 for dark mode
  • 系 for follow-system mode
  • 护 for eye-care mode

Installation

Method 1. Install with BRAT

This is the easiest way to let early users try the plugin before it appears in the official community plugin browser.

1. Install the BRAT plugin.
2. Open BRAT settings in Obsidian.
3. Choose Add beta plugin.
4. Enter this repository:

lyxTsinghua/obsidian-theme-quick-switch

5. Confirm and install.

Method 2. Manual install

1. Download or clone this repository.
2. Copy the entire folder into your vault:

.obsidian/plugins/theme-quick-switch/

3. Make sure these files exist in that folder:

manifest.json
main.js
styles.css

4. Open Obsidian.
5. Go to Settings -> Community plugins.
6. Turn off Restricted mode if it is enabled.
7. Find Theme Quick Switch and enable it.
8. Reload Obsidian if needed.

Method 3. Install from source into a vault directly

If you are comfortable working with files:

1. Open your vault folder.
2. Open .obsidian/plugins/.
3. Create a folder named theme-quick-switch.
4. Copy manifest.json, main.js, and styles.css into that folder.
5. Reload Obsidian.
6. Enable the plugin from Community plugins.

How To Use

Quick switching

• click the ribbon icon to toggle light/dark instantly
• click 浅 in the status bar for light mode
• click 深 for dark mode
• click 系 for follow-system mode
• click 护 to toggle eye-care mode

Best setup for most users

If you want Obsidian to mostly follow your OS but still keep a quick reading mode:

1. use 系 as your default
2. switch 护 on when reading for a long time
3. click the ribbon icon when you want a manual light/dark override

PDF Behavior

This plugin is designed to improve PDF reading comfort:

• in normal dark mode, PDF pages are inverted for dark reading
• in eye-care + light mode, PDF pages are tinted to a soft green tone
• the PDF container is also softened so the page and surrounding area feel consistent

Important note about scanned PDFs

Some scanned or image-based PDFs may not react as nicely as text-based PDFs, because the PDF page is rendered as a canvas. In those cases, the result may still vary depending on the file itself.

Compatibility

• Obsidian 1.5.0 or later
• Desktop and mobile-compatible in manifest
• best experience on desktop because the status bar controls are most visible there

File Structure

theme-quick-switch/
├─ manifest.json
├─ main.js
├─ styles.css
├─ versions.json
└─ README.md

Development Notes

• author: lyx
• plugin id: theme-quick-switch
• current version: 0.1.0

Troubleshooting

The plugin does not appear in Obsidian

• confirm the folder name is exactly theme-quick-switch
• confirm manifest.json is directly inside that folder
• make sure Restricted mode is turned off
• reload Obsidian

Eye-care mode changes the app but not the PDF enough

• try a text-based PDF instead of a scanned PDF
• confirm no other CSS snippet is overriding the PDF page styles
• reload Obsidian after updating the plugin files

I only want follow-system mode

You can ignore the eye-care button and simply use 系 as your default control.

License

MIT