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How to Change Color Themes in VS Code Editor

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular open-source code editor that allows you to customize various aspects of the editing experience, including the color theme. The color theme controls the colors used for the background, text, syntax highlighting, user interface elements, and more.

Changing the color theme in VS Code is simple and only takes a few clicks. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to change VS Code’s color theme on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Why Change the Color Theme

Here are some reasons you may want to change the default dark or light color theme in VS Code:

  • Improve readability and reduce eye strain
  • Enhance focus by decreasing distractions
  • Accommodate visual impairments
  • Personalize the look and feel of the editor
  • Match a theme used in other tools you use

Access the Color Theme Picker

To open the Color Theme picker:

  • Windows/Linux: Press Ctrl+K then Ctrl+T
  • macOS: Press Cmd+K then Cmd+T
  • Or from the top menu, choose File > Preferences > Color Theme

This opens a dropdown menu showing all available color themes you can select.

Preview and Select a Theme

Once the Color Theme picker is open:

  • Use the arrow keys to preview different color themes
  • Press Enter when you find one you like to set it as the active theme
  • The chosen theme will immediately take effect

Install New Themes

VS Code ships with several popular themes built-in including Dark+, Light+, Dark (Visual Studio), and Light (Visual Studio).

You can install additional themes from the VS Code Extension Marketplace:

  1. Open the Extensions view by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X
  2. Search for “theme”
  3. Locate a theme extension you like
  4. Click the Install button
  5. After installation, the new themes will appear in the Color Theme picker

Some popular VS Code theme extensions include:

Create a Custom Theme

If you want more customization than what pre-made themes allow, you can create your own custom VS Code color theme.

To generate a custom theme definition file:

  1. Set VS Code to use the theme you want to customize
  2. Open the command palette with Ctrl+Shift+P
  3. Run Developer: Generate Color Theme From Current Settings

This creates a <theme-name>-color-theme.json file with the color values from the active theme.

You can edit the values in this file to customize colors to your liking. Once saved, your custom theme will appear in the Color Theme picker.

Refer to VS Code documentation on color themes for more details.

Conclusion

The ability to change VS Code’s color theme makes it easy to customize the editing experience for improved readability, reduced eye strain, and personal preference.

Follow the simple steps outlined here to:

  • Access and preview available themes
  • Install additional themes from the Extension Marketplace
  • Create custom themes by tweaking color values

Changing themes from time to time can reinvigorate your workflow and coding efficiency. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find visual styles that work best for you.

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