# Theming and dark mode

Roughly half your readers may be in dark mode. A diagram drawn on white either adapts or glares.

---

## The options

| **Setting**  | **What it does**                     | **Use when**                                         |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Inherit**  | Follows the space default.           | Almost always.                                       |
| **Enabled**  | The diagram adapts for dark readers. | Line drawings and text-based diagrams.               |
| **Disabled** | The diagram keeps its own colours.   | Brand colours, or anything where colour has meaning. |

⚠️

**Turn adaptation off when colour is semantic.** A network diagram where red means production must not have red shifted for contrast.

### Light Mode

![image-20260907-075826.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/fefcf1e0-273a-4454-b4f3-94ba994e376d.webp)

### Dark mode

![image-20260907-075904.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/0d4e6925-1245-48f6-9dea-7887d3dd958f.webp)

---

## A few things that catch people out

* Adaptation adjusts colours; it does not redraw the diagram. A dark-on-dark drawing stays hard to read.
* Excalidraw and draw.io handle dark differently, because one is a sketch and one is a drawing.
* Exported images use the light rendering, since a PDF has no theme.

---

## Related

[Diagram display optionsSizing rather than colour.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/display-and-appearance.html)

[AdministrationSetting the space default.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/administration.html)

[ExportHow exports render.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/export.html)

---

_Readable in both themes, without redrawing anything._