A dark mode that's more than just inverting colors. Nightshade uses deep blue-gray tones designed to reduce eye strain during long sessions.
Most dark modes are an afterthought — invert the colors, darken the backgrounds, ship it. The result is harsh contrasts, bright white text on pure black backgrounds, and UI elements that look like they were designed by someone who's never used dark mode.
Why blue-gray, not pure black
Pure black (#000000) backgrounds create maximum contrast with white text, which sounds like it would be easy to read. It's actually harder. High contrast causes halation — the bright text appears to bleed into the dark background, making it shimmer and strain your eyes.
Nightshade uses deep blue-gray tones (around #0f1629) that soften the contrast while maintaining readability. The background isn't black — it's a very dark blue. Text isn't pure white — it's a warm off-white. The effect is subtle but the difference over an eight-hour workday is significant.
Follow your system, or choose manually
Nightshade can follow your operating system's dark mode preference. If your OS switches to dark mode at sunset, com1 switches with it. If you prefer manual control, you can set it independently.
This matters because not everyone's setup is the same. Some people use dark mode 24/7. Others switch based on ambient lighting. The system should adapt to you, not the other way around.