Start from a dark preset
Both menus are filled in before you touch them: Inversion mode is High contrast and Color combination is White text on black. Add a file and press run to get that scheme without changing a field.
Invert PDF colors
or drop a file anywhere here
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Files other than PDF are converted first. Signing in raises the size limit.
Or start from a blank IRS form
Browse all IRS forms →- You add
- One PDF
- You set
- An inversion mode and a color combination
- You get
- One PDF in the new colors
Inverting a PDF swaps its page colors for a different scheme, most often light text on a dark background. On this page you add one PDF, choose an Inversion mode and a Color combination, and run the job. The form opens on High contrast with White text on black, the dark scheme many people want for reading at night. Three more combinations are listed: Black text on white, Yellow text on black and Green text on black. You download one PDF in the scheme you selected. To set two colors of your own instead of a preset pair, use Replace Colors, which has one picker for the background and one for the text.
What can you do when you invert PDF colors?
Pick one of four color pairs
Color combination lists White text on black, Black text on white, Yellow text on black and Green text on black. The pair you select is the one the High contrast mode uses.
Try the other inversion modes
Inversion mode also offers Full inversion and Color space conversion. Each is passed to the PDF engine under its own name. Run them on a copy and compare the downloads, because this page shows no preview.
Run the same file again
The job writes a new PDF and leaves the file on your device alone. If the first scheme is hard to read, choose Convert another, add the PDF again and select a different pair.
What inverting keeps and what it changes, by mode
Stays the same
- Every page, in the same order.
- High contrast keeps the page's own drawing, so photos and logos keep their colors.
- The file on your device, with its original colors.
Changes
- High contrast: a solid background in the chosen color is drawn behind the page, and every text character is drawn again on top in the chosen text color.
- Characters that the page's own font cannot encode are tried in the standard PDF fonts, and if none fits they are drawn as an asterisk.
- Full inversion: each page is drawn to an image, every color in it is inverted, and the image replaces the page content, so text can no longer be selected.
- Color space conversion changes the colors to CMYK with Ghostscript for printing. It does not invert anything.
Which mode and color combination for which job
| You want | Pick | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| A dark page you can still select text on | High contrast with White text on black | The page's own drawing stays, so photos keep their colors. A page made of one full-page picture may not change. |
| A dark version of a scan or a picture-heavy page | Full inversion | Every color flips, photos included, and the text becomes part of the picture. |
| Black text on a white page with the page background replaced | High contrast with Black text on white | Text is drawn again, so check that accents and non-Latin letters came out right. |
| A file with CMYK colors for printing | Color space conversion | This changes the color model and does not make anything darker. |
| Two colors you choose yourself | Not on this page | Use Replace Colors, which has a picker for each color. |
How to invert PDF colors in 3 steps
Add your PDF
Drag the PDF you want to recolor onto the upload box at the top of this page, or use Choose file to find it.
Choose the mode and the colors
Leave Inversion mode on High contrast, then open Color combination and select the pair you read most comfortably.
Run it and save the result
Press Run Invert Colors. When the job is done, choose Download and scroll through the recolored pages.
Why invert PDF colors with indox?
Two menus cover the whole job, and both are already set when the form appears, so a dark copy of a document needs no setup: add the file, run, download. The color pairs are named for what they give you, such as Yellow text on black, so there is no color code to work out. A single inversion runs without an account. The file is sent over HTTPS, and anything processed on the free tier is deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. This page also tells you where the tool stops. It has no preview, no page range and no color picker, and it does not report what happened to the photos inside your document.
- Two menus, both prefilled
- Four named color pairs
- A dark scheme as the starting choice
- One inversion without an account
- Free-tier files removed within 24 hours
What are the limits when you invert PDF colors?
- Size
- The free tier has a file size limit. Signing in raises it, and paid plans raise it further.
- Formats
- This tool works on PDF files. To change a file's type, use the PDF converter.
- Privacy
- Files are encrypted in transit and processed on indox infrastructure.
- Deletion
- Free-tier files are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Signed-in output stays in your history for your plan's retention period.
Limits worth knowing
- The Inversion mode menu lists Custom colors, but this page has no fields for the two colors that mode needs. Use Replace Colors when you want to pick them yourself.
- No preview is shown here. You see the new colors only after you download the result.
- Every page is recolored. The form gives you no way to limit the job to a page range.
- The page gives no report on photos, charts or logos, and it does not say whether text can still be selected. Check both in the result before you share it.
- A password cannot be entered on the invert page. Remove an open password with Unlock PDF, then invert the unlocked copy.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A scanned page or a full-page picture stays white | In High contrast the new background sits behind the page, and a picture that fills the page covers it | Choose Full inversion, which recolors a picture of the page. |
| Photos look like negatives | Full inversion flips every color, including those in photos | Use High contrast to keep photos and logos as they are. |
| Text can no longer be selected | Full inversion replaces the page with an image | Use High contrast to keep text, or run OCR PDF on the result. |
| A letter shows as * or in a different font | High contrast draws the text again, and a character the fonts cannot encode falls back to a standard font or an asterisk | Use Full inversion, which does not redraw text. |
| You picked Custom colors and there is nowhere to enter them | This page has no color fields for that mode | Use Replace Colors to set your own background and text colors. |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Larger file limits
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
What else can you do with a PDF?
Who inverts PDF colors?
Night readers
A white page is tiring on a screen in a dark room. White text on black gives a dark copy of a paper or an ebook for late reading.
Readers who need stronger contrast
Some people read yellow or green on black more comfortably than black on white. Pick that pair in Color combination and keep the copy for your own use.
People printing dark slide decks
A deck with a dark theme uses a lot of ink. Black text on white asks for the light pair, so try it and check the pages before you print.
When to invert colors, and when to pick another tool
- You read long PDFs at night and want a dark copy.
- A document with pale grey text needs a stronger color pair to be readable.
- You want to find out which of the four pairs suits your eyes.
- A dark-themed handout should be tried in Black text on white before it goes to a printer.
- You have two exact colors in mind. Replace Colors takes a background color and a text color from pickers.
Where can I read more?
Sources
- ReplaceAndInvertColorFactory.java (tag v2.14.2)Stirling-PDF source on GitHub
- CustomColorReplaceStrategy.java (tag v2.14.2)Stirling-PDF source on GitHub
- InvertFullColorStrategy.java (tag v2.14.2)Stirling-PDF source on GitHub
Facts checked on October 16, 2026
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Invert colors FAQs
How do I make a PDF dark with white text?
Add the PDF and leave both menus as they are. Inversion mode starts on High contrast and Color combination on White text on black, so pressing run gives that scheme.
Which color combinations can I choose?
There are four: White text on black, Black text on white, Yellow text on black and Green text on black. They belong to the High contrast mode.
What is the difference between High contrast and Full inversion?
High contrast uses the pair you select in Color combination. Full inversion is a separate mode that has no color setting of its own on this page. Run each on a copy to see which result you prefer.
Can I choose my own colors here?
Not on this page. Custom colors appears in the menu, but the two color fields it depends on are on the Replace Colors page.
Will the pictures in my PDF be inverted too?
This page does not say how images are handled. Look at the photos, charts and logos in the download before you rely on it.
Can I invert only a few pages?
No, the whole file is processed. Pull the pages you want into their own file with Extract Pages, invert that file, and keep the original for the rest.
Do I need to sign in to invert a PDF?
No. Invert Colors has the free badge, and one file can be processed without an account.
How long are my files kept?
On the free tier the uploaded PDF and the inverted copy are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Transfers in both directions use HTTPS.