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How do you customize the color theme in VS Code?

Published in VS Code Themes 3 mins read

You can customize the color theme in VS Code by selecting a pre-installed theme or installing one from the VS Code Marketplace. You can also create your own custom theme.

Here's a breakdown of the methods:

1. Selecting a Pre-Installed or Installed Theme

  • Access the Color Theme Picker: There are two ways to open the Color Theme picker:

    • Via the menu: File > Preferences > Theme > Color Theme.
    • Using the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+K Ctrl+T (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+T (macOS).

  • Browse and Preview Themes: The Color Theme picker will display a list of available themes (both built-in and those you've installed). Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the list. As you highlight each theme, VS Code will instantly preview its colors in your editor.

  • Select a Theme: Once you find a theme you like, simply press Enter or click on it to apply it.

2. Installing Themes from the VS Code Marketplace

  • Open the Extensions View: Click on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar (looks like a square made of smaller squares) or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS).

  • Search for Themes: In the Extensions view's search bar, type "theme" or a specific theme name you're looking for.

  • Install a Theme: Browse the search results and click on a theme you like. Then, click the Install button on the theme's details page.

  • Select the Installed Theme: After installation, VS Code may prompt you to select the newly installed theme. If not, follow the steps in section 1 to open the Color Theme picker and choose your new theme.

3. Customizing Existing Themes or Creating Your Own

While VS Code doesn't offer a direct GUI editor for themes, you can modify existing themes or create entirely new ones by editing JSON files. This is an advanced process.

  • Locate the User Settings JSON file: Open the command palette ( Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P ) and type "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)". This will open your settings.json file.

  • Override Theme Colors: You can override specific colors of the current theme using the "workbench.colorCustomizations" setting in your settings.json file.

    "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "editor.background": "#1E1E1E", // Change the editor background color
    "terminal.background": "#252526"  // Change the terminal background color
}

  • Create a New Theme (Advanced): Creating a completely new theme involves creating a theme.json file with all the color definitions and then packaging it as a VS Code extension. This process requires a deeper understanding of VS Code's theming system. Refer to the official VS Code documentation for detailed guidance on theme creation.

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