# DT4 displays PDFs incorrectly in dark mode on Golden Gate

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833>\
**Category:** Feedback\
**Tags:** bug-report\
**Created:** [October 13, 2026, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833 "2026-10-13T11:06:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bdamage](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@bdamage](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/bdamage)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/1 "2026-10-13T11:06:41Z")

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Since updating from Sequoia to Golden Gate, when using dark mode, PDFs in DT4 (version 4.4.1) are now displaying as white on black rather than in black on white. They still display correctly in Preview.

When a PDF has been constructed without explicitly setting colours, this means they do not render correctly — this text in the yellow box should be black, as it is when viewed in Preview, but it is now much more difficult to read:

![Screenshot 2026-10-13 at 11.50.25](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/9/7/9747d38d19b6f0c6ef007a2b7eb99b342cf84065.png) in DT4, but

![Screenshot 2026-10-13 at 12.02.04](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/8/c/8c99fce4bc3c908c8798a3e592dc7f5cd1a2c14c.png) in Preview.

Similarly, this date should be black, but is now completely illegible:

 ![Screenshot 2026-10-13 at 11.51.26](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/0/6/06e3c4bdeffe3237751213c16329796d86a77855.png) in DT4, but

![Screenshot 2026-10-13 at 12.01.22](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/0/7/0745a976fc003ac76186dd188c88135e57f9d792.png) in Preview

I tried rolling back to a previous version of DT4 that definitely worked using Time Machine, but the result is the same, so this looks like a macOS change that is unfortunately making DT4 unusable for me.

I tried forcing light mode for DT4 only with `defaults write com.devon-technologies.think NSRequiresAquaSystemAppearance -bool YES` but it’s just too bright, as is setting the entire system to light mode — I would have constant headaches.

Please could DT4 display PDFs correctly in dark mode (as Preview does) on Golden Gate?

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/2 "2026-10-13T11:14:47Z")

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> [@bdamage](#):
>
> Since updating from Sequoia to Golden Gate, when using dark mode, PDFs in DT4 (version 4.4.1) are now displaying as white on black rather than in black on white. They still display correctly in Preview.

Is _Settings \> General \> Appearance \> Use dark background for documents_ currently enabled? Alternatively enable the hidden preference `DisablePDFDarkMode`, see hidden preferences in the appendix of the help.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bdamage](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@bdamage](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/bdamage)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:18am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/3 "2026-10-13T11:18:29Z")

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Ah, that setting’s fixed it — thanks! (_Slightly_ embarrassed that I looked at that settings page and never even noticed it…)

Odd that it should occur when I upgraded the OS, though, since I never touched it in between 😕

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:19am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/4 "2026-10-13T11:19:24Z")

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Older macOS releases do not support PDF dark mode.

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**Author:** ![gul-iMac](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@gul-iMac](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/gul-iMac)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/5 "2026-10-13T12:29:48Z")

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In my DEVONthink installation (4.4.1) the Help-\>Hidden Preferences does not have an arrow to the right. Searching in Scripts-\>More for “Open Hidden Preferences” does not contain the script.

Where can I find it?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/6 "2026-10-13T12:58:44Z")

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> [@gul-iMac](#):
>
> In my DEVONthink installation (4.4.1) the Help-\>Hidden Preferences does not have an arrow to the right.

This menu item simply opens the page in the help viewer, no script required.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gul-iMac](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@gul-iMac](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/gul-iMac)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 1:16pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-displays-pdfs-incorrectly-in-dark-mode-on-golden-gate/87833/7 "2026-10-13T13:16:31Z")

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OK, understand

Thank You