Color Schemes and Eye Strain in Coding - My Journey
October 16, 2025As developers, we spend countless hours staring at code. While we often focus on keyboards, monitors, and ergonomics, color schemes are one of the most underrated aspects of coding comfort. The colors we choose in our editor can make a huge difference for readability, focus, and eye strain.
Eye Strain and What I Tried
Over the years, I’ve experimented with several approaches to reduce eye fatigue:
- Blue light filter glasses: I tried these, hoping they would help. I didn’t notice much difference.
- Redshift on Linux: This has been a game changer. Adjusting the color temperature of my screen based on the time of day significantly reduced eye strain, especially during evening coding sessions.
Even with these adjustments, the color scheme of my editor still played the most crucial role.
My Color Scheme Journey
I’ve tested numerous popular dark themes over the years:
- Nord: A soft, icy palette. Gentle but sometimes too cold for long coding sessions.
- One Dark: Clean and modern. Contrast can feel harsh after hours.
- JetBrains Dark Theme: Classic and functional, but I craved a bit more warmth.
- Solarized Dark: Timeless and low contrast, but the colors felt muted for my taste.
- Noctis: Beautiful and subtle, but slightly too muted.
Finally, I settled on Gruvbox Dark, which I’ve been using for the past 1.5–2 years. Its warm, earthy tones offer excellent readability and comfortable syntax highlighting, allowing me to code for long stretches without noticing fatigue.
Comparison (Conceptual)
| Theme | Feel / Contrast | Eye Comfort | My Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nord | Cool, soft | Medium | 6/10 |
| One Dark | Clean, modern | Medium-low | 7/10 |
| JetBrains Dark | High contrast | Medium | 7/10 |
| Solarized Dark | Muted, low contrast | High | 7/10 |
| Noctis | Subtle, soft | Medium-high | 7.5/10 |
| Gruvbox Dark | Warm, earthy | Very high | 10/10 |
Tips for Choosing a Color Scheme
- Contrast: Avoid extremes. Medium contrast is usually easiest on the eyes.
- Color differentiation: Ensure keywords, strings, and variables are clearly distinct.
- Warmth vs Coolness: Warmer tones tend to feel more natural over long sessions.
- Test long-term: Spend several days with a theme before committing.
Finding the right color scheme is a personal journey. For me, Gruvbox Dark combined with Redshift made the most significant difference. Invest time in your setup your eyes will thank you.