Dark Mode Ergonomics: Beyond Simple Color Inversion

Creating a professional dark mode is not a naive mathematical inversion of light colors:

• Avoid Pure Black (#000000) for Canvas: On high-contrast displays, pure white text on pitch black causes harsh halation (glow) and eye fatigue. Professional interfaces use deep charcoals (e.g., #121212 or #0F172A).
• Communicate Elevation with Surface Lightness: In light mode, elevated cards cast dark drop shadows. In dark mode, shadows are invisible against dark canvas; therefore, elevation is communicated by lightening the card background (e.g., surface 0 is #121212, surface 1 card is #1E1E1E, surface 2 modal is #2C2C2C).
• Desaturate Saturated Accents: Saturated colors that look vibrant on white screens vibrate violently against dark backgrounds. Dark mode tokens must be desaturated by 10–20%.