Monochrome and minimal color themes

README.md

Minimal Monochrome Themes

VS Code

• Minimal Monochrome
• Colors:
  • minimal-light-color-theme.json
  • minimal-dark-color-theme.json

Ghostty

• Custom themes in this Gist:
  • Minimal Monochrome Light
  • Minimal Monochrome Dark
• Put in ~/.config/ghostty/themes
• Edit ~/.config/ghostty/config set theme = Minimal Monochrome Light

Zellij

• Inherit terminal colors: in ~/.config/zellij/config.kdl set theme "ansi"

Neovim (LazyVim)

• Custom themes in this Gist:
  • colors/minimal_mono_light.lua
  • colors/minimal_mono_dark.lua
• LazyVim config:
  • lua/plugins/lazyvim.lua

Reading

• Why I use minimal syntax highlighting
• Why minimal syntax highlighting can reduce fatigue
• I program without syntax highlighting

lazyvim.lua

return {
  {
    "LazyVim/LazyVim",
    opts = {
      colorscheme = "minimal_mono_light",
    },
  },
}

Minimal Monochrome Dark

background = #1A1A1A
foreground = #EEEEEE
cursor-color = #EEEEEE
cursor-text = #1A1A1A
selection-background = #606060
selection-foreground = #EEEEEE
palette = 0=#1A1A1A
palette = 1=#F5A3A7
palette = 2=#8BCFAC
palette = 3=#F0C674
palette = 4=#89B4D4
palette = 5=#C9A5E0
palette = 6=#7DD4D0
palette = 7=#D0D0D0
palette = 8=#646464
palette = 9=#FFB8BA
palette = 10=#A8E6C3
palette = 11=#FFE082
palette = 12=#A8D1F0
palette = 13=#D9B8F0
palette = 14=#9DE5E0
palette = 15=#FCFCFC

Minimal Monochrome Light

background = #FCFCFC
foreground = #1A1A1A
cursor-color = #1A1A1A
cursor-text = #FCFCFC
selection-background = #D0D0D0
selection-foreground = #1A1A1A
palette = 0=#1A1A1A
palette = 1=#C97A7D
palette = 2=#5A9E6F
palette = 3=#B8893A
palette = 4=#5A8FB8
palette = 5=#8B6BA8
palette = 6=#4A9EA8
palette = 7=#D0D0D0
palette = 8=#646464
palette = 9=#B56B6B
palette = 10=#4D8B5E
palette = 11=#A67830
palette = 12=#4A7FA8
palette = 13=#7D5D9A
palette = 14=#3D8F99
palette = 15=#FCFCFC

minimal_mono_dark.lua

-- Minimal Monochrome Dark

vim.o.background = "dark"
vim.g.colors_name = "minimal_mono_dark"

local c = {
  bg = "#1A1A1A",     -- matches VS Code terminal background for dark
  fg = "#EEEEEE",
  fg_soft = "#D0D0D0",
  comment = "#7B7B7B",
  subtle = "#3A3A3A",
  subtle2 = "#222222",
  cursor = "#EEEEEE",
  visual = "#606060",

  red = "#F5A3A7",
  green = "#8BCFAC",
  yellow = "#F0C674",
  blue = "#89B4D4",
  magenta = "#C9A5E0",
  cyan = "#7DD4D0",
}

local function hl(group, spec)
  vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, group, spec)
end

-- Core UI
hl("Normal", { fg = c.fg, bg = c.bg })
hl("NormalNC", { fg = c.fg, bg = c.bg })
hl("Cursor", { fg = c.bg, bg = c.cursor })
hl("CursorLine", { bg = c.subtle })
hl("CursorColumn", { bg = c.subtle })
hl("LineNr", { fg = c.comment })
hl("CursorLineNr", { fg = c.fg })
hl("SignColumn", { bg = c.bg })
hl("ColorColumn", { bg = c.subtle2 })

hl("Visual", { bg = c.visual })
hl("Search", { bg = c.visual, fg = c.fg })
hl("IncSearch", { bg = c.visual, fg = c.fg })

hl("Pmenu", { bg = c.subtle2, fg = c.fg })
hl("PmenuSel", { bg = c.subtle, fg = c.fg })
hl("FloatBorder", { fg = c.subtle, bg = c.subtle2 })
hl("NormalFloat", { bg = c.subtle2, fg = c.fg })

hl("WinSeparator", { fg = c.subtle })
hl("VertSplit", { fg = c.subtle })

hl("StatusLine", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.fg })
hl("StatusLineNC", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.comment })
hl("TabLine", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.comment })
hl("TabLineSel", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("TabLineFill", { bg = c.bg })

-- Syntax (mostly monochrome)
hl("Comment", { fg = c.comment })
hl("Constant", { fg = c.fg_soft })
hl("String", { fg = c.fg_soft })
hl("Character", { fg = c.fg_soft })
hl("Number", { fg = c.fg_soft })
hl("Boolean", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Identifier", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Function", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Statement", { fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("Keyword", { fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("Operator", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Type", { fg = c.fg })
hl("PreProc", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Special", { fg = c.fg })

-- Diagnostics
hl("DiagnosticError", { fg = c.red })
hl("DiagnosticWarn", { fg = c.yellow })
hl("DiagnosticInfo", { fg = c.blue })
hl("DiagnosticHint", { fg = c.green })

hl("DiagnosticUnderlineError", { undercurl = true, sp = c.red })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineWarn", { undercurl = true, sp = c.yellow })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineInfo", { undercurl = true, sp = c.blue })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineHint", { undercurl = true, sp = c.green })

-- Diff
hl("DiffAdd", { bg = "#28312C" })
hl("DiffDelete", { bg = "#352B2B" })
hl("DiffChange", { bg = "#282D31" })
hl("DiffText", { bg = "#364149" })

-- GitSigns
hl("GitSignsAdd", { fg = c.green })
hl("GitSignsChange", { fg = c.blue })
hl("GitSignsDelete", { fg = c.red })

-- Treesitter links
hl("@comment", { link = "Comment" })
hl("@string", { link = "String" })
hl("@number", { link = "Number" })
hl("@keyword", { link = "Keyword" })
hl("@keyword.function", { link = "Keyword" })
hl("@function", { link = "Function" })
hl("@type", { link = "Type" })
hl("@variable", { fg = c.fg })
hl("@property", { fg = c.fg })
hl("@punctuation", { fg = c.fg })

minimal_mono_light.lua

-- Minimal Monochrome Light

vim.o.background = "light"
vim.g.colors_name = "minimal_mono_light"

local c = {
  bg = "#FCFCFC",
  fg = "#1A1A1A",     -- approximates VS Code #000000DF (alpha not supported here)
  fg_soft = "#404040",
  comment = "#999999",
  subtle = "#D0D0D0",
  subtle2 = "#F0F0F0",
  cursor = "#1A1A1A",
  visual = "#D0D0D0",

  red = "#C97A7D",
  green = "#5A9E6F",
  yellow = "#B8893A",
  blue = "#5A8FB8",
  magenta = "#8B6BA8",
  cyan = "#4A9EA8",
}

local function hl(group, spec)
  vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, group, spec)
end

-- Core UI
hl("Normal", { fg = c.fg, bg = c.bg })
hl("NormalNC", { fg = c.fg, bg = c.bg })
hl("Cursor", { fg = c.bg, bg = c.cursor })
hl("CursorLine", { bg = c.subtle2 })
hl("CursorColumn", { bg = c.subtle2 })
hl("LineNr", { fg = "#7A7A7A" })
hl("CursorLineNr", { fg = c.fg })
hl("SignColumn", { bg = c.bg })
hl("ColorColumn", { bg = c.subtle2 })

hl("Visual", { bg = c.visual })
hl("Search", { bg = "#D9D9D9", fg = c.fg })
hl("IncSearch", { bg = "#D9D9D9", fg = c.fg })

hl("Pmenu", { bg = "#F9F9F9", fg = c.fg })
hl("PmenuSel", { bg = c.subtle2, fg = c.fg })
hl("FloatBorder", { fg = c.subtle, bg = "#F9F9F9" })
hl("NormalFloat", { bg = "#F9F9F9", fg = c.fg })

hl("WinSeparator", { fg = c.subtle })
hl("VertSplit", { fg = c.subtle })

hl("StatusLine", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.fg })
hl("StatusLineNC", { bg = c.bg, fg = "#646464" })
hl("TabLine", { bg = c.bg, fg = "#646464" })
hl("TabLineSel", { bg = c.bg, fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("TabLineFill", { bg = c.bg })

-- Syntax (keep mostly monochrome)
hl("Comment", { fg = c.comment })
hl("Constant", { fg = "#777777" })
hl("String", { fg = "#777777" })
hl("Character", { fg = "#777777" })
hl("Number", { fg = "#777777" })
hl("Boolean", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Identifier", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Function", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Statement", { fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("Keyword", { fg = c.fg, bold = true })
hl("Operator", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Type", { fg = c.fg })
hl("PreProc", { fg = c.fg })
hl("Special", { fg = c.fg })

-- Diagnostics (subtle but readable)
hl("DiagnosticError", { fg = c.red })
hl("DiagnosticWarn", { fg = c.yellow })
hl("DiagnosticInfo", { fg = c.blue })
hl("DiagnosticHint", { fg = c.green })

hl("DiagnosticUnderlineError", { undercurl = true, sp = c.red })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineWarn", { undercurl = true, sp = c.yellow })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineInfo", { undercurl = true, sp = c.blue })
hl("DiagnosticUnderlineHint", { undercurl = true, sp = c.green })

-- Diff
hl("DiffAdd", { bg = "#E8F0EA" })
hl("DiffDelete", { bg = "#F5ECEC" })
hl("DiffChange", { bg = "#E8EEF4" })
hl("DiffText", { bg = "#DDE7EF" })

-- GitSigns (if you use it)
hl("GitSignsAdd", { fg = c.green })
hl("GitSignsChange", { fg = c.blue })
hl("GitSignsDelete", { fg = c.red })

-- Treesitter links (keep simple)
hl("@comment", { link = "Comment" })
hl("@string", { link = "String" })
hl("@number", { link = "Number" })
hl("@keyword", { link = "Keyword" })
hl("@keyword.function", { link = "Keyword" })
hl("@function", { link = "Function" })
hl("@type", { link = "Type" })
hl("@variable", { fg = c.fg })
hl("@property", { fg = c.fg })
hl("@punctuation", { fg = c.fg })