Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions about Shades of Purple? Here are answers to the most common questions from our community of 5+ million developers.

How do I disable italics in the theme?

If you prefer a no-italics version of Shades of Purple, you can customize this in your VSCode settings.Add the following to your settings.json:

{
  "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
    "textMateRules": [
      {
        "scope": [
          "comment",
          "storage.modifier",
          "storage.type.class.js",
          "storage.type.function.js",
          "storage.type.js",
          "keyword.control",
          "keyword.operator",
          "variable.language"
        ],
        "settings": {
          "fontStyle": ""
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

For more details and discussion, see GitHub Issue #13

What are the recommended Highlight Matching Tag settings?

To make the Highlight Matching Tag extension work beautifully with Shades of Purple, use these settings:

{
  "highlight-matching-tag.styles": {
    "opening": {
      "full": {
        "highlight": "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.3)"
      }
    }
  }
}

This creates a subtle purple highlight that matches the theme’s color palette perfectly.

Learn more in GitHub Issue #20

How do I configure Indent Rainbow to match the theme?

For Indent Rainbow extension compatibility with Shades of Purple, use these color settings:

{
  "indentRainbow.colors": [
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.1)",
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.2)",
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.3)",
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.4)",
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.5)",
    "rgba(165, 153, 233, 0.6)"
  ]
}

See the full discussion in GitHub Issue #37

How do I activate the theme after installation?

After installing Shades of Purple, follow these steps to activate it:

Open Color Theme picker

Go to Code/File > Preferences > Color Theme (or press Cmd+K Cmd+T on macOS / Ctrl+K Ctrl+T on Windows/Linux)

Select Shades of Purple

Scroll through the list and select Shades of Purple

Enjoy your new theme

The theme will apply immediately. No reload required!

Are there different variants of the theme?

Yes! Shades of Purple comes with multiple variants:

Shades of Purple - The classic, original theme
Shades of Purple (Super Dark) - A darker variant (currently in BETA)

You can switch between variants by opening the Color Theme picker and selecting your preferred version.

The Super Dark variant is currently in BETA and may receive updates based on community feedback.

What font does the theme work best with?

Shades of Purple works beautifully with any monospace font, but it’s especially optimized for fonts that support ligatures like:

Operator Mono (recommended by the creator)
Fira Code
JetBrains Mono
Cascadia Code
MonoLisa

To enable font ligatures, add this to your settings:

{
  "editor.fontFamily": "Operator Mono, Menlo, Monaco, 'Courier New', monospace",
  "editor.fontLigatures": true
}

Can I use Shades of Purple in other applications?

Absolutely! Shades of Purple is available for many other applications:

Terminals: iTerm2, Hyper, Alacritty, Konsole, Ghostty, Cygwin
Syntax Highlighters: HighlightJS, Prism, Code Surfer, Bat
Apps: Google Chrome, Alfred, Slack, WordPress

Check out the Other Platforms page for installation links.

Where can I learn to become a VSCode power user?

The creator of Shades of Purple, Ahmad Awais, has created a comprehensive VSCode course after spending 1,000+ hours perfecting his setup.VSCode.pro covers:

Professional workflows for HTML/CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and more
50+ essential extensions and how to use them
Advanced customization and productivity tips
Git workflows and Markdown mastery

Perfect for developers who want to master their editor and boost productivity.

How do I report bugs or request features?

We love hearing from the community! Here’s how to get in touch:

Bug Reports: Open an issue on GitHub
Feature Requests: Start a discussion on GitHub
Questions: Check existing GitHub Issues or start a new one

Before opening a new issue, please search existing issues to see if your question has already been answered.

Is the theme free? What's the license?

Yes, Shades of Purple is completely free and open source!

License: MIT Licensed
Copyright: Ahmad Awais
Source Code: GitHub Repository

You’re free to use it in personal and commercial projects. If you love it, consider:

Leaving a 5-star review
Sharing it with fellow developers
Contributing to the project on GitHub

Still Have Questions?

If you didn’t find your answer here:

Check the Troubleshooting Guide for common issues
Browse GitHub Issues for similar questions
Open a new issue with your question

Shades of Purple is used by 5+ million developers worldwide with 175+ five-star ratings. Join our community and make coding more enjoyable!

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