Set the browser’s prefers-color-scheme to light or dark before you capture the page. In Playwright, configure the browser context or call page.emulateMedia(); in Chrome DevTools, use the Rendering panel’s color-scheme emulation and refresh. The screenshot then records the page as rendered under that preference.
Capture a light or dark screenshot with Playwright
For repeatable automated captures, set the color scheme explicitly on the browser context before opening the page. The browser preference is available to the site when it renders; it does not force a design change if the site does not respond to prefers-color-scheme.
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Set the scheme when creating the context
This complete Node.js example opens a Chromium browser, creates a dark-mode context, loads a page, and saves a screenshot:
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(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext({ colorScheme: 'dark' });
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'dark.png' });
await browser.close();
})();Change colorScheme to 'light' for a light preference. Playwright documents light and dark as supported values. Its emulation guide describes setting the scheme through context or page options.
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Change the preference on an open page
For a page that is already open, emulate the media preference before taking the screenshot:
await page.emulateMedia({ colorScheme: 'dark' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'dark.png' });Use 'light' to request light mode. The Playwright Page API also documents null as disabling color-scheme emulation. no-preference is deprecated, so use an explicit supported scheme or null.
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Make paired captures comparable
To compare a page in both schemes, take one capture with each explicit setting and use filenames such as page-light.png and page-dark.png. Keep the browser, viewport, page state, and other capture settings consistent; otherwise, differences may come from something besides the color scheme.
Emulate the color scheme in Chrome DevTools
- Open the page in Chrome and open DevTools.
- Open the Rendering panel. If it is not visible, open the DevTools command menu and search for “Show Rendering.”
- Find the
prefers-color-schemeemulation control and chooselightordark. - Refresh the page after changing the emulated scheme.
- Capture the rendered page using the screenshot method for your task.
Chrome documents this control and the refresh step in its guide to emulating CSS media features. DevTools is useful for interactively previewing a page; Playwright is better suited to scripted captures with an explicit setting.
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Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo takes a screenshot through one GET request. The API supports a dark option for color-scheme emulation; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request parameters and response details.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot"
-d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY
--data-urlencode url=https://example.com
-d dark=true
-o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, with response headers indicating the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets AI agents using Claude, Cursor, or other MCP clients take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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Troubleshoot a screenshot that does not change
- The page looks the same in light and dark. Emulation changes the browser’s
prefers-color-schememedia feature; the site must implement a response to that preference for the appearance to change. Check whether the page uses the feature or has its own theme control. - The page has not updated after changing DevTools. Refresh after selecting the scheme, as Chrome’s instructions specify.
- Playwright captures the wrong scheme. Set
colorSchemeon the context before navigating, or callpage.emulateMedia()before the screenshot. Confirm that the value is exactly'light'or'dark'. - A site-specific theme still overrides the expected appearance. A page may offer its own theme control or remember a user choice. Browser emulation alone does not establish how a particular website handles those settings.
Choosing between DevTools and Playwright
| Workflow | Best for | How the scheme is set |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome DevTools | Interactive inspection and preview | Rendering panel’s prefers-color-scheme control; refresh after changing it |
| Playwright | Automated, repeatable screenshots | Set colorScheme in context or page options, or use page.emulateMedia() |
Both methods emulate the same browser media preference. The right choice depends on whether you need to inspect a page manually or capture it as part of a script.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use no-preference in Playwright?
It is deprecated. Use light, dark, or null to disable emulation.
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No. It sets the browser preference; the website must respond to prefers-color-scheme or otherwise use that preference.
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