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Kami Reader

by kkenny0
Screenshot of the Kami Reader Obsidian theme
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Code

Description

This theme supports Dark Mode
This theme supports Light Mode

README file from

Github

Kami Reader

A warm parchment, long-form reading theme for Obsidian.
Adapted from the tw93/kami print design system (unofficial).

English | 简体中文

Obsidian Theme License: MIT

Kami Reader brings the print-grade typography of Kami into Obsidian: warm parchment backgrounds, ink-blue accents, literary serif headings, and screen-optimized body text, paired with a fully adapted workspace shell (sidebars, ribbon, status bar, and modals).

💡 Optional companion: For a seamless, book-like reading stage across new tabs and outlines, you can optionally install Kami Reader Companion (Kami Reader works completely on its own without it).

Design Principles

  • Warm Parchment Surface: All neutrals carry a warm yellow-brown undertone (no cold blue-grays), making long reading sessions comfortable for the eyes.
  • Color Restraint: Follows Kami's signature "ink blue" single-accent philosophy—used strictly for headings, links, and active focus, never as mindless decoration.
  • Calibrated Weights: Headings retain their literary voice, while Dark Mode uses calibrated bold weights (600) so text stays crisp and readable in dim lighting.
Token Light Dark Role
Parchment / Deep Dark #f5f4ed #141413 Primary note background
Ivory / Dark Ivory #faf9f5 #1a1917 Cards, callouts, and overlays
Shell Parchment #f0eee4 #1d1c1a Sidebars, ribbon, tab strip, status bar
Warm Sand #e8e6dc #353330 Borders and dividers
Dark Surface / Warm Ivory #30302e #e8e3d2 Body text
Ink Blue / Ink Light #1B365D #2D5A8A Accent: headings, links, selection
Olive #504e49 #b4b09e Blockquotes and captions
Warm Highlight #f3e3a8 #5a4a1f ==mark== highlight
Tag Tint #E4ECF5 #E4ECF5 Tag solid background

Screenshots

Current captures from version 0.3.1 using synthetic example notes (without Companion):

Reading and layout Interaction and detail
Light readingLight reading Dark readingDark reading
Live Preview editingLive Preview editing Callouts and tablesCallouts and tables

See Capture record for test details.

Style Settings

To preserve design coherence, the theme avoids cluttering switches and provides only 6 high-value adjustments.

Install the Style Settings community plugin, then head to Settings → Style Settings → Kami Reader:

  • Body font family: Tune body text (headings retain their separate editorial stack).
  • Body line-height: 1.55 default (range 1.3–1.9; toggle Cmd/Ctrl + E once in Live Preview to refresh).
  • Note max width: 700px default for optimal line length.
  • Bold emphasis strength: Choose 500, 600, or 700 (defaults to 500 in Light and 600 in Dark).
  • Accent color: Customize the ink-blue accent (independent light/dark controls).
  • Primary background: Fine-tune the warmth of the parchment surface (independent light/dark controls).

Typography

--font-text-theme: "Charter", "Georgia",
                   "Source Han Sans SC", "Noto Sans CJK SC",
                   "PingFang SC", "Microsoft YaHei", sans-serif;

--font-heading-theme: "Charter", "Georgia",
                       "TsangerJinKai02",
                       "LXGW WenKai Screen", "LXGW WenKai",
                       "Source Han Serif SC", "Noto Serif CJK SC", serif;
  • Charter: English serif (macOS native, falls back to Georgia on other platforms).
  • Source Han Sans SC / System Sans: Default CJK body stack, chosen for fatigue-free long reading.
  • LXGW WenKai Screen: CJK heading face, preserving handwritten warmth while body text stays clean.
  • JetBrains Mono: Code font.
  • Inter: UI and navigation font.

💡 Font installation: Only LXGW WenKai Screen is recommended for optional heading texture. Body copy falls back to system fonts with no setup required.

Installation

Method 1: Obsidian Theme Gallery (Recommended)

  1. In Obsidian, go to Settings → Appearance → Themes and click Manage.
  2. Search for Kami Reader.
  3. Click Install and use.
  4. (Optional) Install Style Settings to customize typography, line-height, and colors.

Method 2: Manual Installation & Developer Setup

Copy manifest.json and theme.css into your vault under .obsidian/themes/kami-reader/.

Note on macOS Sequoia Sandbox:
The Mac App Store version of Obsidian runs in a sandbox. macOS 15+ tags files copied via cp in Terminal with com.apple.provenance, causing Obsidian to silently ignore the local theme folder during development.

If you are developing and editing theme.css locally, use the CSS snippet injection workflow:

  1. Run ./sync.sh to generate inject-kami-snippet.js;
  2. Open Obsidian DevTools (Cmd+Option+I), paste into the Console, and press Enter;
  3. Enable the kami snippet under Settings → Appearance → CSS Snippets.

(Regular users installing through the Theme Gallery are completely unaffected.)

Coverage & Improvements

  • ✅ Color tokens (60+ CSS variables for light & dark palettes)
  • ✅ Dedicated dark mode (#141413 base + #2D5A8A ink light)
  • ✅ Full Reading View & Live Preview styling
  • ✅ Adaptive workspace: whitespace adapts to pane width, narrow panes preserve reading space, wide tables scroll locally
  • ✅ Complete Workspace shell: titlebar, sidebars, ribbon, tab strips, status bar, dividers
  • ✅ Core overlays: command palette, quick switcher, settings modal, context menus
  • ✅ Clean PDF export: white paper output with warm parchment retained in cards and callouts
  • ✅ Respects system reduced-motion preferences

Credits & License

  • Design system & tokens: tw93/kami (MIT). This theme is an unofficial derivative adaptation.
  • License: MIT License.
  • Fonts: Charter (OFL), LXGW WenKai (OFL), JetBrains Mono (OFL), Inter (OFL).
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