The standard Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) has looked identical for decades: a stark black background with harsh white or light grey text. While this high-contrast look is iconic, it can be extremely hard on the eyes during late-night coding sessions, and it lacks the customisation flair of modern terminal emulators.
If you frequently use the Command Prompt, you can easily customise both the background colour and the font style directly within its native properties menu.
How to Change the Default Colours
To ensure your colour choices apply every single time you open the Command Prompt, you must edit the “Defaults” menu, rather than the “Properties” menu.
- Click the Start button, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
- Look at the very top of the window and Right-click the title bar (the white bar at the top).
- From the context menu, select Defaults. (Do not select Properties, as Properties only applies changes to your current session).
- Click on the Colours tab at the top of the new window.
- Select the radio button for Screen Background.
- Click on a colour square from the palette bar, or manually type in RGB values on the right to create a custom colour (such as a soothing dark blue or a retro terminal green).
- Select the radio button for Screen Text and choose a highly legible contrasting colour.
How to Change the Default Font
While you are in the Defaults menu, you can also upgrade the text font.
- Click on the Font tab.
- In the “Font” list, you can choose a different monospaced font. Consolas and Lucida Console are excellent, highly legible upgrades over the older terminal fonts.
- Adjust the Size parameter until the preview text looks comfortable for your screen resolution.
- Click OK at the bottom of the window to save all your changes.
Close the Command Prompt and open it again. Your new font and custom colour scheme will instantly load, providing a much more comfortable command-line experience.