Set up a custom font and theme in PhpStorm

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PhpStorm has separate settings for the interface font and the editor font. Adjusting both makes the application easier to read, especially on a high-resolution display.

Open PhpStorm -> Preferences, then go to Appearance & Behavior -> Appearance. Enable Use custom font, and choose a larger size. A size of 28 works well for screen recordings, while 22 or 24 may be more comfortable for everyday use.

You can also choose a custom interface font. Inter is a free, open-source font with excellent readability. After selecting the font and size, click Apply. This changes the size and font of the dialog boxes, menus, and sidebar.

Next, open Editor -> Font. This controls the text in your code editor. Set the size to 28, or choose a smaller value if that is more comfortable. Increase Line height to add more space between lines. A value of 1.6 makes the code easier to scan, while 2.0 creates approximately double spacing.

For the editor font, Hack is a readable open-source choice designed for code. Select it, apply the changes, and check the editor behind the Preferences window to see the result.

PhpStorm also has a Console Font section under Editor. This controls the font used by the terminal. It can use a different font from the editor if you prefer, but leaving it synchronized with the editor keeps the interface consistent.

Click OK to save the settings. You can also widen the project sidebar so that longer file and folder names are visible.

To add a different color theme, open PhpStorm -> Preferences again and select Plugins. Search for material, then install the free Material Theme UI Lite plugin. Accept the plugin terms, click OK, and restart PhpStorm when prompted.

After PhpStorm restarts, return to Appearance & Behavior -> Appearance. Disable Sync with OS, then open the Theme menu. Select Material Oceanic Contrast and click OK to apply the theme.

Installing the theme may change the editor font. If the code becomes small again, return to Editor -> Font. The editor may now be using the font from the selected color scheme, such as Menlo at size 12.

Open the color scheme font settings and disable Use color scheme font instead of the default. The editor then uses the default editor font settings again. Select Hack and set the size back to 28.

The interface now uses the larger Inter font, the editor uses Hack with increased spacing, and the Material theme adds stronger colors throughout PhpStorm. Adjust the sizes and line height to whatever remains comfortable during long coding sessions.