Brighten or darken the user interface

Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or After Effects > Preferences > Appearance (Mac OS).
Drag the Brightness slider to the left or right. Click Default to restore the default brightness level.

Changing the brightness preference affects the brightness of many user interface items. The colors of text and icons change to accommodate the change in brightness, to make these items easier to see. Therefore, the appearance of icons and text in various instructional resources may not exactly match the appearance of these items in your user interface.