diff --git a/d2cli/main.go b/d2cli/main.go
index 9df893c42..794f2a071 100644
--- a/d2cli/main.go
+++ b/d2cli/main.go
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ func compile(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, sketc
 
 	var svg []byte
 	if filepath.Ext(outputPath) == ".pdf" {
-		svg, err = renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, outputPath, page, ruler, diagram, nil, nil)
+		svg, err = renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, themeID, outputPath, page, ruler, diagram, nil, nil)
 	} else {
 		compileDur := time.Since(start)
 		svg, err = render(ctx, ms, compileDur, plugin, sketch, pad, themeID, darkThemeID, inputPath, outputPath, bundle, forceAppendix, page, ruler, diagram)
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ func _render(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, sketc
 	return svg, nil
 }
 
-func renderPDF(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, sketch bool, pad int64, outputPath string, page playwright.Page, ruler *textmeasure.Ruler, diagram *d2target.Diagram, pdf *pdflib.GoFPDF, boardPath []string) (svg []byte, err error) {
+func renderPDF(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, sketch bool, pad, themeID int64, outputPath string, page playwright.Page, ruler *textmeasure.Ruler, diagram *d2target.Diagram, pdf *pdflib.GoFPDF, boardPath []string) (svg []byte, err error) {
 	var isRoot bool
 	if pdf == nil {
 		pdf = pdflib.Init()
@@ -487,26 +487,26 @@ func renderPDF(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, ske
 			return svg, err
 		}
 
-		err = pdf.AddPDFPage(pngImg, currBoardPath, rootFill)
+		err = pdf.AddPDFPage(pngImg, currBoardPath, themeID, rootFill)
 		if err != nil {
 			return svg, err
 		}
 	}
 
 	for _, dl := range diagram.Layers {
-		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
+		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, themeID, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
 	for _, dl := range diagram.Scenarios {
-		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
+		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, themeID, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
 	for _, dl := range diagram.Steps {
-		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
+		_, err := renderPDF(ctx, ms, plugin, sketch, pad, themeID, "", page, ruler, dl, pdf, currBoardPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/d2themes/d2themes.go b/d2themes/d2themes.go
index 00df8a4f7..f595ed600 100644
--- a/d2themes/d2themes.go
+++ b/d2themes/d2themes.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 // Color codes: darkest (N1) -> lightest (N7)
 package d2themes
 
+import "oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/color"
+
 type Theme struct {
 	ID     int64        `json:"id"`
 	Name   string       `json:"name"`
@@ -68,3 +70,49 @@ var DarkNeutral = Neutral{
 	N6: "#313244",
 	N7: "#1E1E2E",
 }
+
+func ResolveThemeColor(theme Theme, code string) string {
+	if !color.IsThemeColor(code) {
+		return code
+	}
+	switch code {
+	case "N1":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N1
+	case "N2":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N2
+	case "N3":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N3
+	case "N4":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N4
+	case "N5":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N5
+	case "N6":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N6
+	case "N7":
+		return theme.Colors.Neutrals.N7
+	case "B1":
+		return theme.Colors.B1
+	case "B2":
+		return theme.Colors.B2
+	case "B3":
+		return theme.Colors.B3
+	case "B4":
+		return theme.Colors.B4
+	case "B5":
+		return theme.Colors.B5
+	case "B6":
+		return theme.Colors.B6
+	case "AA2":
+		return theme.Colors.AA2
+	case "AA4":
+		return theme.Colors.AA4
+	case "AA5":
+		return theme.Colors.AA5
+	case "AB4":
+		return theme.Colors.AB4
+	case "AB5":
+		return theme.Colors.AB5
+	default:
+		return ""
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/pdf/pdf.go b/lib/pdf/pdf.go
index 1a05ac8a3..4ec7eb273 100644
--- a/lib/pdf/pdf.go
+++ b/lib/pdf/pdf.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jung-kurt/gofpdf"
 
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/d2renderers/d2fonts"
+	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/d2themes"
+	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/d2themes/d2themescatalog"
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/color"
 )
 
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ func Init() *GoFPDF {
 	return &fpdf
 }
 
-func (g *GoFPDF) GetFillRGB(fill string) (color.RGB, error) {
+func (g *GoFPDF) GetFillRGB(themeID int64, fill string) (color.RGB, error) {
 	if fill == "" || strings.ToLower(fill) == "transparent" {
 		return color.RGB{
 			Red:   255,
@@ -47,10 +49,15 @@ func (g *GoFPDF) GetFillRGB(fill string) (color.RGB, error) {
 		return rgb, nil
 	}
 
+	if color.IsThemeColor(fill) {
+		theme := d2themescatalog.Find(themeID)
+		fill = d2themes.ResolveThemeColor(theme, fill)
+	}
+
 	return color.Hex2RGB(fill)
 }
 
-func (g *GoFPDF) AddPDFPage(png []byte, boardPath []string, fill string) error {
+func (g *GoFPDF) AddPDFPage(png []byte, boardPath []string, themeID int64, fill string) error {
 	var opt gofpdf.ImageOptions
 	opt.ImageType = "png"
 	imageInfo := g.pdf.RegisterImageOptionsReader(strings.Join(boardPath, "/"), opt, bytes.NewReader(png))
@@ -73,7 +80,7 @@ func (g *GoFPDF) AddPDFPage(png []byte, boardPath []string, fill string) error {
 	pageWidth = math.Max(math.Max(minPageDimension, imageWidth), headerWidth)
 	pageHeight = math.Max(minPageDimension, imageHeight)
 
-	fillRGB, err := g.GetFillRGB(fill)
+	fillRGB, err := g.GetFillRGB(themeID, fill)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}