A Simple, Readable Chart Layout
Most traders lose because they can’t see what price is actually doing. Their charts are full of indicators, colors, and lagging signals. This layout fixes that. Clean, simple, readable in real time.
1. Use A Dark Background (Not Pure Black)
Pure black hides details. Use a dark gray (like TradingView’s “Dark Theme” or NinjaTrader’s #1C1C1C).
Why? Your eyes can track candles better when there’s a tiny bit of contrast.
2. Use Only Two Candle Colors
Green for bullish. Red for bearish. No gradients. No outlines.
Example:
- Bullish: #4CAF50
- Bearish: #F44336
3. Add Only One Moving Average
Not 5 moving averages layered on top of each other. Just one.
Recommended:
- 20 EMA → short-term structure
The point isn't to trade off the line — it just helps you visually see the “lean” of the intraday trend.
4. Use A Single Volume Panel
One simple histogram at the bottom is enough. No colored zones, no weird TPO overlays, no “delta fingerprinting.”
What you want:
- Is volume increasing or decreasing?
- Does volume spike on breakouts?
- Does volume disappear during pullbacks?
5. Mark ONLY Key Levels
Not 20 lines drawn across the chart. Only these levels matter:
- Yesterday’s high
- Yesterday’s low
- Overnight high/low (RTH)
- One key intraday level (your choice)
No more than 4–6 horizontal lines total.
6. Use A Clean DOM (Optional)
If you use DOM:
- Turn off heatmaps
- Turn off bid coloring
- Turn off every visual except the columns
A clean DOM keeps you from overreacting to spoofing and noise.
7. No Indicators On The Chart Other Than The EMA
No RSI. No MACD. No VWAP bands. No market profile.
This layout forces you to watch:
- Structure
- Pullbacks
- Momentum
- Volume shifts
8. Why This Layout Works
When you strip the chart down to raw price and volume, your brain stops looking for magical signals and starts seeing:
- Higher highs / higher lows
- Lower highs / lower lows
- Breakouts and failed breakouts
- Where volume confirms a move
This is what real traders look at — not a stack of indicators.