diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 102ff8e..ae3623b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # BetterPM
 
-BetterPM is a minetest mod that improves private messages.
+BetterPM is a minetest mod that improves private messages. It is completely customizable but also ready to use.
 
 ## Config
 
-- You can customize message text color by changing `msg_color` value, default is white.
-- You can customize prefix color by changing `prefix_color` value, default is white.
-- You can customize the prefix text and you can use placeholders (`{sender}` and `{target}`):
-  - `senderPrefix` is the prefix that is shown to who sends the message.
-  - `targetPrefix` is the prefix that is shown to who receives the message.
+All these values can be changed in the file `settings.lua`
+- `target` represents who receives the message, `sender` represents who sends the message.
+- You can customize message text color by changing `targetMsgColor` and `senderMsgColor`.
+- You can customize prefix color by changing `targetPrefixColor` and `senderPrefixColor`.
+- You can customize the prefix text by changing `targetPrefix` and `senderPrefix`. You can use `{target}` and `{sender}` placeholders to respectively represent the target and the sender names.
 
 ## Usage
 
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index dff5f29..25ecdf3 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
-local prefix_color = "#ffffff" -- use a color hex to change the color of private messages prefix
-local msg_color = "#ffffff" -- use a color hex to change the color of private messages
-
--- {target} is who receives the message, {sender} is who sends the message
-local senderPrefix = "[You -> {target}] " -- the sender will see this
-local targetPrefix = "[{sender} -> You] " -- the target will receive this
-
-dofile(minetest.get_modpath("betterpm") .. "/chatcmdbuilder.lua")
+betterpm = {}
 
+local modpath = minetest.get_modpath("betterpm")
 local reply_to = {}
 
+dofile(modpath .. "/settings.lua")
+dofile(modpath .. "/chatcmdbuilder.lua")
+
 local function formatPrefix(prefix, sender, target)
   local res, _ = prefix:gsub("{sender}", sender)
   res, _ = res:gsub("{target}", target)
@@ -19,8 +16,12 @@ end
 local function sendMessage(sender, target, message)
   reply_to[sender] = target
   reply_to[target] = sender
-  minetest.chat_send_player(target, minetest.colorize(prefix_color, formatPrefix(targetPrefix, sender, target) .. minetest.colorize(msg_color, message)))
-  minetest.chat_send_player(sender, minetest.colorize(prefix_color, formatPrefix(senderPrefix, sender, target) .. minetest.colorize(msg_color, message)))
+  minetest.chat_send_player(target,
+    minetest.colorize(betterpm.targetPrefixColor, formatPrefix(betterpm.targetPrefix, sender, target) ..
+    minetest.colorize(betterpm.targetMsgColor, message)))
+  minetest.chat_send_player(sender,
+    minetest.colorize(betterpm.senderPrefixColor, formatPrefix(betterpm.senderPrefix, sender, target) ..
+    minetest.colorize(betterpm.senderMsgColor, message)))
 end
 
 ChatCmdBuilder.new("msg", function(cmd)
@@ -45,8 +46,12 @@ ChatCmdBuilder.new("r", function(cmd)
   cmd:sub(":message:text", function (sender, message)
     if reply_to[sender] ~= nil then
       reply_to[reply_to[sender]] = sender
-      minetest.chat_send_player(reply_to[sender], minetest.colorize(prefix_color, formatPrefix(targetPrefix, sender, reply_to[sender]) .. minetest.colorize(msg_color, message)))
-      minetest.chat_send_player(sender, minetest.colorize(prefix_color, formatPrefix(senderPrefix, sender, reply_to[sender]) .. minetest.colorize(msg_color, message)))
+      minetest.chat_send_player(reply_to[sender],
+        minetest.colorize(betterpm.targetPrefixColor, formatPrefix(betterpm.targetPrefix, sender, reply_to[sender]) ..
+        minetest.colorize(betterpm.targetMsgColor, message)))
+      minetest.chat_send_player(sender,
+        minetest.colorize(betterpm.senderPrefixColor, formatPrefix(betterpm.senderPrefix, sender, reply_to[sender]) ..
+        minetest.colorize(betterpm.senderMsgColor, message)))
     else
       minetest.chat_send_player(sender, "You must write to someone before replying. Use /msg <name> <message>")
     end
diff --git a/settings.lua b/settings.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a96910c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+-- use hex codes for colors
+-- protip: if you want to use the same color in multiple places you could create
+-- a variable and do it like this:
+-- local myColor = "#a5cbf8"
+-- and then use it where you want this color like this:
+-- betterpm.senderPrefixColor = myColor
+-- you don't have to use "--" otherwise it will be a comment and won't work
+-- if you want a different color for everything you don't need to create variables, just put values
+local senderColor = "#d8dee9" -- nord4 from nordtheme.com
+local targetColor = "#ebcb8b" -- nord13 from nordtheme.com
+
+betterpm.senderPrefixColor = senderColor
+betterpm.targetPrefixColor = targetColor
+
+betterpm.senderMsgColor = senderColor
+betterpm.targetMsgColor = targetColor
+
+-- {target} is who receives the message, {sender} is who sends the message
+betterpm.senderPrefix = "[You -> {target}] " -- the sender will see this
+betterpm.targetPrefix = "[{sender} -> You] " -- the target will receive this