http://drawar.com/notes/ Drawar Thread: Font / Background contrast en Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:34:44 +0000 http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-119261 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:08:55 Ozone42 119261 <p>If you get too much, you get some retina burn in. You've all probably experienced it. Reading bright white text on a solid black background, or bright green text on the same. If you read long enough and look away, you still see lines. That is ghastly.</p> <p>I took a dark grey and put gold-ish text on it, and I like it pretty well. I read somewhere that some combination like that was optimal for high contrast without afterimages. I wish I remembered where that was so I could point there. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-119260 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:30:35 Scrivs 119260 <p>I think it depends greatly on what the colors are, when you are talking about two colors that are in complete contrast with each other (white font on black background) then no it isn't easier. Throw in an off-white with a gray background like the one seen at <a href="http://daringfireball.net">Daring Fireball</a> then I can see how it is easier to read. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-119216 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:06:53 PATSY926 119216 <p>Reading this in 2008 is interesting. Many of us over 40 begin to have 'low vision' issues. Yes, we get our eyes examined and yes, we wear glasses. Contrast is the issue. A white font on a pastel background is virtually impossible even when ‘zoomed’ up. Web designers ought to think of their audience and decide if "artsy" is favored over "readability". This also applies to print media greatly! Magazines today are flooded with small white fonts on pale orange backgrounds. I discuss this with friends of mine and we’re all in agreement on how a generation of readers are being dismissed. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-9115 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:05:51 karmatosed 9115 <p>You will rarely find that a white font is actually being used. On a black background it's a variant of white, a straight white font will not work well on the web as the contrast grates. It's all about personal view, conditions people may have (some illnesses mean darker works / lighter works / can't see either or well), monitor resolutions (think about a high contrast monitor on a site with a dark background and light font colour - this can grate as can a pure white background that just glows out). </p> <p>My personal preference varies depending on the site, I do when coding and writing prefer actually a dark brown background with a lighter font - but that is if I have to stare at it for a long time. I think this harks back to the old unix days of black screen and orange or green fonts. I don't like coding on a white background whereas others do. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-9082 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 08:33:57 frotzed 9082 <p>This has been discussed many other places but I personally have noticed that most people find black font on white background to be the most readable while most people find white font on dark background to be more "artsy." </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-9040 Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:23:28 johnbakeronline 9040 <p>I'm sure that these things are variable from person to person. What is easier for one person is not easy at all for someone else.<br /> I keep my site strictly black on white and when I come across a site that reverses that I either don't bother trying to read it, or if the content immediately grabs me I transfer it to black on white to make it possible to read.<br /> What is at least equally important in the designing of a site are the fonts used, especially the font that is going to make up the body of the site.<br /> If your site isn't immediately accessible you are probably losing potential readers. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-8957 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:58:55 guillaumeb 8957 <p>The problem here is that many applications we daily use like Word or a Notepad, try to emulate what you, JustinKistner, refer to as "ink on paper". switching from such an application to a website that uses opposite contrasts might be hard to the eyes at first.<br /> Anyway, i was actually afraid to have designed something a bit oppressive for the visitor. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-8956 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:54:04 aidan_1986 8956 <p>I didnt know that a bright font on a dark background is easier to read than a black font on a white background.<br /> I have always thought that black/dark on white is easier to read. I usually have black or dark on a white background... I do often take note of this sort of stuff though when I go onto different website. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-8940 Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:31:47 JustinKistner 8940 <p>Ink on paper derives its color from reflecting light. Colors are formed from the paper absorbing some parts of the spectrum. Whereas, a computer monitor is made from saturated light, which is that it makes colors by generating the spectrum your eyes see. As a result, it's easiest for the human eye to read black text on white paper, and onscreen it's easiest to read greens and ambers on a very dark gray background. That's why the original computer monitors where made with green screens. </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-8927 Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:40:04 Theundersigned 8927 <p>Actually it is hard to use bright font color on dark background on websites, since you have to (in most cases) increase font kerning and choose a light weight of the font. 2 things which cant be done properly on the Internet :) </p> http://drawar.com/design/notes/997/p/1/#response-8924 Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:53:23 guillaumeb 8924 <p>Hello,</p> <p>I read somewhere that a bright font on a dark background is actually easier to read than a black font on a white background </p> <p>However, because a lot of people use a white background and a dark font, arriving on a spot where contrast colors are used might hurt the eyes in the first place</p> <p>Do you pay attention to these cntrasts? Do you have a preference? </p>