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White Text on Black Background?
Will white text on black background cause eyestrain? |
Eurotrader
#:849192 | 9:14 pm on Sep 11, 2004 (utc 0) |
I'd like to know if having white text on a black background will cause eyestrain or other usability problems- especially for those with glasses or eye problems. My goal is to have my site accessible to the widest range of viewers possible. I appreciate any help and info you guys can give me.
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jo1ene
#:849193 | 12:57 am on Sep 12, 2004 (utc 0) |
If you seek the widest audience, I would stick with something more conventional. I think that white text on a dark background only works with large font sizes or bold items, as opposed to body content text.
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limbo
#:849194 | 12:10 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
On the whole you are fine if you use high contrast text/backgrounds - RNIB [rnib.org.uk] From a non accessibility stand point you may want to condsider the effect that black screen/white text has on a users perception of content. I watched new users navigate page mockups and asked them to write down their first impressions. The black background white text style was often pigeonholed as 'entertainment' or 'youth'? Not 'high design' nor 'corporate' as I imaginged it would be. Strangely the mock up was for an Architects Practice and simply switching back to white background and black text the user test results gave a much more positive 'businesslike' and 'professional' response and unsurprisingly was the style the clients chose too. This was only a local experiment for one design but I found the results interesting. Perhaps you could ask some people to give their perception of style for both coloured and white backgrounds. See if it changes your view. Quite often the designer can become too engrossed in aesthetics and miss the obvious by not stepping back from the screen.
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Leosghost
#:849195 | 12:29 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
it's harder to read ..slower to be read ..has a "higher backout" rate..causes headaches , tension , muscle strain in the head and shoulder area etc etc etc
and can cause serious longterm eye problems or accelerate the rate of existant eye problems ..
In France we have had "minitel" for years ..most longterm users ( in their office jobs ..such as my wife ) were wearing spectacles within 2 years of use ...( 6 hrs per day ..4 days per week ) .... most people I know who worked a great deal on DOS systems using black screen /white text have the same problems .. For your eyes sake ..dont [edited by: Leosghost at 12:47 pm (utc) on Sep. 13, 2004]
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encyclo
#:849196 | 12:45 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
I have a great deal of difficulty reading white text on a black background. If I find a site like that, I first try to disable CSS to get an unstyled look, and if that doesn't work, I just leave the site. I've got no real option, as I am unable to read more than two lines without my vision blurring. I have no particular vision problems, so I assume I'm not the only one with this trouble. I would recommend using a pale background rather than a black one. If accessibility is important, then I find a medium to large text size of a slightly off-black (say #333) color on a white or pale background is best. Keep the graphical elements surrounding the text, but not beneath it.
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Leosghost
#:849197 | 12:50 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
if you want to use a black background with a less contrasty color text ( and thus eliminate the problem ) try something around the #999999 or #666666...the difference is subtle but the strain is greatly reduced ..
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Eurotrader
#:849198 | 6:38 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
Thanks- Excellent information! I learned that it is better to use a sans serif font and to have either a #666666 grey or an off white/cream type color. See, I'm kind of bored with the black text on a white background. It is everywhere, but if that is the only choice for web usability, then I'll have to join the billions of other websites.
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justgowithit
#:849199 | 8:08 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
| See, I'm kind of bored with the black text on a white background. It is everywhere, but if that is the only choice for web usability, then I'll have to join the billions of other websites. |
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There is a lot to be said for simplicity. There is nothing wrong with white background and black text. In fact, it’s the most widely accepted, and easiest to view. Separate yourself from the other billion websites by adding superior content. With the best content your visitors won’t care what color your text is (so long as they can read it without developing caterax).
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encyclo
#:849200 | 8:28 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
Background colors other than white are often fine, as long as you keep the contrast well-adjusted. Pale blues in particular can work very well, yellows too, and you will be a bit different from the other sites. If you large blocks of text (news-type articles, etc.), however, white is probably better.
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Eurotrader
#:849201 | 10:37 pm on Sep 13, 2004 (utc 0) |
I agree with you guys- for large amounts of writing and content black text on white background is the way to go. That is how my first site is- the large content/informational website. My new site (the one I asked about) will be a directory type site for websites on my topic. There will be a few tutorial type pages on my subject, but not THAT many. This site is built more for performing 3 way link exchanges with other high quality sites. Thanks everyone, you helped me very much!
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Shannon Moore
#:849202 | 4:39 pm on Sep 14, 2004 (utc 0) |
The only time I've ever used a dark (black) background has been for a photography site where photographs are the primary content. The written word is ancillary (secondary) to the photos, and black or dark colors -- at least on screen -- can help showcase photography or other artwork very effectively. That said, my partner (husband) really pushed for a black background and over time I hope to lighten it up gradually so we're dealing more with a traditional contrast such as is found in matted & framed photographs -- sometimes a subtle difference is all that's needed. For content heavy pages on a dark background site, I use a stylesheet (so someone can overried it if needed, or size up the text so it's more readable) and I tend to shorten the line length by a wide margin and add more line height so there's more breathing room. Dark backgrounds sort of "suck in" the type that's placed on them, making it more difficult to read. I'm not a typographer by trade, but certain fonts are more readable against dark backgrounds. I'm still experimenting, as all my previous design inclications (except during my BBS days where all we had was CGA color for the most part) have been to avoid dark backgrounds at all costs.
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Eurotrader
#:849203 | 8:18 pm on Sep 14, 2004 (utc 0) |
I also think having a flat screen monitor takes the glare and refresh rate out of certain color combinations. I don't have any irritating flicker or other radiation problems that come with a CRT. On my LCD a black background with grey text looks marvelous. I better not get used to web design on a flat screen, because most users are using CRTs, for many years to come!
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Shannon Moore
#:849204 | 3:21 am on Sep 15, 2004 (utc 0) |
<side discussion about CRT vs. flat panel> When my CRT literally fried several months ago, I bought an ultrasharp flat panel display for my primary computer. It's easier on my eyes, takes up far less of my desk space, is more adjustable (height & angle of viewing) and is brighter (can be blinding in a dark room, however!) That said, I still do all my digital photo processing and graphics development either on a CRT or have the CRT as a critical phase of the development because there's a drastic difference between the two technologies -- and I'm using the Spyder color calibration on both the CRT & LCD so they're as close to each others characteristics as possible.
</end side discussion>
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