Can't Read Dark Background and White Text

• #1

For the last few years I've had real problems with websites that have a dark background and pale text -- reading it for fifty-fifty a few seconds causes afterward-images, and much longer causes headaches. My vision prescription is up to date. I used to recollect this was just an effect of getting over forty, only and so many sites use this combination that I wonder if it is actually just me. I thought I'd meliorate detect out before I get-go my campaign of fist-shaking at websites that utilise it.

• #three

I tin't be doing with it, it makes my vision go all odd.

• #iv

I've just tried this in Word, with i version of a certificate with the page colour set up to black (which automatically made the text white.) If anything, the white text on a black background was clearer, so if you're getting headaches, information technology may non be because of any difficulty reading the text (unless those using blackness backgrounds on their websites are using smaller text sizes of less suitable fonts**).

Simply mayhap the clarity of the text is an issue in itself, that it draws one to stare at the text more than than normal.

** - I expect there's some sort of positive correlation between using unusual background colours and using less familiar examples of other parts of the prototype.

• #6

I tin't be doing with it, it makes my vision go all odd.

Odd how? Later on-images and stuff?

I've just tried this in Word, with 1 version of a document with the page color prepare to black (which automatically made the text white.)

I have less (but not no) problem in Word. Endeavor this site hither.

• #7

I found it a bit disorienting at first -- the old brain is slower at adjusting to change than it used to exist -- just soon found it okay.

Peradventure the black is only a bit too black, but equally the white is a bit too white for some on here. (In the olden days, pure white and deep black were noticeable by their absence on computer screens and TVs.) If you look at the 'Check out related posts' department on that folio, you'll see that the pure white text is used as a highlight; otherwise the text is a less glaring pale gray.

• #8

Odd how? After-images and stuff?

.

I'm subject to aura migraines and the contrast seems to spark the beginning of something similar. It might be, equally Ursa says, a matter of getting used to it but when my vision threatens to processed-pikestaff, I shift off any'due south causing it.

• #9

It doesn't give me headaches, though I haven't spent any time reading lots of sites of that kind, simply I do go an visual repeat in the black spaces between the lines, a kind of blurred whiteness (analagous to the after-image y'all get on looking at bright light) which I find abrasive. (Doubly abrasive as it's carried on over to hither at present, so I'm getting greyness blurred lines as I'm typing this. Grrr.)

Last edited: Oct 13, 2014

• #10

Perchance the black is just a bit too black, only as the white is a bit too white for some on here.

Yeah, that Fantasy Faction page has nowhere near as bad an result equally some that do use pure white on blackness (I linked to information technology because I came across it this morning and hadn't fabricated a note of whatsoever others). By the sound of it, information technology's non universal for, ahem, more mature users, and I should be mentioning it to my optician.

ETA: this site seems specially bad.

• #12

Information technology'south cos you're all then old.

Every bit white text on a blackness groundwork doesn't bother me, you and I must be nearly the same age.

• #xiv

It'southward cos you're all so quondam.

I'g non the one who thinks negatives are still used in photography.

• #15

I think, equally TJ said, the white text brings up an after-image and it dances around and makes things go fuzzy.

I wouldn't desire to read white on black equally a regular thing. It's probably because I'm slightly older than Mouse and Ursa. (Though I practice know that photography doesn't generally use negatives anymore, just that'south an occupational hazard.)

• #16

White text on Black: It doesn't work so well for pocket-sized text. I forget the explanation. Information technology tin can be clearer and easier to read, but more tiring at the same fourth dimension! BBC "PPM" used a black footing and white scale with with white needle. This was supposed to exist the effect of inquiry. later meters used overlapping light-green and red pointers for stereo.
There were TWO reasons for VDUs being green:
1) Reduced flicker as a longer persistence phosphor.
2) Less tiring (this isn't e'er the same thing as clearer/easier to read!)

Subsequently equally color was coming in the Amber or Orange was preferred equally it was less tiring and clearer, worked better too equally blackness text on bister background, had less screen burn and a less long persistence than dark-green merely shorter than white. The TV screen persistence must not be too much or else moving video has ghost like trails. It was unusual to fifty-fifty have static graphics much less video on VDUs. The Original IBM-PC was years behind other computers (CP/M S-100, other CP/G, Xenix, Human action Sirius 1 / Victor 9000, Tandy, Commodore, Apple Two etc) in having NO graphics at all until later Hercules Mono and totally pathetic Slug death CGA, it wasn't till EGA that IBM produced a usable graphics card.

jastius

life is an awfully big adventure

• #17

For the last few years I've had real issues with websites that have a dark groundwork and pale text -- reading it for even a few seconds causes later-images, and much longer causes headaches. My vision prescription is upward to date. I used to think this was just an effect of getting over 40, but so many sites utilise this combination that I wonder if information technology is really merely me. I idea I'd better detect out earlier I start my campaign of fist-shaking at websites that use it.

i didn't like those sites either, harebrain.. only looked sideways squinty eyed at that text.
whenever at that place is weird text colour size or font that is difficult to read, i re-create and paste it into discussion and read it on a plain page. thats how i deal with such stuff.
my problem with retinal wink like that, is that my retinas are problematic, having been injured to the bespeak of being detached as a issue of a car accident.
harebrain it sounds like you may have very sensitive retinas that may be discipline to pinholing, small torn areas.
please take an ophamologist do a retinal browse to rule this out, if yous haven't already. the boilerplate optician has neitherthe equipment nor the grooming for such a survey, at least not over here, and many people have this problem but undiagnosed and untreated.
caught early, its an piece of cake light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation surgery set, in role, and not the extended surgery to endeavour and rebuild your eyes that may yet exit you with partial incomprehension, double vision or torn tendons in the optics (cross-eyed), or if there isn't much left to work with, legal blindness.

• #18

I don't really intendance for it myself, either. The ones I actually don't like, though, are ones that deviate away from the monochrome.

Greens and electric blues are the worst. Night red as a background isn't bad, though it is oftentimes hard to run into text on such...and then with it often goes yellow, another horrid text. Ugh.

• #19

Yeah - and my website has information technology!!! It will shut down presently and be transferred to 'proper' black on white background. Information technology seemed such a adept thought at the fourth dimension...

• #twenty

Yes - and my website has it!!!

I knew that, but I idea it would be likewise hateful to utilise yours equally an example -- especially on your birthday!

halsteadyourejough1951.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/549982/

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