What is your preferred background?

[EricH]

I’ve seen someone mention here that dark backgrounds are an automatic mark against a site. I used to feel that way as well… until I began to really take notice. First, I noticed it when I visited a free message board provider’s site. People would post links to their board. If it was dark, I already thought “yuck”. But later, I had a class with two men who were (legally) blind. They had to sit 2 inches from the screen or use a magnifying glass. Both of these men stressed how much it helps them to have dark backgrounds with light letters.

Then, I began to really think about and study dark backgrounds. Now, the more I’m seeing them, the more I’m liking them. Think about this, put a black chalkboard with white text next to a white dry erase board with black text; which is easier to see? More than likely the blackboard is easier to see. Why, because the black bg soaks up the lighting whereas the white bg reflects it right back at you. The black bg’s are plain and simply easier on the eyes.

For me, it was similar to computers “going black” now. As we all know (for the most part) computers and their peripherals have been white for a looooong time. Now, all the sudden, everyone wants black. At first, I couldn’t stand it because “it was different”. Now, when I see a white computer I think “that’s just not attractive at all”. Same thing with web sites, the more and more I’m seeing darker sites, the more I like darker bg’s.

So, even after you read this and answer the poll, start to take notice on which one (darker/lighter), is easier on the eyes… and is actually more pleasant to look at. Disregard your preset notions that “white is the way it is” and try to actually accept it and see what happens.

 

[CrazyTech]

Well, I think a good study could be done on light versus dark backgrounds. I'd be interested to see which really is easier on the eyes.

Personally, I think a white background gives the most professional look. However, I think that you can alternate other darker backgrounds and come away with an effective design. It's all in context of the website. For example, a business website tends to look more professional - take even the larger internet sites, Google, Yahoo, MSN (slightly darker than the others) and so forth are for the most part dark. These people put a lot of thought and money into simple things such as the colors they use.

So, in the end I think light backgrounds are a little easier on the eyes, though that may vary from person to person.

 

[Rowan W]

It depends what sort of feeling you want the site to have. White backgrounds generally emphasize simplicity and cleanlyness, and it also makes the page look larger; as if it has more space to spread out.

Black would suggest being closed in and holding more of a mysterious feeling, as if you're looking into the darkness and there's a chance that something's hiding there.

I do agree that white on black is easier to read because you don't have heaps of bright light beaming into your eyes.

But having a black background on a website would be like having black walls in your house, do you know how that would feel? You would probably feel completely lonely and squashed.

In conclusion I think sites with white backgrounds tend to feel a lot friendlier and I always feel 'welcome' when I visit them. Afterall, white consists of every colour and the more colour you have the friendlier it will seem. Black has no colour, so...

Also, I have two opposite sites here that I've made: one's black and one's white, and I certainly get a different feeling when I look at each one.

www.rowansgallery.com
www.estorm.com.au/gallery/theexodus/index.htm

 

[daughterofeve]

Hmm, I'm not voting on this because theres no middle! I like medium sites.. ones with nuetrel colors.. which is one reason i kinda gravitated to elfwood.com.. check out the bg!

ditto to what rowan said... theres a different sort of feeling associated with hue. I like the middle tones because that's where i am now, i see 2 sides to everything, so that's what appeals to me.

Darker bgs apeal to me when i'm looking for something 'cool' ..something different, new, exciting.

White bgs apeal to me when I'm looking for facts, and more 'classy' decor on a site... although, i've discovered it' easier for me to actually REMEMBER the facts i learned when the site has a medium to darkish background color!

oh, but color doesn't necesarily dictate the feeling associated with a site... just check out nobodyhere.com! now THAT is some bizzare site!!! (some pages even have CHANGING background colors!)