[Sigia-l] (no subject) (usabliity question on white text on b lack background or the opposite)

[BATTRICK,ROBIN (HP-Corvallis,ex1)]

Hedahne

Here are three sources with differing opinions that somewhat relate to your
question:

(1) http://www.lighthouse.org/print_leg.htm
"1. Contrast Text should be printed with the highest possible contrast.
There is good evidence that for many readers who are older or partially
sighted, light (white or light yellow) letters on a dark (black) background
are more readable than dark letters on a light background. However, the
traditional dark on light may be aesthetically preferable."

(2) http://www.colormatters.com/optics.html
"The human eye can see 7,000,000 colors. Some of these are eyesores. Certain
colors and color relationships can be eye irritants, cause headaches, and
wreak havoc with human vision. Other colors and color combinations are
soothing. Consequently, the appropriate use of color can maximize
productivity, minimize visual fatigue, and relax the whole body." 

Look at the Second Test near the bottom of the page -- with the white star
on a black background.

"This time the issue is color contrast. The difference between white and
black creates excessive muscular activity which fatigues the eye. The same
thing happens when you try to read white papers on a black or dark desk...
The scientific explanation is as follows: White surfaces reflect about 80%
of the light, black 5%. We take these two percentages, divide 80 by 5 and we
get a 16:1 Light Reflectance ratio. The Illuminating Engineering Society
(IES) in the United States recommends a maximum ratio of 3:1 for a visual
task and the adjacent surroundings."


(3) http://www.ergogero.com/FAQ/Part6/cfaqPart6.html
Part 6: Color for Text and Graph Legibility. See 6.2 Should text be black on
white or white on black? "Black on white generally produces results which
are equal to or better than white on black(e .g., Sanders and Bernecker,
1990; Bernecker, et al., 1994), although the outcome depends on exact
circumstances. Factors favoring black on white include: ... On the other
hand, there are factors favoring white on black: ..."

Regards,

Robin Battrick
Web Master / Communications Manager
E-Services Deployment & Operations (ESDO)
Hewlett-Packard Company 
Corvallis, Oregon 

541.715.4459  (TN 715.4459) 
robin_battrick at hp.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Chung, Hedahne [mailto:Hedahne.Chung at starwoodhotels.com]
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 11:03 AM
...
Do any of you have favorite white papers or sites or anything that backs up
the common "white text on a very dark background is hard to read" usability
issue?

...
Hedahne
------------
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