Two of my older readers have protested that the white text on black background is hard to read. I’m thinking about changing my layout to something a little less badass and more user-friendly.
Opinions?
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16 Comments
A Harris County Lawyer
January 31, 2008 at 4:20 am - Reply
Your opinions are bad-ass enough, and worthwhile enough, that you should make them physically easy to read.
Now, if you carved your letters into woodblocks, and inked them with your own blood, light on dark would be truly bad ass. But checking a configuration box on a website simply does not make the grade, and isn’t worth your readers’ eye strain.
The plus-side of white type on black is that it saves energy. Check it out @ Treehugger.com. Search “Black Google.”
For readability, however, they also suggest using, “EMERGY-C, a low wattage palette that gives you a bit more flexibility, and only costs about 4 watts more than an all black page.”
White on black. That’s the way our fathers did it, that’s the way our grandfathers did it…
The energy saving thing only works for big old CRT monitors or some projection systems. Flat-panel LCD monitors are backlit by a constant-intensity light source. On a black screen the pixels are all set to keep you from seeing the light source, but it’s still there.
Ok, Mark’s Dad, several articles, including the one I mentioned, say CRTs account for 25% of monitors used worldwide. I will admit that they are used more in other countries, but Mark posts on a criminal justice systems in other countries (see Japanese justice post) as well as ours, and links to several British blogs. It would not be far-fetched to expect blog visits from afar. Besides, black on white is BORING, and with global warming, every little bit helps . . . . :)
Dad's brother
February 2, 2008 at 12:09 am - Reply
I liked the previous black background – perhaps it would be easier to read with the font one point larger, or possibly bold. The following link shows a similar web page – the ‘bright white’ text really ‘pops’ out of the black background, as do various shades of blue & yellow: https://www.tabbenoit.com/tourdates.html Your new icon looks great!
Will it come with a new blog photo?
Just kidding.
Nice job on Channel 13, by the way.
Definitely a new photo; this one won’t be a self-portrait.
I’m happy Channel 13 got the portrait of my dog in the picture. I didn’t see my “Gunfighters don’t charge by the bullet” poster, though.
Keep the black and white. It matches your style, Mark. You are the epitome of badass. No joke.
Truly bad-ass would be black on black (says one of your older readers.)
Your opinions are bad-ass enough, and worthwhile enough, that you should make them physically easy to read.
Now, if you carved your letters into woodblocks, and inked them with your own blood, light on dark would be truly bad ass. But checking a configuration box on a website simply does not make the grade, and isn’t worth your readers’ eye strain.
All cool ideas. Would black on white really be easier to read?
It’s much easier to read.
Ugh!! Bright light. Bright light.
Who put you up to this? Gideon?
Damn those yankees!
The plus-side of white type on black is that it saves energy. Check it out @ Treehugger.com. Search “Black Google.”
For readability, however, they also suggest using, “EMERGY-C, a low wattage palette that gives you a bit more flexibility, and only costs about 4 watts more than an all black page.”
White on black. That’s the way our fathers did it, that’s the way our grandfathers did it…
The energy saving thing only works for big old CRT monitors or some projection systems. Flat-panel LCD monitors are backlit by a constant-intensity light source. On a black screen the pixels are all set to keep you from seeing the light source, but it’s still there.
White on rusty red from Anonymous’ Energy-C pallet is easy to read and a little bit bad-ass.
Plus, the energy savings from your Chinese and Asian readers still using CRTs would reduce global warming and possibly save the planet.
The emerg-c green is kinda sorta like the hundred-dollar-bill green on the walls in my office.
Ok, Mark’s Dad, several articles, including the one I mentioned, say CRTs account for 25% of monitors used worldwide. I will admit that they are used more in other countries, but Mark posts on a criminal justice systems in other countries (see Japanese justice post) as well as ours, and links to several British blogs. It would not be far-fetched to expect blog visits from afar. Besides, black on white is BORING, and with global warming, every little bit helps . . . . :)
Who you calling an older reader??
Sorry, uncle Ken: more seasoned readers.
I liked the previous black background – perhaps it would be easier to read with the font one point larger, or possibly bold. The following link shows a similar web page – the ‘bright white’ text really ‘pops’ out of the black background, as do various shades of blue & yellow:
https://www.tabbenoit.com/tourdates.html
Your new icon looks great!