Black text on a white background generally provides the highest readability ratio for screen reading.
While personal preference plays a role, certain color combinations consistently perform better than others in terms of readability and reduced eye strain. Here's a breakdown:
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Black on White: The classic and often recommended combination. The high contrast ensures sharp text rendering, making it easy to focus on the content. White backgrounds are simple, classic, and offer maximum contrast for black text.
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White on Black: While visually striking, extended reading with this combination can cause eye fatigue for some individuals. The "halo" effect around text on a dark background can also be problematic.
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Grays and Blues on White: These combinations can work well, providing adequate contrast while being gentler on the eyes than pure black on pure white. A slightly gray background can reduce glare.
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Avoid:
- Low Contrast: Colors that are too similar (e.g., light gray text on a white background) make reading difficult.
- Bright/Vibrant Colors: These can be distracting and cause eye strain.
- Color Combinations with Poor Accessibility: Consider users with color vision deficiencies when choosing color palettes.
The optimal choice also depends on the specific use case. For example, coding environments often use dark themes (dark background with lighter text) to reduce eye strain during long hours of work. However, for general web browsing and document reading, black on white remains a safe and effective option. Also, consider that using a full white background for long periods can cause eye strain, and softer background colors can improve viewing comfort.
