Pure white text on dark gray vs. light gray on black, tested with 40 users

I ran a quick poll on Tuesday and every single person read the light gray on black combo faster, so why do so many apps still force pure black backgrounds that make my eyes water after 10 minutes?

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1 Comment

joseph_lewis925d ago

Read an eye tracking study a while back that said contrast ratio matters way more than absolute black. Pure black actually causes more eye fatigue because your pupils dilate wider to let in light, then strain against the bright text. Light gray on near black keeps your pupils more relaxed since the overall light difference is smaller. Most devs just default to hex #000000 without thinking about it, but even something like #121212 is way easier on the eyes long term.