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Tried using pure black (#000000) for a client app in San Diego last month - huge mistake
I thought dark mode meant just swap white for black. The client tested it on an OLED phone and complained about ghosting and eye strain after 10 minutes. Their lead designer told me to use a dark gray like #121212 instead. It still looks dark but way easier on the eyes and no weird smearing. Has anyone else run into issues with pure black backgrounds on mobile apps?
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the_piper1mo ago
@cameron_craig is totally right about the pixel behavior thing. I made almost the same mistake on a fitness tracking app and ended up spending a whole night redoing all the dark screens to #1A1A1A after the beta testers complained about ghosting on the graphs. Lesson learned that day - pure black might look sleek in a design mockup but it's terrible in actual use on OLED screens.
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cameron_craig1mo ago
Pure black backgrounds cause visible motion smearing on OLED screens because the pixels literally turn off and take time to come back on. Dark gray keeps the pixels in a more responsive state which eliminates that ghosting effect completely. The eye strain argument makes sense too since pure black creates harsh contrast against any light elements in the UI.
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