Stopped using pure black text on white backgrounds and my eyes actually thank me

2 comments

2 Comments

Switching to a warm off-white like #F9F5E6 made a HUGE difference for me. Dark gray text around #333 instead of pure black also cuts down on that harsh contrast that made my eyes water after an hour. Took about a week to adjust but now pure white sites actually hurt to look at.

sandra1469d agoMost Upvoted

Dark gray text around #333 also cuts down on that harsh contrast" - this is so true. I tried pure black text on white backgrounds for years and my eyes always felt fried after work. Switched to charcoal gray text and it helped way more than I expected. Pure black on white feels like the screen is screaming at me now. Once you get used to the softer contrast, going back to the harsh stuff really does hurt.