In response to Change Your Browser’s Color Settings, Gnomie Anita Rowland writes: “This is my favorite testing trick. So easy! And I agree, it’s amazing that so many Web designers and Web developers miss this one.”

Says Jeffrey: “In your browser’s preferences dialog, set your background color to a subtle off-white. (You might try this CMYK value: 0%, 0%, 0%, 2%. If you have an HSV Picker, try a huge angle of 0°, 0% saturation, and a brightness of 98%.) Now check your favorite websites and see how many forgot to set a background color. Glenn Davis showed us this trick two years ago at Builder New Orleans. It’s funnier and more obvious if you pick a hideous default background color, but that could hurt your eyes, and you need those things.” I’ve done this for years (setting my Windows color scheme to non-defaults and making sure the window color isn’t white) and I see this mistake on a daily basis. As a net nag, I’ll sometimes comment on it, especially when a site owner is in process of redesigning.