Web Site Gray Text Trend
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I’ve noticed a nasty trend for the past two years… so it sounds like it’s not a fad: Gray text on white. This isn’t a cool trend as it’s harder to read text. On top of that, on many sites you can’t change the size of the text unless you’re using a browser like Firefox. So what if black text is boring? There’s a reason for that — it’s readable.
Most of us scan rather than read Web pages. Gray text is a barrier for scanning because it requires working harder to make out the text as it doesn’t have a strong contrast to the background. It’s okay to use some gray text, but not for most of the page’s contents.
But I’d rather read gray on white than something like white or black on hot pink (OK, so that’s a teen’s MySpace page, not an actual Web site). Seriously though, white background is preferred to a color background although I’ve seen some that are well done. In most cases, the font and background selections don’t work well.
Tags: web design, readability, meryl k. evans
3 Comments
steve matlock
October 9th, 2007
at 11:21am
I think grey text on white is actually hostile to people - it’s *very hard to read* and for no reason.
Well, maybe the reason is “you readers aren’t important to me and my site.”
anomalous4
October 15th, 2007
at 8:40pm
Gray-on-white - or any other low-contrast combination, for that matter - makes me want to tear out my gray hair sometimes!
Weird color schemes may be ok for the 10-to-35 set, but cut us 50+ old farts a break, willya? Especially the ones like me can’t afford an extra set of glasses just for computer use and for whom a “normal” eyes-to-monitor distance falls squarely in the crack between the close and distant focus on our bifocals! A “choose colors” option on every web page would sure make a lot of people’s live easier.
While you’re at it, how about a “solid background” option for those of us who don’t particularly want to be reminded of our last migraine?
A complete ban on point sizes smaller than 12 wouldn’t upset me a bit either —grin— or at least make every page provide a “larger point size” option or allow user override on text style.
And please don’t load up your pages with a ton of flash and splash “just because you can.” What’s going on in web design these days is distressingly like what went on in the early 90s when “desktop publishing” first took off.
Enuff already! The point of the exercise is communication, after all. If you absolutely MUST prove that you can jump through silicon hoops, spend the extra 5% of your time including a “low graphics” version.
If only I ruled the Internet……………… —sigh—
………and oh, the irony, my dear lockergnomes. All your comment boxes are in - guess what - GRAY ON WHITE! (gray on light gray, to be exact.) —another sigh—
End of rant. We now return you to your regularly scheduled eyestrain headache already in progress. YMMV/AWYSB. :-)
anomalous4
October 15th, 2007
at 8:42pm
………..and double the irony………. the posted comments are showing up in gray-on-white too………… sauce for the goose, you know………….