tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu (Anthony Rich) (12/18/90)
Shawn F. Mckay writes: SFM> I like the way NCSA Telnet can create a multi-color window, and SFM> it seems silly to be to have to strain my eyes with black on SFM> white when I have a high-res color display. Adam Frix replied: AF> Ya know, I never understood this problem. Eye strain reading a AF> black-on-white display??? Do _books_ give you eye strain???? Well, looking at a computer monitor isn't quite the same as reading a book. A book isn't a light *source*; light is reflected and scattered by the white paper, reducing the contrast. But a monitor *is* a light source. Looking at a monitor is more like reading the wattage rating printed on a light bulb while the bulb is turned on. You can do it, and it's black-on-white, but it's definitely a strain trying to read the black print with all that white light pouring into your eyes. I think staring at a monitor probably has about the same effect on the eyes as reading the lit surface of a low-wattage bulb for a long period of time. I think looking directly at *any* light source induces some eyestrain, no matter what the foreground/background combination. A bright white background seems to increase the glare factor and makes it harder on the eyes. Also, on monitors that flicker, I notice the flicker more if the background is white. That's just my armchair analysis. I've found that I can work for a long time on a monitor comfortably using a deep blue background with white text, but other people say other combinations work better for them. Maybe it has something to do with the cones and rods at the back of the eye? -- Tony -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | EMAIL: tonyrich@.cs.wisc.edu | Disclaimer: I speak only for myself. | | The essence of learning is repetition. | --------------------------------------------------------------------------