# White text on black background **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148 "2026-05-17T15:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/1 "2026-05-17T15:45:21Z")
Anyone here view text / this board that way? If so, don’t you find that the longer you read, the longer you’re stuck with annoying black-striped phosphenes afterward(s)? (Accordingly, I avoid.) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/2 "2026-05-17T15:53:48Z")
I use white on black. I see those whatever things too..annoying for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/3 "2026-05-17T15:54:36Z")
How come you prefer white on black? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/4 "2026-05-17T16:02:31Z")
I use white with a black background and I am not seeing the issue you speak of, it might be phone specific. White on black is easier to read in bright daylight like now sitting in an outdoor Cafe. Its also easier on the eyes at night. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/5 "2026-05-17T16:12:05Z")
I don’t use it here, but I do in my e-book readers, because, as @Si_Amigo says, it’s easier on the eyes. Also uses less power, but that’s rarely a consideration. It does not cause the vision problems you mention. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/6 "2026-05-17T16:13:03Z")
I use white text on black and never noticed a residual problem on my monitor/phone/tablet screens or my eyes. I there were other options, I would likely change the white to something non-white (green, amber, etc) but no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/7 "2026-05-17T16:15:01Z")
Huh, you no-phosphene folks are lucky. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/8 "2026-05-17T16:19:54Z")
I read the SDMB as black text on white background, but I also regularly use Discord, and the default screen appearance there is “reverse type” (white text on black background). I read Discord on my laptop, and on my iPhone, and have not ever noticed the issue that the OP is having. I suspect it may be a function (malfunction?) of the OP’s particular screen. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/9 "2026-05-17T16:32:49Z")
I don’t get any residual issues from white on black, but I find it much harder on my eyes- it tends to give me a headache after a while. Annoyingly everyone else says the opposite, so it’s getting harder to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/10 "2026-05-17T16:37:29Z")
I dislike white letters on black as an aesthetic issue - it screams “Geocities!” to me. But I agree, it is more common than it used to be and is appearing in places like the NYT. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/11 "2026-05-17T16:39:27Z")
The seeing it better in daylight is why I do it. But don’t go by me. I have several eye/vision difficulties. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/12 "2026-05-17T17:17:38Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I don’t get any residual issues from white on black, but I find it much harder on my eyes- it tends to give me a headache after a while. Annoyingly everyone else says the opposite, so it’s getting harder to avoid. Seconding; though I’ve never managed to read enough of it to give myself a headache. I find it very hard to read, and if I can’t figure out how to switch the page to black on white I usually just give up on it. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/13 "2026-05-17T17:24:29Z")
I do, I don’t. I use dark themes when reading text on my phones or monitors by default, because I find the eye-strain less (an a small power savings on mobile devices), but people react very differently. I wonder if it’s also a factor of size of screen and duration as well. @Guest-starring_Id, does it make a difference between using a phone, tablet, or discrete monitor? And for: > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > If so, don’t you find that the longer you read, the longer you’re stuck with annoying black-striped phosphenes afterward(s)? How long is the longer? Both read time and phosphene duration? For me, I read probably 3 or more hours a day on a screen, split between the 27" and the 10" tablet. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/14 "2026-05-17T17:44:23Z")
I use it on my phone. I don’t tend to leave the brightness up high enough to see phosphenes. But I also very much prefer a dark gray to actual black. I suspect that is the issue: the contrast is too high. And since less of the screen is bright, you notice the phosphenes more than when it’s black on white. When the background is bright, the whole screen is a lot brighter, and thus your pupils get smaller. And any phosphenes you do experience fill more of your vision, and thus are less noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/15 "2026-05-17T18:17:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But I also very much prefer a dark gray to actual black. Interesting. Something to maybe consider. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > …does it make a difference between using a phone, tablet, or discrete monitor? About 95% of the time I use a 24" desktop monitor. Occasionally I’ll use the phone when on the go. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The seeing it better in daylight is why I do it. Will also consider next time trying black (or preferably dark grey) as a background when on my phone outside to see if it’s easier to read than black on white. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > How long is the longer? Both read time and phosphene duration? As little as within five minutes of reading white on black I’ll see the phosphenes when I look away from the screen. Those phosphenes can last up to maybe ten minutes. Five minutes’ worth of that reading is all I have patience for. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/16 "2026-05-17T18:55:03Z")
Thanks - yeah that sounds incredibly tough to tolerate. I certainly wouldn’t bother. Do you have any vision related issues that might be compounding the problems? Or at least, the next time you see your PCP or Vision specialist, I’d ask how common that situation was! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/17 "2026-05-17T19:27:26Z")
To be clear, are you describing a phenomenon of your eyes, or of the screen? It sounds like eyes to me, but I think others are assuming otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/18 "2026-05-17T19:38:43Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > …PCP…specialist… Whoa, now that’s a TIL. Never knew it stood for Primary Care Specialist and I’m thinking away “oh - does this person look like, I dunno, Avery Schreiber? Henry Silva? Someone perhaps not looking out for your best interests?” > [@ParallelLines](#): > > Do you have any vision related issues that might be compounding the problems? Needed corrective (short-sighted) vision since 3 and had (high agitation!) PRK surgery in 2013, ditching the glasses. Once in a while, starting ten years ago, I’d get these wierd flashing, shimmering, undulating, kaliedscopic flashes of many-coloured light, usually in the periphery of my left eye, that just come out of nowhere, and thankfully don’t last more than, say, an hour. Doc asked if I experienced any headaches from it and, again, _very_ thankfully, I’ve still yet to actually experience one. He thought it might be something called an ocular migraine. Not sure if all that freaky coloured periphery and phosphene hijinks could be in any way correlated to significant psycadelic consumption in my youth, but I’m pretty sure whenever I close my eyes there’s more of a Pink Floyd show going on than in most folks’ minds. > [@Chronos](#): > > To be clear, are you describing a phenomenon of your eyes, or of the screen? It sounds like eyes to me, but I think others are assuming otherwise > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > As little as within five minutes of reading white on black I’ll see the phosphenes **when I look away from the screen** Perhaps I shoud have mentioned that in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/19 "2026-05-17T19:39:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To be clear, are you describing a phenomenon of your eyes, or of the screen? It sounds like eyes to me, but I think others are assuming otherwise. > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Perhaps I shoud have mentioned that in the OP. Thank you. Yes, I did indeed misinterpret what @Guest-starring_Id was talking about from their OP. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148/20 "2026-05-17T19:43:24Z")
Perhaps you and @Beckdawrek do have a shared problem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-text-on-black-background/1030148.md?page=2)