What Background: White or light charcoal or something else?

[nicolas claris]

I've been asked for a white bacground without changing other website colors.

You may choose this style if you don't like the subtle light blue one…

The option is in the "Quick Style Chooser" button at down below on the left of the brown bar of all forums pages it is called:
"NC white Background"

There is also a
"NC Black text - white background" style as well.


Warning!
This is not a reason for sending me other requests, I can't make a style for each of us…


Have all a good day.

 

[Charles L Webster]

How odd, I see no difference between any of the settings and the default, which for me is black text on a white background.

 

[nicolas claris]

Bonsoir Charles
odd it is!
is your monitor calibrated?

What OS and web browser do you use? have you tried with another browser?

 

[Charles L Webster]

Of course my monitor is calibrated ;-)

I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.10 on XP SP1. I don't have another browser, but can open this page in an IE browser in FF. But still see no difference between the settings.

 

[Greg Rogers]

Chas, you need to click on the very top one, just "NC Styles" to see the light blue background. It appears to be a header (or title), but it's not, it's a selection. That's my guess, anyway. (I'm on Firefox 2.0.0.11)

Cheers,
Greg

 

[nicolas claris]

It appears to be a header (or title), but it's not, it's a selection. That's my guess, anyway. (I'm on Firefox 2.0.0.11)

"NC style" is the default style
Others are substyles to "NC style"…

 

[Ray West]

Hi Charles,

You really got to stare at it.... on the darker blue windows desktop, if that is what you have, you probably won't notice the difference - open opf into two windows, you may see the differences, its only part of the window, - the rgb is 247,250,255, this reply box is 245,245,255. changing it to white makes the majority of it 255,255,255 but the reply box is a very beautiful 225,225,226 I think Nicolas is being very subtle, or he missed one there. (www.colorschemer.com for ColorPix for a free download to amaze our Mac friends)

It should all really br a grey card grey, I guess. with yellow text - if I could be bothered I could have some fun here...

Best wishes,

Ray

 

[nicolas claris]

And the thin lines around the thread/posts boxes are 0,70,155…;-)

 

[Antonio Correia]

Missing option

In my opinion what is missing as default is NC White Text - Black Background or NC Grey Text - Black Background

Either one.
Even photos look better in dark background !

This forum - http://www.dslrforum.com - is so flexible that it let us to choose some colors always with black background.

Great option indeed. But I think it only works when we are logged in.

There, you can see my mother at the top right corner !!

---

And again: why can't I post 4 or 5 pictures in a thread ?
Do I have to make 4 or 5 threads to do so ?
Why ?
___

Why can't I place my avatar in my profile ?

 

[Antonio Correia]

I defy you to make a poll on the colors of this forum.

We could then see which is the general opinion. I do know - or I think I know - that you have already made such a work or a similar one.

But people can change their minds, can't they ?

I bet that black background and grey or white text is the most voted option.

And... if this option is not the most voted why isn't this option available ?

What is the problem ?

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I bet that black background and grey or white text is the most voted option.

White text on a black background is ergonomically almost the worst choice.

Bart

 

[Antonio Correia]

White text on a black background is ergonomically almost the worst choice.

Bart

There we are: one opinion !

So far so good. More.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Antonio my good friend, Hi!

Are you having issues posting 4 images together? That should work every time. OTOH, is it an issue to have to use 2 posts to get in 8 images?

We already have issues with people putting up 4 unrelated images to comment on.

You generally post related images so more is fine as one can discuss them together. Makes sense.

Asher

In my opinion what is missing as default is NC White Text - Black Background or NC Grey Text - Black Background

Either one.
Even photos look better in dark background !

This forum - http://www.dslrforum.com - is so flexible that it let us to choose some colors always with black background.

Great option indeed. But I think it only works when we are logged in.

There, you can see my mother at the top right corner !!

---

And again: why can't I post 4 or 5 pictures in a thread ?
Do I have to make 4 or 5 threads to do so ?
Why ?
___

Why can't I place my avatar in my profile ?

 

[Antonio Correia]

White text on a black background is ergonomically almost the worst choice.

Bart

Bart. And light grey text with black background ?

Still the same opinion ?

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Bart. And light grey text with black background ?

Still the same opinion ?

The problem with a black background is that it will be influenced by ambient room light. On a monitor with a glossy surface it will reflect everything in the room, which is stressing for your eyes. On a non-glossy monitor surface, the room lights will reduce overall contrast by lifting the black level. White letters on a dark background cause more fatigue for the eyes.

A white background (if not set too bright) is best to reduce the ambient light influence, and it makes the pupils of the eyes contract which generally helps to get better focus (increased DOF) which helps for small text.

Viewing photo's on screen requires to reduce the contrast between background and image if we want to avoid influencing the perceived brightness of the image. At normal viewing distances, a narrow (5-10mm) border with average edge luminosity should be enough to compensate for the adaptation of our eyes, and isolate the image from its surroundings.

Bart

 

[Antonio Correia]

The problem with a black background is that it will be influenced by ambient room light. On a monitor with a glossy surface it will reflect everything in the room, which is stressing for your eyes. On a non-glossy monitor surface, the room lights will reduce overall contrast by lifting the black level. White letters on a dark background cause more fatigue for the eyes.

A white background (if not set too bright) is best to reduce the ambient light influence, and it makes the pupils of the eyes contract which generally helps to get better focus (increased DOF) which helps for small text.

Viewing photo's on screen requires to reduce the contrast between background and image if we want to avoid influencing the perceived brightness of the image. At normal viewing distances, a narrow (5-10mm) border with average edge luminosity should be enough to compensate for the adaptation of our eyes, and isolate the image from its surroundings.

Bart

OK. Nice and kind justification.

Interesting approach ... but subjected to personal option, perhaps.

And why not give the freedom of choice to users ?

I would use black and you would use white.

Our neighbor could use blue, red, whatever...

A poll ? No ... Yes ... May be ... ?

I say no more on this. End.

Thank you

 

[Adam Currey]

Hello.

Sorry to make my first post on this forum a whinge, but I felt I had to put in my $0.02. The very first thing I did when signing up was go straight to the User CP change the colour scheme, because the default one is (sorry to be so blunt) just awful. I find it very hard on the eyes. All the other colour schemes seem to be almost identical with the exception of the text colour. I'd love to see one much darker and with more contrast.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Antonio,

* Apressemo-nos a sucumbir à tentação antes que ela se desvaneça
* Hurry up and give in to temptation before it fades away
* Dépêchons-nous de succomber à la tentation avant qu'elle ne s'éloigne - Epicuro

A nice sentiment.

It is interesting that in the French (and I think in the Portuguese) it is ourselves being encouraged to hurry, whereas in the English it is the "reader(s)". Perhaps just one of those arbitrary differences in idiom (and in English the first person imperatives are indeed clumsy - "let us . . ."!), but perhaps also it reflects a real cultural distinction!

 

[Antonio Correia]

Hi, Antonio,



A nice sentiment.

It is interesting that in the French (and I think in the Portuguese) it is ourselves being encouraged to hurry, whereas in the English it is the "reader(s)". Perhaps just one of those arbitrary differences in idiom (and in English the first person imperatives are indeed clumsy - "let us . . ."!), but perhaps also it reflects a real cultural distinction!

Hello Doug

Perhaps it's more the translation that can be in-correct.
But we all get the idea ...

 

[Antonio Correia]

Hello.

Sorry to make my first post on this forum a whinge, but I felt I had to put in my $0.02. The very first thing I did when signing up was go straight to the User CP change the colour scheme, because the default one is (sorry to be so blunt) just awful. I find it very hard on the eyes. All the other colour schemes seem to be almost identical with the exception of the text colour. I'd love to see one much darker and with more contrast.

Thanks,
Adam

Another opinion. Great.
Thanks.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The problem with a black background is that it will be influenced by ambient room light. On a monitor with a glossy surface it will reflect everything in the room, which is stressing for your eyes. On a non-glossy monitor surface, the room lights will reduce overall contrast by lifting the black level. White letters on a dark background cause more fatigue for the eyes.

It's interesting that Phase One Capture One editing program, Adobe CS4 and other programs have gone to a charcoal b.g.

A white background (if not set too bright) is best to reduce the ambient light influence, and it makes the pupils of the eyes contract which generally helps to get better focus (increased DOF) which helps for small text.

Conversely, a charcoal b.g., if not set to dark, will open up the pupils and increase the sensitivity to the delicate white tones and subtle shadows.

Viewing photo's on screen requires to reduce the contrast between background and image if we want to avoid influencing the perceived brightness of the image. At normal viewing distances, a narrow (5-10mm) border with average edge luminosity should be enough to compensate for the adaptation of our eyes, and isolate the image from its surroundings.

This is why a charcoal b.g. is more comfortable and why the software companies have moved to charcoal grays.

Asher

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

It's interesting that Phase One Capture One editing program, Adobe CS4 and other programs have gone to a charcoal b.g.

This is why a charcoal b.g. is more comfortable and why the software companies have moved to charcoal grays.

Hi Asher,

FWIW, although most programs have indeed charcoal backgrounds as a default, they can be set to white, black or other shades of gray if the user wants to. I have just checked this possibility being present in:
- Lightroom
- CS4
- Capture One
- DxO
- Photo Mechanic
- Expression Media

Cheers,

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

It's interesting that Phase One Capture One editing program, Adobe CS4 and other programs have gone to a charcoal b.g.

I think it had more to do with differentiating from competition, at the time, IOW a fashion statement.

Conversely, a charcoal b.g., if not set to dark, will open up the pupils and increase the sensitivity to the delicate white tones and subtle shadows.

While it will open the pupils when looking at the controls, it does nothing for the sensitivity to delicate tones. Our eyes continuously adapt to the average luminosity at an approx. 1 degree angle as we 'scan' the image with our eyes. Within that 1 degree angle (ca. 5 millimetres (0.2 inch) at a 10 inch viewing distance) the dynamic range is fixed (to something like 9 stops, depending on the expert one chooses to follow).

This is why a charcoal b.g. is more comfortable and why the software companies have moved to charcoal grays.

I think it has more to do with a fashion statement, and the advent of non-glossy LCD displays which takes care of most of the ambient reflections (although some laptop LCDs are high gloss to increase visual contrast).

To make sure there is no misunderstanding, I don't mind a dark application/workspace background, as long as one understands that an image will look brighter than perhaps intended under other viewing conditions, and I usually view my postprocessing work in a (non-typically) darkened room if it's critical (and time allows to wait, since I don't have curtains in my computer room but I do have daylight (lighting) for accurate color balancing/judging). LOL, one of my neighbors thought I have a UV bronzer/tanning-bed setup in my computer room, I do assume it looks relatively blue from outside when compared to regular tungsten ...

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Bart,

I think it had more to do with differentiating from competition, at the time, IOW a fashion statement.

One original "black background" movement on the Internet was a "mourning" protest against the Communications Decency Act (later declared unconstitutional - sadly, black backgrounds weren't declared unconstitutional as well).

Now white on blue had a nice run.

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Hi, Bart,

One original "black background" movement on the Internet was a "mourning" protest against the Communications Decency Act (later declared unconstitutional - sadly, black backgrounds weren't declared unconstitutional as well).

LOL, I'm not sure whether indecency/obscenity provisions from 1996 are part of this fashion.

Now white on blue had a nice run.

You do have a point there ...

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Asher Kelman]

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Asher,

To me, the color of the frame is a choice of the artist/photographer. We all have the freedom to present our work in dark or light colored frames. I, for example, have begun using black frames at the beginning and have settled on using white frames eventually. Most people do not present their work using a frame, that is also a choice. Just my Euro 0.02....

Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,

To me, the color of the frame is a choice of the artist/photographer. We all have the freedom to present our work in dark or light colored frames. I, for example, have begun using black frames at the beginning and have settled on using white frames eventually. Most people do not present their work using a frame, that is also a choice. Just my Euro 0.02....

Cheers,

Hi Cem,

I didn't discuss frames. This demonstration is just on effect of one type of charcoal background to see how our images would look. So, for now let's not discuss frames. The question is how do these images perform in this type of presentation on a darker b.g. Mu own view is that each of these particular images show much better and with less distraction. The experience s far more intimate and each picture is more special and important.

Asher

 

[Antonio Correia]

... My own view is that each of these particular images show much better and with less distraction. The experience s far more intimate and each picture is more special and important. Asher

You are right Asher ! I share this opinion with you from a long time ago and as you decided to keep the current color I went away.

My suggestion as long as I remember, goes like this:
Each one of us choose his/her own background. Everybody will be happy

In www.dgrin.com this "Gallery Black" is possible to change to:
Grey Matter - White wash - Sand - etc.

Why not here ? I think I have suggested this before haven't I ?

Am I wrong ? What I am missing here ?

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Asher,

...I didn't discuss frames. This demonstration is just on effect of one type of charcoal background to see how our images would look. So, for now let's not discuss frames. ...

I know you didn't discuss frames. But there are two aspects we have been discussing so far:
1) Ease of reading text on a certain background, and
2) The apparent luminosity of images against a darker/lighter background.

The general bg color change is more relevant to the first aspect (because it applies to all the text on our screen), whereas the luminosity aspect can be handled individually for each and every image simply by choosing the right colored and wide enough matt/frame. That is something which can be decided by each artist for each of their images rather than having to comply with a fixed bg color (whatever it might be). Or perhaps it is possible to do it in the software of the board? That is the sole reason I have brought this up.

Cheers,