Website Color Issues

[TinfoilChef]

So another devnote has arrived and once again I'm forced to copy it into notepad in order to be able to read it.

Why? Because of something that has become entirely too common on websites these days, the text color is light gray on a white background. This low contrast between the text color and the background color makes it extremely difficult if not bloody well impossible to read.

Why web designers started doing this is beyond me.

Here's the devnote as it appears, using color #6E7173 (light gray) on a white background:

http://imgur.com/sHTHGjx

Now here's the same page using good old #000000 (flat black) for the text color:

http://imgur.com/BPnNivk

The first one is so washed out that I cannot read it. The second is easy to read.

Would whomever is in charge of that site PLEASE consider using #000000 as the text color?

[stupid_chris]

So another devnote has arrived and once again I'm forced to copy it into notepad in order to be able to read it.

Why? Because of something that has become entirely too common on websites these days, the text color is light gray on a white background. This low contrast between the text color and the background color makes it extremely difficult if not bloody well impossible to read.

Why web designers started doing this is beyond me.

Here's the devnote as it appears, using color #6E7173 (light gray) on a white background:

http://imgur.com/sHTHGjx

Now here's the same page using good old #000000 (flat black) for the text color:

http://imgur.com/BPnNivk

The first one is so washed out that I cannot read it. The second is easy to read.

Would whomever is in charge of that site PLEASE consider using #000000 as the text color?

That's... not the website. That's the tumblr. Heres the website.

And really, it's not that hard to read at all.

[WololoW]

With all due respect Stupid_Chris, the webpage you linked had only one link to the dev-notes in question, and that link was to tumblr.

Also, the difficulty of reading it is on a case by case basis(see: opinion); so why do you feel that you have the authority to objectively determine if it is hard to read?

Seems like a very dismissive post to me and probably shouldnt have been posted, much less by someone with the green name tag.

OP: I agree. It is quite straining on my eyes to read the devnotes there. I simply remedy that by reading them on the forum, or /r/kerbalspaceprogram.

Edited September 3, 2014 by WololoW
Added links

[vexx32]

I personally have very little trouble reading it whatsoever. What resolution is your monitor?

And you might want to check that your monitor's brightness/contrast settings are set adequately. I'm not being dismissive, by any means; if it's difficult to tell the difference between a color that dark -- rgb(110, 113, 115) -- which should be quite distinct from most colours that are white or near to it (in the realm of rgb(220,220,220) or more -- about twice as bright) -- then there may be something a bit wacky with your monitor setup.

That said, it isn't ideal. Something closer to #505050 would probably make it a heck of a lot better, in my opinion. I'll see if I can ask Rows to fiddle.

[EdFred]

No issues with me reading that either. Honestly, for me, it's easier to read than the black. It's not as harsh.

[TinfoilChef]

That's... not the website. That's the tumblr. Heres the website.

And really, it's not that hard to read at all.

For you it's not and that's great. For you.

For me, that text is almost invisible. Also, not to nitpick but tumbler is a website and that particular tumbler is a KSP owned & operated website. There wasn't an option in the mandatory prefix to specify that.

OP: I agree. It is quite straining on my eyes to read the devnotes there. I simply remedy that by reading them on the forum, or /r/kerbalspaceprogram.

I intensely dislike trying to read anything on reddit and only visit the site to share an occasional link. As for reading it on the forums.... One thing I've always wondered is why split promotional efforts by sending people to tumblr when it makes so much more sense IMO to promote the forum link in the first place.

I personally have very little trouble reading it whatsoever. What resolution is your monitor?

And you might want to check that your monitor's brightness/contrast settings are set adequately. I'm not being dismissive, by any means; if it's difficult to tell the difference between a color that dark -- rgb(110, 113, 115) -- which should be quite distinct from most colours that are white or near to it (in the realm of rgb(220,220,220) or more -- about twice as bright) -- then there may be something a bit wacky with your monitor setup.

My desktop monitor is a 19 inch Dell running at 1600 x 900. I doubt however that the monitor has anything to do with it because I have the exact same difficulty when trying to read it on my laptop (Toshiba Satellite Pro) at 1366x768.

[resists temptation to have one of those "back in my day" moments talking about when monitor resolution was 320x200 and uphill both ways]

Also I doubt monitor size has much relevance because I almost never full-screen my browser. with that much screen real estate, I don't see the point. Instead I keep it around 1024x768 or so on both machines.

I don't consider #6E7173 to be "that dark" at all. it's a faded light gray and as such is nearly invisible on a white background. However when it's replaced with #000000 it becomes crisp, clear, and easy to read.

That said, it isn't ideal. Something closer to #505050 would probably make it a heck of a lot better, in my opinion. I'll see if I can ask Rows to fiddle.

thanks for that at least. the closer the text color can be to #000000 the better.

[vexx32]

Okay, well, to be honest, #6E7173 is at most a middle grey. It's neither faded, nor light. The HTML definition of "gray" is #808080, which is supposed to be middle grey. The font colour on the KSP Tumblr is close to what is defined as "DimGray" (#696969). (linky)

We can go back and forth all we like, but at the end of the day all I can think is that something wacky is going on on your end, because nobody else seems to be having any trouble reading the text. :/

[TinfoilChef]

Okay, well, to be honest, #6E7173 is at most a middle grey. It's neither faded, nor light. The HTML definition of "gray" is #808080, which is supposed to be middle grey. The font colour on the KSP Tumblr is close to what is defined as "DimGray" (#696969). (linky)

We can go back and forth all we like, but at the end of the day all I can think is that something wacky is going on on your end, because nobody else seems to be having any trouble reading the text. :/

you're right that gong back and forth is unproductive. My main point is that text should *always* have a high contrast to the background color and classic black on white (or the reverse) makes the most sense to me.

[Rainbowtrout]

I don't have trouble reading it, but having it a bit darker would be nice. Not #000000, it seems too solid to me.

[sumghai]

I too would like to state that I have no trouble reading the text under the present color scheme.

It's likely that either the OP's monitor's brightness/contrast settings are the cause of the issue. Also, some programs may also force monitor adjustments - for instance, whenever I play Star Trek Online, the game itself looks fine, but the rest of my Windows 7 desktop and any other applications looks washed out until I quit STO.

[TinfoilChef]

I too would like to state that I have no trouble reading the text under the present color scheme.

It's likely that either the OP's monitor's brightness/contrast settings are the cause of the issue. Also, some programs may also force monitor adjustments - for instance, whenever I play Star Trek Online, the game itself looks fine, but the rest of my Windows 7 desktop and any other applications looks washed out until I quit STO.

I tend to doubt that possible cause because i'm having the same issue on the laptop as I do on the desktop and the laptop is never used for anything but email / web browsing

[Dunbaratu]

The flat black is actually *harder* to read for me than the grey. When the contrast gets too high, the letters start to "buzz" harshly in my vision.

[vexx32]

I tend to doubt that possible cause because i'm having the same issue on the laptop as I do on the desktop and the laptop is never used for anything but email / web browsing

Well, it can't hurt to do a proper recalibration of your monitor settings on both machines, can it?

Another thing you might want to have a quick look at is how the ClearType font display is set up on the machines. If the font display is calibrated incorrectly, it may be causing some problems.

[TinfoilChef]

Well, it can't hurt to do a proper recalibration of your monitor settings on both machines, can it?

Another thing you might want to have a quick look at is how the ClearType font display is set up on the machines. If the font display is calibrated incorrectly, it may be causing some problems.

While I'm no guru or anything, I've been using computers to one degree or another since 1975 yet still, I haven't the foggiest idea how to do what you just said.

[Tarrow]

While I'm no guru or anything, I've been using computers to one degree or another since 1975 yet still, I haven't the foggiest idea how to do what you just said.

Both cleartype and colour calibration settings are accessible through the windows control panels "appearance and personalisation" -> "display" section.

No issues reading the text on either of your linked images from here.

[vexx32]

I'm not very good at explaining things, so if you need some quick directions on how to calibrate your monitor's colour and the system's ClearType settings, I'll go find a quick guide... (it avoids me forgetting important things and not explaining properly, ehe)

Calibrating the monitor settings: http://www.onecomputerguy.com/windows7/windows7_calibrate_color.htm (Most of this will have to be done on the monitor itself via its HUD.)

Couldn't find specific thing for ClearType, as it's mostly a DIY wizard thing. I remember it's in Control Panel somewhere, under the display/personalisation settings... You should be able to access it from the Start Menu, I think, just by typing 'cleartype' in the search bar.

[stupid_chris]

As other proposed OP, this might be monitor issues. As well as other people, the flat black version feels a little too contrasty to me. The gray used is kinda pale, but I'm not having problems reading it outright.

Though, as an alternative solution, you might simply want to read the devnotes from the forum? Both are posted at the same time. Because to be honest, I have no clue who has control authority on the Tumblr. As far as I know, no one actually posts on it, it's done automatically by extracting the forum data.

Edited September 5, 2014 by stupid_chris

[Rowsdower]

Now, as other proposed OP, this might be monitor issues. As well as other people, the flat black version feels a little too contrasty to me. The gray used is kinda pale, but I'm not having problems reading it outright.

Though, as an alternative solution, you might simply want to read the devnotes from the forum? Both are posted at the same time. Because to be honest, I have no clue who has control authority on the Tumblr. As far as I know, no one actually posts on it, it's done automatically by extracting the forum data.

I have control over the Tumblr. Everything that gets posted on there gets pushed into the daily kerbal section sometime after. I haven't heard many major complaints over its format, so I'm not really inclined to make changes there now, but I will definitely note this. OP, as Chris suggests, your best bet may be to catch the notes when they are posted here in the forum or over on /r/kerbalspaceprogram. The format is much less intensive and hopefully, if your system isn't giving you any major headaches, you should be able to read through the notes with little effort.

[EdFred]

The other thing that might be an issue: It's not the monitor(s), it's not the website, it's not resolution, it's your eyes. You did say you have been *using* computers since 1975. I just hit 40, and have noticed a difference in visual things over the past couple years, and since you've been around computers since I was still pooping in my diapers, a trip to the optha/opto might be in order.