Useful tool for reading light text on dark background

Engineer

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I don't know about the rest of you, but it kills my eyes to read light text on a dark background. I must be getting old. :eek:

Anyway, I found a neat tool that lets you change any page's background to white, while changing the text to black at the same time. It's awesome, and I find myself using it all the time now.

It's a javascript "bookmarklet" -- here's how you set it up:

1. Bookmark any URL -- it doesn't matter which one.

2. Right click on the new bookmark and select Properties.

3. Change the title to something like "Dark to Light" or "Black to White" or whatever is memorable for you.

4. Replace the URL with the following code (copy and paste all of this):

Code:
javascript:%20(function(){%20var%20newSS,%20styles='*%20{%20background:%20white%20!%20important;%20color:%20black%20!important%20}%20:link,%20:link%20*%20{%20color:%20#0000EE%20!important%20}%20:visited,%20:visited%20*%20{%20color:%20#551A8B%20!important%20}';%20if(document.createStyleSheet)%20{%20document.createStyleSheet("javascript:'"+styles+"'");%20}%20else%20{%20newSS=document.createElement('link');%20newSS.rel='stylesheet';%20newSS.href='data:text/css,'+escape(styles);%20document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(newSS);%20}%20}%20)();

5. Click Save.

Now, the next time you land on a poorly designed page with light text on a dark background, click the bookmarklet and "voila" -- MUCH easier to read. :smellie_wink:
 

Jaz

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Funny, I have always had it the opposite - light text on dark background easier on my eyes, especially when spending long hours behind a computer. A white background on a computer screen feels a bit like a light bulb staring at my face.

The reason why we are so used to black text on white goes back to the time when first books were printed, obviously it was much more economical and feasible to paint letters with black ink on a white paper. That's how it all started and it became a standard and was even carried to the web.

It's one of those things from the past people are still using, much like qwerty keyboard layout designed for typewriters so the keys would not get stuck. I made a switch to dvorak about a year ago, feels much more natural and has increased my typing speed leaps and bounds, but that could also be because I finally took the time to learn touch typing properly.
 
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