Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#1

Post by avivallssa » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 7:51 AM UTC

These days, it is very common to see websites with dark backgrounds.

I ran a poll within my company and it seems like many love the dark background of our Website.

Www.hexarocket.com

But while speaking to a few folks within my professional network, they say it's better to choose the light background.

Does one really care the background color of a website ?

Or one would just skip reading because of the background color ?

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#2

Post by bryanrasmussen » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 8:31 AM UTC

I strongly dislike a black background, which then assumes basically white text, as that makes everything seem like a goth game of dress up, ok if your site is suited to goth dress up otherwise irritating, and since very few sites are so suited as a general rule I strongly dislike it as said.

That said I don't have a particular problem so much with darker background colors as long as contrast can be maintained, but I still somewhat dislike White text so it may be that it can be difficult to find a color combination that is dark background and light text that will appeal to me.

I think I prefer light background, not necessarily white, and near black test.

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#3

Post by mhhya » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 8:47 AM UTC

[dead]

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#4

Post by reify » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 8:51 AM UTC

I'm old and the white backgrounds hurt my eyes.

I used to be forever pressing the F5 key to reduce the screen brightness.

my favourite background reading colour is: #24273a

I found this on the wonderful HN.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36342085

I LIKE THIS ONE. no orange header.

# ORIGINAL:

  news.ycombinator.com##body:style(background: black)  
  news.ycombinator.com##td:style(color: #fafafa !important)  
  news.ycombinator.com##table:style(background-color: #24273a)  
  news.ycombinator.com##div.toptext:style(color: #fafafa)  
  news.ycombinator.com##div.c00:style(color: #fafafa !important)  
  news.ycombinator.com##a:style(color: #ffa000 !important)  
  news.ycombinator.com##span#karma:style(color: #faa000 !important)  
  news.ycombinator.com##span.pagetop:style(color: #fafafa !  important)  
  news.ycombinator.com##textarea:style(color: #fafafa !important; background: inherit; )  
  news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background: #24273a !important)

I adapt this for other sites I regularly visit.

This them for firefrox helps, though I only use librewolf.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/catppuccin-ma...

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#5

Post by beardyw » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 9:03 AM UTC

I think you need to consider what feel you want the site to have. Your visitors will often be technical people, but they are also basic human beings. The colour, the fonts you use, the layout can all have a subtle effect in weighing up what you are like. The thing that most stands out to me is the variability of font size (on my phone) which I am not sure is deliberate.

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#6

Post by al_borland » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 12:20 PM UTC

I think most people prefer light backgrounds. The dark background people are a very vocal minority.

Re: Ask HN: What background color among white or black preferrable for websites?

#7

Post by avivallssa » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 5:36 PM UTC

al_borland wrote: post #6

I think most people prefer light backgrounds. The dark background people are a very vocal minority.

For this reason, it is wise to implement an option to switch may be. We put that feature so that people can switch between white and dark background