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A honest question: why books do traditionally use pure black on white? Is it a matter of ink costs and they would also look better with a slightly lighter ink,
by Al-Khwarizmi 6y ago
A honest question: why books do traditionally use pure black on white? Is it a matter of ink costs and they would also look better with a slightly lighter ink, or do different principles apply than on screens?
- crazygringo 6y agoTwo things. First, most books aren't -- the paper is gray-ish and the black is matte so under lighting it's more like dark gray. Second, the contrast is limited to ambient lighting. Whereas the white on computer screens is often far brighter than a sheet of white paper nearby, which is why avoiding extreme contrast is even more important.
- dsr_ 6y agoBooks try for pure black inks to maximize contrast against a not-pure-white background. Most book paper tends to have a little yellow, a little brown, and a carefully non-specular texture. Art book paper tends towards glossy, bluish tones closer to pure white.
- klyrs 6y agoThe books I own don't use actually white paper, with the notable exceptions of graphic novels and expensive textbooks. Most are a greyish beige. Inks aren't always a full-on black, either -- most are a very dark gray, some with a touch of brown. Most books aren't "graphic design" -- they're humdrum utilitarian walls of text. Books like graphic novels, textbooks and coffee table books with color graphics are printed on white paper because they can optimize for color fidelity between design and production.