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Ask HN: Why do more and more websites have light grey text on white backgrounds?

2 points by caiocaiocaio ↗ HN
Or worse, light grey text on slightly lighter grey backgrounds?

I find it a strain to read, especially if it is a very light grey. I also think it looks drab and indistinct, especially if it's a very light grey.

5 comments

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dsego
Designers have monitors with better gamut and contrast so it looks fine to them?
briar
I'd assume it's due to the designers and devs not doing proper WCAG contrast testing.
splodge
Is it because less people care about accessibility these day?
koralewski
I believe it's a remnant from the past, before ambient light sensors and auto-brightness became commonplace. People thought #000000 on #FFFFFF put too much strain on the eyes. Fortunately, it looks like web designers are moving away from that—a good, unapologetic example is Bloomberg's website: https://www.bloomberg.com/.