A pure white screen might appear clean, but it isn’t gentle. On a digital display, “white” means the screen is at full brightness – essentially a light shining at you. After hours of exposure, that glare contributes to eye fatigue.

What makes stark white especially harsh is the extreme contrast it creates. Black text at 0% brightness on a 100% bright background is a disparity that overstimulates our eyes. It’s like switching on a floodlight in a dark room – jarring, and fatiguing when repeated continuously.

I decided to break from the default and use a soft cream hue as my background. Part of the reason is practical: a recent study found that extremely high contrast (like black on pure white) can be taxing on vision. By adding a hint of warmth to the backdrop, I dial down the intensity and reduce glare, without compromising readability.

Gentle Difference, Big Impact

Visually, you might not even notice the difference at first glance. A gentle off-white still reads as “white” to the eye – just a warmer, less sterile version of it. That subtle shift makes the page feel calmer and more inviting, without anyone consciously realizing why.

This approach isn’t new. Print designers have known it for ages: most novels are printed on creamy off-white paper rather than stark white, simply because it’s easier on the eyes for long reading sessions. I’m applying that same wisdom to the screen.

In the end, the background color is a quiet detail that shapes the experience. It’s a small nod to visual comfort and aesthetics working together. A cream canvas takes the strain off your eyes and lets the content speak for itself – softly, intentionally.

With love,