Sipulate background colour or not?

Fat Sam wrote:

> T.J. wrote:
>> I've often read that I should always stipulate background colours,
>> but assuming I am using the same background colour everywhere on the
>> page, is this still the case? or should it be left to the users
>> choice of window colour?
>
> Depends on how critical the colour is to your design....
>
> If you don't stipulate a background colour, some folks will see the
> bg as white, others grey, and theres no telling what other colours it
> will be seen as by other people.....
>
> If you don't mind having an aesthetic lottery on your website, then
> don't specify it.... However, if you need a visitor to see a specific
> coloured background, then it's best to specify it....Even if the
> colour you want them to see is white....

Heh, T.J.'s site would probably look quite funky with my default purple
background.

Why did I set it to purple? So I can see when webmasters forget to
complete the job! <g>

Years ago before I knew one was supposed to set background colours, a
friend wrote and asked why my site had no menu links. Aha, the reason
was I had not set the background, and my link text colour was the same
as his background.

--
-bts
-Warning: I brake for lawn deer
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not? 

"Fat Sam" <samandjanetknox.DeleteThis@tessco.net> wrote in message
news:IiWrf.16487$mn1.14353@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
> T.J. wrote:
>> I've often read that I should always stipulate background
>> colours, but assuming I am using the same background colour
>> everywhere on the page, is this still the case? or should it be
>> left to the users choice of window colour?
>
> Depends on how critical the colour is to your design....
>
> If you don't stipulate a background colour, some folks will see the bg as
> white, others grey, and theres no telling what other colours it will be
> seen
> as by other people.....

If you don't stipulate a background colour will it not default to the window
colour? if not, is there a way to do this ?

> If you don't mind having an aesthetic lottery on your website, then don't
> specify it....
> However, if you need a visitor to see a specific coloured background, then
> it's best to specify it....Even if the colour you want them to see is
> white....
>

Does that not go against the whole principal of user choice?
for instance, I use the off-white window colour rather than white, and
would prefer it if the background of white websites was also off-white.
This happens when no background color is stipulated but not if a colour
is.
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not? 

Writing in news:alt.www.webmaster
From the safety of the BT Openworld cafeteria
T.J. <no1.DeleteThis@home.invalid> said:

>
> "Fat Sam" <samandjanetknox.DeleteThis@tessco.net> wrote in message
> news:IiWrf.16487$mn1.14353@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>> T.J. wrote:
>>> I've often read that I should always stipulate background
>>> colours, but assuming I am using the same background colour
>>> everywhere on the page, is this still the case? or should it be
>>> left to the users choice of window colour?
>>
>> Depends on how critical the colour is to your design....
>>
>> If you don't stipulate a background colour, some folks will see the bg
>> as
>> white, others grey, and theres no telling what other colours it will be
>> seen
>> as by other people.....
>
> If you don't stipulate a background colour will it not default to the
> window
> colour?

Not sure what you mean by 'window colour'

> if not, is there a way to do this ?

perhaps ...

body {background-color:#fff;}

>> If you don't mind having an aesthetic lottery on your website, then
>> don't
>> specify it....
>> However, if you need a visitor to see a specific coloured background,
>> then
>> it's best to specify it....Even if the colour you want them to see is
>> white....
>>
>
> Does that not go against the whole principal of user choice?
> for instance, I use the off-white window colour rather than white, and
> would prefer it if the background of white websites was also off-white.
> This happens when no background color is stipulated but not if a colour
> is.

Then it's best not to specify any colour(s) for text either.

--
William Tasso

Save the drama
for your Mama.
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not? 

> If you don't stipulate a background colour will it not default to the
> window colour? if not, is there a way to do this ?

It depends on the browser the viewer is using and how they have it set
up.....

> Does that not go against the whole principal of user choice?

User choice is a very vagely defined area.....
Where do you draw the line between controling your own design and allowing
the user to control it....
The background colour might be an integral part of your design....For
example, if you're doing a website for a newspaper, you'll probably want a
white background with black text......
There might be corporate branding reasons for maintaining a specific
background colour.....
On the other hand, it might be completely irelevant.....In which case, you
would have no need to specify a bg colour.....

> for instance, I use the off-white window colour rather than white, and
> would prefer it if the background of white websites was also
> off-white. This happens when no background color is stipulated but
> not if a colour
> is.

That's all well and good, but you'd be degrading the aesthetic experience on
some sites, and you could also be corrupting the corporate branding that a
company has spent a lot of time and money getting right.....
Admittedly, that's your choice, but imagine how amateur the site will look
when the background is grey but all the images are set within a bright
orange square......
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not? 

"William Tasso" <SpamBlocked.TakeThisOut@tbdata.com> wrote in message
news:op.s2emval5m9g4qz-wnt@tbdata.com...
> Writing in news:alt.www.webmaster
> From the safety of the BT Openworld cafeteria
> T.J. <no1.TakeThisOut@home.invalid> said:
>
>>
>> "Fat Sam" <samandjanetknox.TakeThisOut@tessco.net> wrote in message
>> news:IiWrf.16487$mn1.14353@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>> T.J. wrote:
>>>> I've often read that I should always stipulate background
>>>> colours, but assuming I am using the same background colour
>>>> everywhere on the page, is this still the case? or should it be
>>>> left to the users choice of window colour?
>>>
>>> Depends on how critical the colour is to your design....
>>>
>>> If you don't stipulate a background colour, some folks will see the bg
>>> as
>>> white, others grey, and theres no telling what other colours it will be
>>> seen
>>> as by other people.....
>>
>> If you don't stipulate a background colour will it not default to the
>> window colour?
>
> Not sure what you mean by 'window colour'

Assuming Windows OS,
Right click desktop - Properties - Appearance -
Advanced - Scroll through items to Window - Set colour
I presume other OS's have similar.
Like I said in previous post, I use the off-white and would
prefer all websites that have a white background to allow me
to use this rather than white.


>> if not, is there a way to do this ?
>
> perhaps ...
>
> body {background-color:#fff;}

Would that always default to my window colour?

>
>>> If you don't mind having an aesthetic lottery on your website, then
>>> don't
>>> specify it....
>>> However, if you need a visitor to see a specific coloured background,
>>> then
>>> it's best to specify it....Even if the colour you want them to see is
>>> white....
>>>
>>
>> Does that not go against the whole principal of user choice?
>> for instance, I use the off-white window colour rather than white, and
>> would prefer it if the background of white websites was also off-white.
>> This happens when no background color is stipulated but not if a colour
>> is.
>
> Then it's best not to specify any colour(s) for text either.

Again, would this default to the users chosen text colour?

> --
> William Tasso
>
> Save the drama
> for your Mama.
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not? 

T.J. wrote:
> Assuming Windows OS,
> Right click desktop - Properties - Appearance -
> Advanced - Scroll through items to Window - Set colour
> I presume other OS's have similar.
> Like I said in previous post, I use the off-white and would
> prefer all websites that have a white background to allow me
> to use this rather than white.
>
>

You cant use windows settings as a reference. As I read it you are asking,
if you can change the apperance of a website and yes you can, by defining
your own CSS and ask the browser to use that. This will overrule the
designers CSS ,except when styles are defined inside HTML. Then sadly the
designers wins, or almost wins, because users just leaves

Best regards
Johnny Winther Ronnenberg
 >> Stay informed about: Sipulate background colour or not?