I'm a light schemer

I’ve been laughed at and ridiculed. But don’t worry, I won’t give in. I will keep using a light colour scheme.

I know I’m a minority, and people do ask me why I keep using light colours schemes. Well, I’ve got three reasons to do so, and I think they make a pretty good point for everyone to switch.

First, people have been doing research into text readability. Studies show that our eyes can more easily distinguish a dark foreground from a light background, than the other way around. I will leave some links in the footnotes if you want to read about it. I find it a compelling first reason for light colour schemes: they are easier to read.

Second: the majority of websites and UIs are still made with a light colour scheme first, so switching between dark code and light applications becomes tiring after a while, especially if you’re doing it day in, day out. Granted, more and more applications support dark mode, but then we’re back to reason one: they are more difficult to read.

Third, and this is probably the thing most people think about: there’s this misconception that “light colour schemes” hurt your eyes, especially in dark rooms. Let me tell you: sitting in an all dark room programming isn’t good for your eyes anyways, regardless of the colour scheme you’re using. If you feel that a light colour scheme hurts your eyes, it might be better to lower the brightness of your screen and make sure your room is properly lit because — a dark theme isn’t the solution.

When I first learned about the real arguments for light colour schemes, I couldn’t do anything else but to use them. I’ve got decades to go in front of a screen, and I really need to do all I can to make it as easy as possible for my eyes.

Here’s my challenge: use a light colour scheme for a week, but do it in a properly lit room, and with proper screen brightness. Come back here after a week, and let me know your thoughts.