Back-lit silver keyboard

[Andrew B.]

My computer silver-colored, including a silver keyboard. The back lighting for they keyboard is white. They should have made keys black. Because most of the time I can't see what the letter is on the key. Light from the screen shines on the keys and cancels the effect of the light.

I'm a touch typist, so I can get by. But often I can't have both hands on the keyboard and I need to see what's happening.

That's my grumble for today.

[Bo Aakerstrom]

You're most welcome!

[woody649]

I have never warmed up to the concept of back-lit keyboards -- of any color. I find it distracting.

But I'm not a touch typist.

[Steve Rindsberg]

Originally Posted by woody649

I have never warmed up to the concept of back-lit keyboards -- of any color. I find it distracting.

But I'm not a touch typist.

PARTICULARLY the ones that are backlit but that don't have transparent letters.

Oh, just what I need in a darkened room; light AROUND the otherwise coal-black keys. To, y'know, like blind me.

Hey, there's nothing like a nice family kvetch, eh?

[woody649]

Originally Posted by steve rindsberg

particularly the ones that are backlit but that don't have transparent letters.

Oh, just what i need in a darkened room; light around the otherwise coal-black keys. To, y'know, like blind me.

exactly!

[Bo Aakerstrom]

My previous laptop has nearly black lettering on silver(ish) keys. They weren't backlit and really hard to see in most conditions. Wouldn't want to be without a backlit keyboard now though.

Apple's white keyboards is another victory by form over duction. Light grey lettering on white keys. And don't get me started on their mouse. "Magic mouse" my foot, it's just rubbish design!

[Steve Rindsberg]

>> Light grey lettering on white keys.

Keys --> Background.

There. Every Mac designer-designed web site ever.

[woody649]

Boy, ain't that the truth. The current trend toward rendering web sites in pastel colors just makes it more difficult for more people to read what's being offered.

Worse than that, though, are the mental midgets who think it's a good idea to put up a web page with deep red text on a black (or purple) background. Seriously? How can anyone claim to be a graphic artist if they don't know about red-green weak color vision deficiency.

I have red-green deficiency. I have gone to web sites where I'm supposed to see a link and, when I get there, I don't see any link. When I ask, I'll get a puzzled response like, "It's right there in the middle of the screen." So I click and drag to highlight the entire screen and, sure enough, there's the link -- in a deep red that is completely invisible to me on a black background.

[Bo Aakerstrom]

Designing with legibility in mind is all about contrast. Something that seems to have been forgotten these days.

I wonder how many designers check for colour blindness. Very few to none, I suspect.

Haven't used InDesign for some time and can't remember if you can simulate how your work would look like to someone with different types of colour blindness. In Scribus you can, which is a nice feature to have.

A graphic artist is not the same as a graphic designer. Someone I know has a degree in fine arts and tries to do graphic design work, but fall short on usability every time. Creative and arty - check. Usable for the intended audience - not so much.

[woody649]

Originally Posted by Bo Aakerstrom

I wonder how many designers check for colour blindness. Very few to none, I suspect.

My vote goes to none. I know anyone I have even mentioned it to (except my current boss, who has the same color deficiency) responds with a puzzled, "Huh? What's that?"

And my current paying job isn't in graphic arts, so the boss doesn't need to know about red-green weakness. The people who need to know ... don't know.