[dahjelle]

Does anyone know what the contrast ratio for black ink on white paper roughly is? I was once a big fan of black-on-white on my computer screen, until I read that Solarized aimed for the contrast of "shaded paper" [1] and realized that the contrast ratio on a computer screen was much greater than the contrast ratio in printed material.

Also, it seems to me that monitors have improved in being able to display more contrast than was previously possible. Is that true? Is that another reason why lower-contrast designs have become more popular?

[1] http://ethanschoonover.com/solarized#features

[falcolas]

You'll get more out of turning down the brightness of your monitor than changing color schemes.

White paper will depend more on the room lighting than anything else.

[dom0]

For paper a contrast ratio of ~10:1 is assumed. I expect the assumption being based on a lighting situation where one can read with no strain.