100 Things: Every Designer Needs to Know About People

10. Red and Blue Together are Hard on the Eyes

When lines or text of different colors are projected or printed, the depths of the lines may appear to be different. One color may jump out while another color appears recessed. This effect is called chromostereopsis. The effect is strongest with red and blue, but it can also happen with other colors, for example, red and green. These color combinations can be hard and tiring to look at or read. Figure 10.1 shows some examples of chromostereopsis.

Figure 10.1. Chromostereopsis can be hard on the eyes

Takeaways

• Avoid putting blue and red or green and red near each other on a page or screen.

• Avoid ...