On: Design Tip: Never Use Black

[lsdafjklsd]

Learned about this in my motion graphics class, no such thing as pure black in nature.

Also, all of the articles on your website link to this story. Great reads.

[ars → lsdafjklsd]

There is no such thing as pure black on your computer either - your monitor does not have an infinite contrast ratio.

So this is a pretty pointless rule, since it's impossible to violate it.

The human eye uses relative colors, not absolute ones. So the darkest color on your artwork IS black, no matter that it returns some light.

[duaneb → lsdafjklsd]

> ...no such thing as pure black in nature.

This is exactly why it can be so effective when used correctly. Obvious, if you're painting, black looks uncanny, but that's a far different situation than digital design.

[Xcelerate → lsdafjklsd]

Not quite true. Black holes for instance. Also, there's some carbon nanotube pigments used to absorb like 99.9999% of light that lands on it. It still looks pure black even when using a powerful flash to take a photo of it. These pigments were developed by NASA for use in telescopes where even a little bit of light can ruin the image.

[bberrry → Xcelerate]

Black holes are not black dude.. You can't see them at all.

[Xcelerate → bberrry]

You shine line at it; no light comes back. That is known as "black".

[thinkingisfun → bberrry]

Which is what black is: You can't see it, since it returns no light.

[D9u → thinkingisfun]

As I've previously mentioned, cave darkness is completely black, and natural.