Hi Alex, Since the form is a container tag, create a CSS class and give it a class. For other sections, put div tags around them and give them classes. Make CSS classes for them. W3schools.com will help with this. Thanks. Jim James D Homme, , Usability Engineering, Highmark Inc., james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx, 412-544-1810 "Never doubt that a thoughtful group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead "Alex Parks" <mehgcap@xxxxxxx> Sent by: To programmingblind- programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx bounce@freelists. cc org Subject Re: Colors On Web Pages 10/30/2007 08:30 PM Please respond to programmingblind@ freelists.org This is getting into coding, but how do you make sections different colors? I have a blog I keep online (not through a site--I wrote the code and all and use js files to insert most of it, so I can play with this sort of thing). I have the blog, a contact form, and a misc section. How can I give each section its own bgcolor? Thanks for the help. Have a great day, Alex > ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Will Pearson" <will@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Date sent: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:11:50 -0000 >Subject: Re: Colors On Web Pages >Hi, >I don't think that there are any generic rules for colour choice that fit >all purposes. The best thing to do is to base the design of something on >how you expect people to interact with it and how those people function. >I agree that black on white is a reasonable choice for reading ease; >however, if people are going to be looking at something for a long time then >pure white, which can be very bright, can cause a lot of glare and actually >reduce reading ease. So, using something just off white might be more >appropriate if someone is expected to look at something for a while. >If ease of navigation around the screen is a priority then I would actually >encourage blocks of colour. For example, having the background for a menu >one colour, the background for the main content another colour, and so on. >Unifying content to form a perceptual block by giving the content the same >background colour will enable someone to shift their attention to another >block of content faster and easier. There is research evidence that people >shift their attention based on perceptual groups. >So, I would say that you need to choose colours based on the task that >someone is performing and how you expect them to perform that task. You'll >probably get an artist saying different but then it's still an open question >as to whether form or function has greater importance. I guess I'm pretty >biased in favour of function given I'm a human factors researcher, and I >spend most of my days thinking about how to make novel user interfaces >easier to use. >Will >----- Original Message ----- >From: <james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx >To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1:25 PM >Subject: Re: Colors On Web Pages >> Hi, >> I ran this by a usability person here. Her comments are above the original >> text. >> I would say it's an accurate description of the meaning and mood of the >> colors he describes. >> But I don't really agree with the advice of using colored text or a >> colored >> background for Web site design. From a usability perspective, the high >> contrast of black text on a white background is the >> best choice. Most sites use color in images, borders, and for some >> headings >> and link text - but typically the main content of the page is black on >> white. Another choice is to have a background >> color on the sides, and a center section (about 2/3 of the page) that's >> white with black text. >> Of course, there are beautiful and easy-to-read sites that use a variety >> of >> colored backgrounds, text, and images. But, that is not something that >> most >> sighted people can achieve. Typically, to do >> a good job with visual design, you need an artist or graphic designer. >> That's my 2 cents! >> The first thing to ask is what kind of website are you trying to make. >> What >> kind of website you are trying to put out to the people needs to be a >> determining factor because you wouldn't want a banking website to have a >> red >> background with brite green text. Why you might ask? Because when people >> are visiting a banking website a rule of advertising for them is they want >> to come across as secure and stable. So for that most of them will just >> use >> the standard black text on a white background. I am going to try to help >> by >> associating a color with a mood and see if that helps. >> red= A color that is for fun things, like a clown's red nose, a red ball. >> blue = the color of the sky or ocean. Think of how you feel when you >> visit >> either but keep in mind that when in the water although sighted people can >> see underwater it is a bit hard to see unless you have a mask. >> green = an earthen color, the color of grass, trees etc. Green text >> however >> doesn't work unless you have a dark dark background color. Also for mixed >> colors like green, blue and yellow make green, it is always a good idea >> not >> to use either color that make up a certain color with the color that they >> make. For example you would not want to have green text on a yellow >> background. That would make things a bit hard to see. You could however >> have yellow text on a blue background. Why you might ask? Because it is >> also another rule of thumb to have either a dark color as a background and >> a >> light color as text or vice versa. >> Yellow = it is the color of the sun, many times it can be very bright, >> other >> times rather soothing to the eyes again depending on the time of day, and >> its background. You can use yellow as a background color quite >> effectively >> with black text if it is a light but not too bright yellow background. >> Why >> you might ask, just associate yellow as day and black as night. So yes, >> yellow text on a black background will also work. >> black= well for some of us black is probably pretty self explanatory. >> Black >> means no light can pass through. A black background can be used if >> contrasted with a bright color such as yellow, green, red, orange. To >> fully >> understand black you have to also understand the mood associated with it. >> To some black is scary, to some black is also a mysterious color. You >> must >> also understand black in the way that it works in the sense of a computer >> monitor. All televisions and monitors work off of the same principal. >> There are 3 colors that can make every color that is visible on a screen. >> Red, green and blue. The description of how the aliens could see in HG >> Wells' War of the Worlds still amazes me considering when the book was >> actually written. Basically what you have with red green and blue are >> three >> colors that can make any other color when mixed together with varying >> brightnesses. Now back to the black, black on a computer monitor is >> produced when you drop the brightness of all three colors down to zero. >> Jim >> James D Homme, , Usability Engineering, Highmark Inc., >> james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx, 412-544-1810 >> "Never doubt that a thoughtful group of committed citizens can change the >> world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead >> __________ >> View the list's information and change your settings at >> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind >__________ >View the list's information and change your settings at >//www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind __________ View the list's information and change your settings at //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind __________ View the list's information and change your settings at //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind