From time to time one sees white type reversed over a black background. Some purists of design hate the technique and it is even banned in some newsrooms.
True, there is no substitute for the legibility of black type over a white background.
That said, it is also true that white type over a black background can look sharp, raise the presence of a quote or other elements on a page, and add a “visual” to a page where there might not be one.
Like all other tools available to the designer, reverses work best when used in moderation. A very large top- to bottom-of-the-page box, all black, with a long article set in white over it, will not be legible. In fact, it will look hard to penetrate — and few will enter it.
When used sparingly, and not repeatedly, white-on-black can be another efficient way to offer contrast and hierarchy for an item on a page.
All or a portion of this column was originally published in the IFRA newsletter.
