Using Colors in Proper Combination

Your application should always use system colors in their proper foreground-background combinations to ensure that they have reasonable contrast. The user will never choose a button text color that is the same as the button face color, so these will always be legible when used together. However, the user may alter the color scheme so that system colors that normally contrast, such as button text and window background, might be the same color on their systems. If your application draws using colors that are not specifically designed to be used in combination, the information may be completely invisible.

Your application should always draw foreground objects in foreground colors and fill backgrounds with background colors. Many users require specific high-contrast combinations, such as white text on a black background, and drawing these reversed, as black text on a white background, causes the background to "bleed" over the foreground. This combination can make reading difficult, or even painful, for some users.

The following list shows some combinations that are safe to use and others that are not.

Status

Type of combination

Safe combinations

Window text on window background

Button text on button face

Unsafe mixing combinations

Window text on button face

Button text on window background

Unsafe reversed foreground and background

Window background on window text

Button face on button text