topic 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️ in AutoCAD Forum

🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

handjonathan — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:29:48 GMT

I have been using AutoCAD for over 20 years and have always stayed pretty conventional regarding my setup and color options. I once trained a user who used a cyan background with orange crosshairs, so I'm interested in what you guys use.

What's your default background color for using AutoCAD?

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

Washingtonn — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:40:02 GMT

WHITE (without a grid) and NEVER use yellow.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

Kent1Cooper — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:53:58 GMT

Black. Too many colors are too indistinguishable from each other on a white background, not to mention that yellow is near-invisible. The initial-default darkish grey always looks "foggy" to me, and has a similar, though not as bad, problem of some colors being too hard to tell apart. No grid.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

handjonathan — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:47:44 GMT

Im with you there @Kent1Cooper primary colors only for me

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

caroline.tigersjo — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:50:19 GMT

I was firmly Team Black Background for many years but the last few years, the white background is growing on me... could it be easier on the eyes as I grow older? Who knows...

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

handjonathan — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:53:30 GMT

Ha ha @caroline.tigersjo i may have to follow suit... Maybe its a Naviate thing 🤣

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

Patchy — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:55:27 GMT

Black for model and layout.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

handjonathan — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:57:57 GMT

@Patchy I've always gone with white for layouts. Maybe time for a change 😄

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

TheCADnoob — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:32:18 GMT

I'm often supporting users, so I keep it out of the box.

.. except for when the support involves changing it. They it'll likely stay in that format until the next reset haha.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

Alfred.NESWADBA — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:44:20 GMT

Hi,

special background ... close to white (color 255,253,248) which is a very, very light yellow.

Why not really white ... because I use symbols with white hatches (replacements for WIPEOUT, out of many reasons). And in case I have a white hatch I would not be able to see it/select it if I would have a real white background.

Why white (close to white) ... simply as I want to work using the same color as I use during print/plot (and of course, I don't have a plotter with black paper and white ink 😉 ). I know for a too long time when people send a drawing, but forget the CTB-file and so the receiver can't plot the file easily. With my dwg-files: just open and print, nothing missing and nothing to modify.

Also when inserting scans (from paper), PDF's, some external GIS-Data all based on true color and not based on 256 color index and all of them are prepared for white background, so would be hardly readable on black background.

Black background is something that had it's meaning when using old tube-monitors (and in that times too with more smoking and then having issues with particles in the eye). Nowadays the TFT or similar monitors don't have this effect and so no reason to stay with black.

A lot of people state that black background is better for their eyes ... and when I then ask if they modify the background of Excel or Word, or Photoshop or any other software to black ... they all are stating no, they don't work with black background in any other software 😉

- alfred -

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

handjonathan — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:45:24 GMT

A lot of people state that black background is better for their eyes ... and when I then ask if they modify the background of Excel or Word, or Photoshop or any other software to black ... they all are stating no, they don't work with black background in any other software 😉

@Alfred.NESWADBA such a great point

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

TheCADnoob — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:53:21 GMT

I've set my PC to the black theme and love it. It's my inner batman. It does cause problems when creating documentation though. I'm always having to toggle to the white mode for taking snips of things like the file explorer.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

jggerth — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:09:02 GMT

Black background all the way. Basically it's a signal-to-noise issue. White is 100% noise (eg all colors) while black is the absence of noise.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

pendean — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:13:03 GMT

PDF backgrounds are white.
Paper prints are white backgrounds.

Paperspace is always white, "show plot styles" is always on.
VPMAX/Modelspace background is whatever dark-gray trend of the year is from Autodesk, can't say I am too distracted by any of it (and wearing the correct/ updated 'visionware' and lenses takes care of the rest).

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

rushabhthakkar_910 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:49:33 GMT

@handjonathan, I prefer the default colors..!! OG.

And No grid. Because the drawing usually marked with colors like Red for Centerline, Green for Hidden Line, etc.

So it makes it a bit confusing if the background is changed. Also now our eyes are accustomed with the default colors..!!

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

dbroad — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:10:28 GMT

Model: Black with white cursor.
Paper: White with black cursor.

3d parallel: 33,40,48 with tri color cursor

3d perspective: 37,41,45 with tri color cursor

Various defaults per visual styles manager

2d object colors (bylayer, typically 1-12)

ACA colors (per ACA standards).

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

parkr4st — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:24:52 GMT

Pantone f + h Cotton 11-0601 TCX

Kills the glare of white and contrasts the line work well.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

C3D_TomR — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:35:53 GMT

Black for model tab. I previously used white for paper space for the reasons mentioned in other comments, but either is fine for me. When doing screen captures for documentation, I prefer using a white background.

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

gkreuter4GRKA — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 14:07:03 GMT

I tried a white model space, couldn't get used to it, now I'm back to 30,40,48

White paper space

Green cursor

And I really like having the command window on my left screen, black and green is easy on my eyes (plus it looks kind of Matrixy)

Also, I put milk in the bowl before cereal

Re: 🕵️‍♂️ Whats your AutoCAD background Color? 🕵️‍♂️

pendean — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 14:08:45 GMT

@gkreuter4GRKA wrote:

Also, I put milk in the bowl before cereal