šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø Whats your AutoCAD background Color? šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø

šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø Whats your AutoCAD background Color? šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø

handjonathan
Autodesk Autodesk
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35 Replies
Message 1 of 36

šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø Whats your AutoCAD background Color? šŸ•µļøā€ā™‚ļø

handjonathan
Autodesk
Autodesk

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?

 

2023-01-31_15-38-02.png

 



Jonathan Hand


Technical Marketing Manager | Construction

22,058 Views
35 Replies
Replies (35)
Message 2 of 36

Washingtonn
Collaborator
Collaborator

WHITE (without a grid) and NEVER use yellow.

Message 3 of 36

Kent1Cooper
Consultant
Consultant

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.

Kent Cooper, AIA
Message 4 of 36

handjonathan
Autodesk
Autodesk

Im with you there @Kent1Cooper primary colors only for me



Jonathan Hand


Technical Marketing Manager | Construction

Message 5 of 36

caroline.tigersjo
Explorer
Explorer

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...

Message 6 of 36

handjonathan
Autodesk
Autodesk

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



Jonathan Hand


Technical Marketing Manager | Construction

Message 7 of 36

Patchy
Mentor
Mentor

Black for model and layout.

Message 8 of 36

handjonathan
Autodesk
Autodesk

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



Jonathan Hand


Technical Marketing Manager | Construction

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Message 9 of 36

TheCADnoob
Mentor
Mentor

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. 

CADnoob

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Message 10 of 36

Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

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 šŸ˜‰ ). 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 šŸ˜‰

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2026
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)
Message 11 of 36

handjonathan
Autodesk
Autodesk

 

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 šŸ˜‰

 


@Alfred.NESWADBA  such a great point



Jonathan Hand


Technical Marketing Manager | Construction

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Message 12 of 36

TheCADnoob
Mentor
Mentor

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. 

 

 

TheCADnoob_1-1675353113764.png

 

CADnoob

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Message 13 of 36

jggerth
Advisor
Advisor

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.

Message 14 of 36

pendean
Community Legend
Community Legend
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).
Message 15 of 36

rushabhthakkar_910
Advisor
Advisor

@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..!! 

Thanks and Regards,


Rushabh Thakkar.


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Message 16 of 36

dbroad
Mentor
Mentor

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).

Architect, Registered NC, VA, SC, & GA.
Message 17 of 36

parkr4st
Advisor
Advisor

Pantone f + h Cotton 11-0601 TCX  

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

Message 18 of 36

C3D_TomR
Advisor
Advisor

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. 

Tom Richardson


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Message 19 of 36

gkreuter4GRKA
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

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

gkreuter4GRKA_0-1676902613696.png

 

Message 20 of 36

pendean
Community Legend
Community Legend

@gkreuter4GRKA wrote:

Also, I put milk in the bowl before cereal


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