# Automatic text color vs black vs remove formating



## Platytude

Hi,

I've noticed some people pick black for text colour in their posts instead of automatic or default colour (that is available by the "remove formatting" icon). For those of us who use dark mode, it would be a pain to read black text on dark grey background. Would it be possible to make it like Office's colour palette where both the default colour and its label (e.g. "automatic") are available and distinct from the fixed black colour option?


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## mkellogg

Hi,


Platytude said:


> Would it be possible to make it like Office's colour palette where both the default colour and its label (e.g. "automatic") are available and distinct from the fixed black colour option?


"No text color" is the default. "Remove formatting" can be chosen in the text color menu, but it isn't as intuitive as "automatic" in other programs, I agree.

I am not sure what can be done in cases like this. I have colored this sentence black to see if there is an easy way to change it in dark mode.

EDIT: The way it is implemented makes it difficult, but I will keep thinking about it.


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## jann

Out of curiosity -- and assuming it's possible -- what would be the consequence of removing the black option from the color palette entirely? Is there a legitimate use of black text that needs to be preserved on the forums, even if that use is incompatible with dark mode?

Most people who apply black are probably just trying to remove other colors.  So, if possible, and I realize that's a real "if"...

Eliminate black from the palette
Change the tooltip text in the palette from "remove formatting" to something like "automatic" or "remove color"
Consider shifting the "remove color" icon to the first position in the color palette; that's where the automatic/default color often appears in other software.
Make the icon easier to interpret than the current eraser (is it an eraser?). For example, just display it as a square in the default color, i.e., it would look black in light mode and pale in dark mode.


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## elroy

jann said:


> Most people who apply black are probably just trying to remove other colors.


That’s the only time I ever use it, and I didn’t realize it was different from “no text color”!


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## mkellogg

jann said:


> removing the black option from the color palette


I just looked and I don't see that as an easy option. I am not sure how we would make it work.

Edit: I found where to do it, and just removed all the blackish colors. Let's see how this goes.


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## Myridon

To be fair to those of us not using the dark theme, you should remove all the white and light colors.


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## mkellogg

Myridon said:


> To be fair to those of us not using the dark theme, you should remove all the white and light colors.


Good point. Advanced users will still figure out how to use those colors, but normal users can only choose from colorful colors now.


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## Kelly B

Super! thanks for the effort.


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## RM1(SS)

mkellogg said:


> Advanced users will still figure out how to use those colors


How do I do that?


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## mkellogg

RM1(SS) said:


> How do I do that?


What, you are expecting me to just tell you? Just toggle the BBcodes and edit the color values. No sense trying to hid it from you.


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## Yendred

RM1(SS) said:


> How do I do that?


In the BBcode "COLOR=rgb(redvalue, greenvalue, bluevalue)" you can modify the three values within the range 0 to 255. The higher the value is, the more intense the color component will be.
For example:
rgb(0,0,0) gives perfect black
rgb(255,255,255) gives perfect white
rgb(255,0,0) gives perfect red
etc.

All intermediate values are accepted and the three components are independent, so this makes 256×256×256 = 16,777,216 different possible colors (the human eye can distinguish some 30,000 colors).

Here you can find a RGB color picker and chart that will help you choose a color:
RGB Color Codes Chart 🎨


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## Loob

Another option, using words rather than the numbers Yendred points to in post 11:

Start with something you've coloured using the "palette"- say dog; and then toggle the BBcodes, so what you see is [COLOR=rgb(184, 49, 47)]dog[/COLOR].

You can then replace the _rgb (...)_ part with the name of a colour. So:
[COLOR=blue]dog[/COLOR] >> dog
[COLOR=green]dog[/COLOR] >> dog
[COLOR=white]dog[/COLOR] >> dog (You can see the word by running your cursor over it)
[COLOR=grey]dog[/COLOR] >> dog
[COLOR=black]dog[/COLOR] >> dog


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## wildan1

I'm missing something here--all posts I create or read from others are black--is that what "no text color" is supposed to mean?

If you choose black, how does it look different?


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## Yendred

"No text color" just displays the text in black. It's the default color for text. 
If you explicitely choose black color for text, it does not change anything.


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## Loob

wildan1 said:


> I'm missing something here--all posts I create or read from others are black--is that what "no text color" is supposed to mean?
> 
> If you choose black, how does it look different?


If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, there's a "style chooser" in the LH corner.  Choosing "Shades of Grey" means you see the forum with a black background and white writing.  Choosing a black print colour will make words invisible, in the same way that choosing a white print colour will make words invisible for someone using the default WR style.


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## RM1(SS)

mkellogg said:


> Just toggle the BBcodes and edit the color values.


Extremely non-helpful answer.


Yendred said:


> In the BBcode "COLOR=rgb(redvalue, greenvalue, bluevalue)" you can modify the three values within the range 0 to 255. The higher the value is, the more intense the color component will be.
> For example:
> rgb(0,0,0) gives perfect black
> rgb(255,255,255) gives perfect white
> rgb(255,0,0) gives perfect red
> etc.
> 
> All intermediate values are accepted and the three components are independent, so this makes 256×256×256 = 16,777,216 different possible colors (the human eye can distinguish some 30,000 colors).
> 
> Here you can find a RGB color picker and chart that will help you choose a color:
> RGB Color Codes Chart 🎨


Helpful, though incomplete, answer.


Loob said:


> Start with something you've coloured using the "palette"- say dog; and then toggle the BBcodes, so what you see is dog.


Information which was lacking in Yendred's response.  (Though I still had to figure out how to toggle the codes.)

Thank you.


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## Loob

(For anyone else who's wondering about toggling BBcodes: you tap the [ ] symbol on the top line of a post - the line that contains other symbols like B and _ I_ .)


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## jann

You'll find lots of info on BB codes if use the "Rules/Help/FAQ" link in the header bar above the forum to navigate over to the help section.  Once in the Help section, the available articles are listed down the left side of the page, and there's one for BB codes.

There's also quite a bit of general info -- admittedly outdated but still largely applicable -- in the "sticky" posts at the top of list of threads here in Comments & Suggestions.


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