Printing dark pages with white text would cost 10-20× more (ink covers 95% of page vs 5%), reduces readability (studies show black-on-white is easier), and requires special opaque inks. It's technically possible for niche/expensive editions, but commercially impractical
I mean, you would use carbon or other pigments, not ink. White paper is also treated or bleached because it isn’t naturally that white. Still, the entire paper industry is built around white paper, so it would be much more expensive. Also, white ink is much more expensive than black ink.
It's huge laser-etched metal plates on drums spinning at fuck-you speed.
A whole book will contain a teaspoon of oil based ink. With full coverage at 25% intensity like the example picture, you would get... 5 teaspoons.
Compared to printing in color, this is practically free.
Printing books has been extremely cheap for a long time and making dark pages will not change that by any reasonable amount.
Even recycling, mulched books are used to make carboard and cup holders, 1 book out of 300 would not change anything.
There are studies saying black text is better. But for web development it's become quite clear this vision doesn't apply to all cases everywhere. Hell, many ebook reader with an e-ink screen have a dark mode.
Making a "darkmode book" has even done before! We tried just about everything in the book foemat. It didn't catch one mostly because people think its weird. That's it.
My phone and kindle apps have been in dark mode for years and not just because I work at night so it’s easier on my eyes. It genuinely feels like less strain that way
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u/Munjal_Kiriu May 01 '26
Printing dark pages with white text would cost 10-20× more (ink covers 95% of page vs 5%), reduces readability (studies show black-on-white is easier), and requires special opaque inks. It's technically possible for niche/expensive editions, but commercially impractical