Sometime around the beginning of high school, my teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) noticed that I would frequently close my eyes for short periods of time or rub my eyes when reading from white paper for long periods of time. They mentioned that the glare from the white paper seemed to make it harder for me to read and recommended that I receive printed materials on off-white or colored paper to minimize glare.
While I still could read content printed on white paper as long as it was in a font size I could read, the use of tinted backgrounds and off-white/colored paper made an impactful difference for reading print materials, managing visual fatigue, and keeping materials organized in my backpack; I later learned that these were all compensatory skills that helped me to access information in my classes with low vision, which is a key component of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).
I wish that someone had told me about how using colored backgrounds could improve the readability of text for people with low vision, so I put together this list of strategies for choosing paper colors for low vision and my experiences with using colored paper as a student with low vision.
White backgrounds and low vision: Potential accessibility barriers
Visual impairment is a spectrum, not a binary; everyone’s access needs and access preferences are unique, and having low vision does not necessarily mean that someone will definitely find it challenging to read text on a white background. With that in mind, white backgrounds and white paper can present accessibility barriers for low vision in the following ways:
- White sheet paper can produce a harsh glare effect for some people with low vision, which affects the ability to read text, especially for long periods of time. Similar to the use of bright white lights and computer screens, the issue is not necessarily the brightness of the screen, but the visual system’s ability to manage light. The effects of glare can contribute to fatigue and make it challenging to focus while reading.
- Contrast sensitivity is the ability to distinguish an object from its background based on differences in light and shade rather than sharp edges alone. When contrast sensitivity is reduced, a reader may struggle to distinguish black text from a background that is reflecting a great deal of light, such as white paper.
- Photophobia, or light sensitivity, can increase sensitivity to glare while also decreasing contrast sensitivity. The glare from white paper can make it difficult to read for long periods of time.
- Some low vision conditions like macular degeneration make it challenging to read from bright, reflective, or shiny surfaces. Bright white paper in a bright room can create a reflective surface that can make it more challenging to read.
I have low vision as the result of both an eye condition and a brain condition, and would often have to read print materials under bright classroom lights or while sitting at a white desk with a glossy surface. While I don’t always have control over my environment, using colored paper or off-white paper helps reduce the amount of glare I am exposed to in the classroom setting.
Related links
- Learning To Explain Usable Vision
- Five Common Technology Behaviors That Hurt My Brain
- Environmental Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Activity Ideas For Vision Breaks
Using off-white paper for low vision materials
Off-white paper, sometimes described as having cream or sepia undertones, is a widely recommended starting point for low vision accessible materials. The light tint of the page reduces the amount of light reflected back toward the reader without dramatically reducing the contrast between the paper and black ink, so the text remains clearly legible while the visual environment becomes less harsh. My TVI also described these paper colors for low vision using words like bone, cream, or ivory.
I found that the off-white paper with sepia undertones would work well for extended reading tasks, including assignments and documents that require writing on the page. I would frequently use colored pens for writing because they were easier for me to locate and read, and this page color consistently provided sufficient contrast for reading text or handwriting, so I didn’t have to think about which pen colors to use for a given task.
At both of the high schools I attended, the off-white paper was located in a specific copy room at the school, which was in a central location for my IEP case manager and my teachers; my case manager would show me where it was located in case an accessible assignment wasn’t available when I got to class. Some of the teachers at my second high school kept off-white paper in their classrooms so they could use it to enlarge materials on other printers or copiers.
Related links
- Writing Aids For Low Vision: My Personal Superlatives
- Low Vision Accommodations For Print Materials From My Low Vision IEP
- Ten Spooky Inaccessible Assignments For Low Vision Students
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
Using colored paper for low vision
After trying numerous paper colors for low vision, I identified my preferred page colors as light blue and light yellow. Lighter yellow shades are preferable to saturated canary yellow, as a pale, muted yellow reduces glare while preserving the strong luminance contrast between the dark ink and the lighter background; the canary yellow is considered high contrast but can be sharp on the eyes when reading for long periods of time. Light blue paper similarly reduces the reflective intensity of the page without compromising legibility, though I often had to be careful when writing on blue paper with my colored pens since this made several colors harder to see.
When it comes to preparing print materials like assignments printed in black ink, pastel colors can make reading easier, lower eye strain, and reduce discomfort compared to bright white paper, assuming that the selected color provides sufficient contrast. In lieu of using colored paper, another option is to print colored backgrounds onto paper or enable tinted backgrounds on a screen, taking care to ensure that text remains legible.
Related links
- Exploring Accessible Color Palettes For Low Vision
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Classroom Posters For Students With Visual Impairments
Paper colors and low vision: What to avoid
There is no single paper color that works best for every person with low vision. Low vision encompasses a wide range of conditions, each affecting vision differently, and individual preferences vary considerably. While there may be some people with low vision who benefit from using these paper colors for print materials, the following colors are generally difficult or impossible for students with low vision to use for long periods of time:
- Neon paper colors and highly saturated paper colors can have a strong glare effect for extended reading. The issue with neon paper is not insufficient contrast but excessive brightness, similar to white paper.
- Darker, more saturated colors such as those found in standard construction paper present the opposite problem, as they may not provide sufficient contrast against black text. While dark paper can be used with light or white-colored ink, this requires specific printing customizations.
- Pale or light-colored paper should not be paired with pale or light-colored ink. For example, light gray pencil lead on a white page may not provide sufficient contrast for reading, or blue text on a blue page may be challenging to identify.
- Papers with red tones, including pink and purple, may present difficulties for readers with color vision deficiencies, though this can vary between individuals.
While this isn’t a paper color, another paper characteristic that can be challenging for individuals with low vision to read is glossy, shiny, reflective, or similar textures, especially when reading with overhead lights. Matte textures are generally recommended for low vision print materials.
Related links
- Strategies For Using Lined Paper With Low Vision
- Using PicsArt To Simulate Low Vision
- Lighting And Low Vision
How to change page colors for printed materials without colored paper
When colored paper or off-white paper is not available, there are several strategies that low vision students can use to change the color of print materials to make them easier to see. This includes:
- Acetate sheets offer a translucent surface that can be placed on top of a page for reading. Acetate sheets come in a variety of colors, including red, yellow, green, and blue. These may also be marketed as colored overlays or reading strips.
- When printing materials from a computer using a color printer, users can set the page background color to an off-white or colored background for reading. However, it is important to ensure that sufficient text contrast is maintained; this strategy may not work with black-and-white printers due to changes in contrast.
- Video magnifiers or CCTVs often include options for changing the color of the foreground and background, or inverting colors to show a dark background with light-colored text.
- Non-polarized tinted glasses can be used to help with managing the effects of glare without distorting the appearance of screens.
- Highlighters may be used to outline text or draw attention to specific areas on a page. Again, it is important to ensure that there is sufficient contrast between the colored ink and text so that the text remains legible.
I have used a mix of all of these strategies over the years, but admittedly don’t use acetate paper very often because I would have to move it to write on the page. Out of all of the strategies listed, my tinted glasses have made the most impactful difference, especially when used in conjunction with off-white paper whenever possible.
Related links
- Wearing Tinted Glasses for Low Vision
- Highlighting Information With Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
Changing page colors for low vision on digital devices
Once I started typing the vast majority of my assignments and receiving digital copies of assignments, I started using other strategies to add colored backgrounds to reduce glare from bright white lights on my screen. My favorite strategies include:
- Change the paper color/background color in Word or Docs to a non-white color when writing; this will need to be reverted before printing. For notetaking applications like OneNote, I would set the default page color to another non-white color (usually light yellow) since I was never going to print anything from OneNote.
- To change the page color in Microsoft Word, go to Design > Page Color (on web, this is labeled as Layout > Page Color) to change the color of the page.
- To change the page color in Google Docs, go to File > Page Setup > Page Color. If that does not change the entire page color, go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Borders and Shading > Background Color
- Enable a color filter and/or reduce white point in device accessibility settings for computers, phones, tablets, etc.
- Use a tinted screen protector, screen cling, gel sheets, or plastic reading sheets on top of device screens to apply a consistent tint. These are often marketed for dyslexia, low vision, or Irlen syndrome.
- Set app color schemes or system color schemes to dark mode or high contrast mode. There are some instances where I find light mode easier to see, but it is helpful to have the option to toggle between color modes.
- Use a simplified reading display like Immersive Reader to change the page color of websites and apply a consistent color scheme. This also helps decrease visual clutter and makes it easier to focus on text.
- When encountering low-contrast color schemes, use invert colors/screen invert to make text easier to see.
These compensatory skills help me tremendously with accessing visual information, and I still remember how excited my TVI was when I showed them how I had changed the page color in Microsoft Word so it was easier for me to read. I still use all of these strategies every day many years later!
Related links
- Secret Microsoft Office Accessibility Features I Use Every Day
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For Mac Computers
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- How To Use High Contrast in Windows 11
- Choosing Between Light Mode and Dark Mode For Low Vision
- How To Use Invert Colors With Low Vision
- How I Use Microsoft Immersive Reader With Low Vision
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- My Favorite Web Browser Extensions For Low Vision and CVI: Reducing Visual Fatigue
More resources on paper colors for low vision accessibility
- I prefer to use an E-Ink display for eReaders instead of a backlit display for reading text; screen protectors can be used to apply a subtle tint to the screen as well. Learn more about choosing eReaders for low vision users in E-Ink Displays and Low Vision Accessibility
- Another component of my IEP for visual impairment was using larger page sizes. I write more about this in Paper Sizes and Low Vision Accessibility
- For sheet music, I prefer to use off-white paper or digital sheet music with an inverted display. I have several posts on accessible sheet music, including My Large Print Music Binder and Tips For Reading Music On An iPad With Low Vision
- Back in high school, I did a science fair project inspired by paper colors for low vision, which inspired the original version of this post. Learn more about presenting science projects with low vision in Science Fairs and Low Vision
Published April 17, 2017. Updated June 2026