On my Ubuntu system I use black backgrounds and yellow lettering throughout: applications, dialogs, preference panes, everything. It’s very easy to read and even easier to acquire.
(I’ll see if I can find an article explaining why this is, but it relates to our yellow sun. Notice how many flowers are yellow.)
When I use Windows I don’t tend to get so many options (and forget having options once you start using Windows 8). This being said, some applications do have preferences which would allow one to make up for this system level deficiency.
In Notepad++ (a formidable and free text editor for Windows) you can make these adjustments for yourself.
Under Settings —> Style Configurator (Language: Global Styles; Style: Global Override) you can select a foreground and background color for your color style. If you’d like to imitate mine you can try these color settings.
Foreground: Hue 32; Sat 240; Lum 120;Red 255; Green 204; Blue 0
Background: Hue 160; Sat 0; Lum 0; Red 0; Green 0; Blue 0
That’s it. Figure out your color preferences and Ok and Save & Close your way out to finish.
Have fun with that.
You will want to change your print settings (Settings —> Preferences —> Print) so that you are not actually printing that background color. I set mine to Colour Options —> Black on white. There you go.