diff --git a/documentation/Fl.html b/documentation/Fl.html
index 3b3f7e790..a66e3fe39 100644
--- a/documentation/Fl.html
+++ b/documentation/Fl.html
@@ -392,16 +392,17 @@ any pending redraws can be processed.
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl.background2">void background2(uchar, uchar, uchar);</A></H4>
 
-<P>Changes <tt>fl_color(FL_WHITE)</tt> and the same colors as <tt>
-Fl::foreground()</tt>.  This color is used as a background by <tt>
-Fl_Input</tt> and other text widgets.
+<P>Changes the alternative background color. This color is used as a 
+background by <tt>Fl_Input</tt> and other text widgets.
+<P>This call may change <tt>fl_color(FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR)</tt> if it 
+does not provide sufficient contrast to FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR.
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl.background">void background(uchar, uchar, uchar);</A></H4>
 
-<P>Changes <tt>fl_color(FL_GRAY)</tt> to the given color, and changes the
-gray ramp from 32 to 56 to black to white.  These are the colors used
-as backgrounds by almost all widgets and used to draw the edges of all
-the boxtypes.
+<P>Changes <tt>fl_color(FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR)</tt> to the given color, 
+and changes the gray ramp from 32 to 56 to black to white.  These are 
+the colors used as backgrounds by almost all widgets and used to draw 
+the edges of all the boxtypes.
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl.belowmouse">Fl_Widget* belowmouse();<BR>
 void belowmouse(Fl_Widget*);</A></H4>
@@ -760,9 +761,7 @@ test</I> if the widget wants the focus (by it returning non-zero from
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl.foreground">void foreground(uchar, uchar, uchar);</A></H4>
 
-<P>Changes <tt>fl_color(FL_BLACK)</tt>.  Also changes <tt>
-FL_INACTIVE_COLOR</tt> and <tt>FL_SELECTION_COLOR</tt> to be a ramp
-between this and <tt>FL_WHITE</tt>.
+<P>Changes <tt>fl_color(FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR)</tt>.
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl.free_color">void free_color(Fl_Color c, int overlay = 0);</A></H4>
 
diff --git a/documentation/Fl_Image.html b/documentation/Fl_Image.html
index ebc596830..7aadbef4a 100644
--- a/documentation/Fl_Image.html
+++ b/documentation/Fl_Image.html
@@ -165,9 +165,9 @@ image height.</P>
 <H4><A NAME="Fl_Image.inactive">void inactive();</A></H4>
 
 <P>The <TT>inactive()</TT> method calls
-<TT>color_average(FL_GRAY, 0.33f)</TT> to produce an image that
-appears grayed out. <I>This method does not alter the original
-image data.</I></P>
+<TT>color_average(FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR, 0.33f)</TT> to produce 
+an image that appears grayed out. <I>This method does not 
+alter the original image data.</I></P>
 
 <H4><A NAME="Fl_Image.label">virtual void label(Fl_Widget *w);
 virtual void label(Fl_Menu_Item *m);</A></H4>
diff --git a/documentation/Fl_Widget.html b/documentation/Fl_Widget.html
index 5936726e7..731a3b9c5 100644
--- a/documentation/Fl_Widget.html
+++ b/documentation/Fl_Widget.html
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ normally, all widgets participate in keyboard focus navigation.
 passed to the box routine. The color is either an index into an
 internal table of RGB colors or an RGB color value generated
 using <TT>fl_rgb_color()</TT>. The default for most widgets is
-<TT>FL_GRAY</TT>. See the <A
+<TT>FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR</TT>. See the <A
 href=enumerations.html#Enumerations>enumeration list</A> for
 predefined colors. Use <A
 href="Fl.html#Fl.set_color"><TT>Fl::set_color()</TT></A> to
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ automatically.</p>
 <H4><A name=Fl_Widget.labelcolor>Fl_Color Fl_Widget::labelcolor() const
 <BR> void Fl_Widget::labelcolor(Fl_Color)</A></H4>
 
-<P>Gets or sets the label color. The default color is <TT>FL_BLACK</TT>.
+<P>Gets or sets the label color. The default color is <TT>FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR</TT>.
 
 
 <H4><A name=Fl_Widget.labelfont>Fl_Font Fl_Widget::labelfont() const
diff --git a/documentation/common.html b/documentation/common.html
index d185f6e41..ef171b2d2 100644
--- a/documentation/common.html
+++ b/documentation/common.html
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ fixed contents.</P>
 <P>There are symbols for naming some of the more common colors:</P>
 
 <UL>
-	<LI><TT>FL_BLACK</TT> (this is the default label color)</LI>
+	<LI><TT>FL_BLACK</TT></LI>
 
 	<LI><TT>FL_RED</TT></LI>
 
@@ -229,8 +229,20 @@ fixed contents.</P>
 	<LI><TT>FL_CYAN</TT></LI>
 
 	<LI><TT>FL_WHITE</TT></LI>
+</UL>
 
-	<LI><TT>FL_GRAY</TT> (this is the default color of most widgets)</LI>
+<P>These symbols are the default colors for all FLTK widgets. They are
+explained in more detail in the chapter 
+<A HREF="enumerations.html#colors">Enumerations</A></P>
+
+<UL>
+	<LI><TT>FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR</TT> </LI>
+
+	<LI><TT>FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR</TT> </LI>
+
+	<LI><TT>FL_INACTIVE_COLOR</TT> </LI>
+
+	<LI><TT>FL_SELECTION_COLOR</TT> </LI>
 </UL>
 
 <P>RGB colors can be set using the <A HREF="functions.html#fl_rgb_color"><TT>fl_rgb_color()</TT></A>
diff --git a/documentation/migration.html b/documentation/migration.html
index be0f283a1..48bc46f14 100644
--- a/documentation/migration.html
+++ b/documentation/migration.html
@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@
 instead of the unsigned character in 1.0.x. This allows for the
 specification of 24-bit RGB values or 8-bit FLTK color indices.
 
+<P><TT>FL_BLACK</TT> and <TT>FL_WHITE</TT> now remain black and 
+white, even if the base color of the gray ramp is changed using 
+<A HREF="Fl.html#Fl.background"><TT>Fl::background()</TT></A>.
+<TT>FL_DARK3</TT> and <TT>FL_LIGHT3</TT> can be used instead to 
+draw a very dark or a very bright background hue.</P>
+
+<P>Widgets use the new color symbols <TT>FL_FORGROUND_COLOR</TT>,
+<TT>FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR</TT>, <TT>FL_BACKGROUND2_COLOR</TT>, 
+<TT>FL_INACTIVE_COLOR</TT>, and <TT>FL_SELECTION_COLOR</TT>.
+More details can be found in the chapter
+<A HREF="enumerations.html#colors">Enumerations</A>.</P>
+
 <H2>Cut and Paste Support</H2>
 
 <P>The FLTK clipboard is now broken into two parts - a local
diff --git a/documentation/subclassing.html b/documentation/subclassing.html
index 7e3cbf126..338ec3e58 100644
--- a/documentation/subclassing.html
+++ b/documentation/subclassing.html
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ and initializes the other instance variables to:
 <UL><PRE>
 type(0);
 box(FL_NO_BOX);
-color(FL_GRAY);
-selection_color(FL_GRAY);
+color(FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR);
+selection_color(FL_BACKGROUND_COLOR);
 labeltype(FL_NORMAL_LABEL);
 labelstyle(FL_NORMAL_STYLE);
 labelsize(FL_NORMAL_SIZE);
-labelcolor(FL_BLACK);
+labelcolor(FL_FOREGROUND_COLOR);
 align(FL_ALIGN_CENTER);
 callback(default_callback,0);
 flags(ACTIVE|VISIBLE);