diff --git a/Vis.hs b/Vis.hs
--- a/Vis.hs
+++ b/Vis.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wall #-}
 
-module Vis ( display
+module Vis ( Options(..)
+           , defaultOpts
+           , display
            , animate
            , simulate
            , play
@@ -16,6 +18,20 @@
 
 import Graphics.UI.GLUT ( SpecialKey(..), BitmapFont(..), Flavour(..) )
 
+import Vis.Vis ( Options(..) )
 import Vis.Interface ( display, animate, simulate, play, animateIO, simulateIO, playIO )
 import Vis.VisObject ( VisObject(..) )
 import Vis.GlossColor
+
+-- | Some reasonable default options.
+-- Consider changing the window name with something like:
+--
+-- > myOptions = defaultOpts {optWindowName = "my rad program"}
+defaultOpts :: Options
+defaultOpts =
+  Options
+  { optBackgroundColor = Nothing
+  , optWindowSize = Nothing
+  , optWindowPosition = Nothing
+  , optWindowName = "not-gloss"
+  }
diff --git a/Vis/Interface.hs b/Vis/Interface.hs
--- a/Vis/Interface.hs
+++ b/Vis/Interface.hs
@@ -11,35 +11,31 @@
 
 import Graphics.UI.GLUT ( Key, KeyState, Position, Modifiers, Cursor(..) )
 
-import Vis.Vis ( vis )
+import Vis.Vis ( Options, vis )
 import Vis.Camera ( makeCamera, Camera0(..), setCamera, cameraMotion, cameraKeyboardMouse )
 import Vis.VisObject ( VisObject(..) )
 
-
 -- | draw a static image
 display :: Real b =>
-           Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-           -> String -- ^ window name
+           Options -- ^ user options
            -> VisObject b -- ^ object to draw
            -> IO ()
-display sizepos name visobjects = animate sizepos name (\_ -> visobjects)
+display opts visobjects = animate opts (\_ -> visobjects)
 
 ---- | display an animation
 animate :: Real b =>
-           Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-           -> String -- ^ window name
+           Options -- ^ user options
            -> (Float -> VisObject b) -- ^ draw function
            -> IO ()
-animate sizepos name userDrawFun = animateIO sizepos name (return . userDrawFun)
+animate opts userDrawFun = animateIO opts (return . userDrawFun)
 
 -- | display an animation impurely
 animateIO :: Real b =>
-             Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-             -> String -- ^ window name
+             Options -- ^ user options
              -> (Float -> IO (VisObject b)) -- ^ draw function
              -> IO ()
-animateIO sizepos name userDrawFun =
-  vis sizepos name ts (userState0, cameraState0) simFun drawFun setCameraFun (Just kmCallback) (Just motionCallback) Nothing
+animateIO opts userDrawFun =
+  vis opts ts (userState0, cameraState0) simFun drawFun setCameraFun (Just kmCallback) (Just motionCallback) Nothing
   where
     ts = 0.01
     userState0 = ()
@@ -57,27 +53,25 @@
 
 -- | run a simulation
 simulate :: Real b =>
-            Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-            -> String -- ^ window name
+            Options -- ^ user options
             -> Double -- ^ sample rate
             -> world -- ^ initial state
             -> (world -> VisObject b) -- ^ draw function
             -> (Float -> world -> world) -- ^ state propogation function (takes current time and state as inputs)
             -> IO ()
-simulate sizepos name ts state0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
-  simulateIO sizepos name ts state0 (return . userDrawFun) (\t -> return . (userSimFun t))
+simulate opts ts state0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
+  simulateIO opts ts state0 (return . userDrawFun) (\t -> return . (userSimFun t))
 
 -- | run a simulation impurely
 simulateIO :: Real b =>
-              Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-              -> String -- ^ window name
+              Options -- ^ user options
               -> Double -- ^ sample rate    
               -> world -- ^ initial state
               -> (world -> IO (VisObject b)) -- ^ draw function
               -> (Float -> world -> IO world) -- ^ state propogation function (takes current time and state as inputs)
               -> IO ()
-simulateIO sizepos name ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
-  vis sizepos name ts (userState0, cameraState0) simFun drawFun setCameraFun (Just kmCallback) (Just motionCallback) Nothing
+simulateIO opts ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
+  vis opts ts (userState0, cameraState0) simFun drawFun setCameraFun (Just kmCallback) (Just motionCallback) Nothing
   where
     drawFun ((userState, _),_) = do
       obs <- userDrawFun userState
@@ -96,8 +90,7 @@
 
 ---- | play a game
 play :: Real b =>
-        Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-        -> String -- ^ window name
+        Options -- ^ user options
         -> Double -- ^ sample time
         -> world -- ^ initial state
         -> (world -> (VisObject b, Maybe Cursor)) -- ^ draw function, can give a different cursor
@@ -107,8 +100,8 @@
         -> Maybe (world -> Position -> world) -- ^ mouse drag callback
         -> Maybe (world -> Position -> world) -- ^ mouse move callback
         -> IO ()
-play sizepos name ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
-  vis sizepos name ts userState0 simFun drawFun
+play opts ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
+  vis opts ts userState0 simFun drawFun
   where
     drawFun (userState, _) = return $ userDrawFun userState
     simFun (userState,time) = return $ userSimFun time userState
@@ -116,8 +109,7 @@
 
 ---- | play a game impurely
 playIO :: Real b =>
-          Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-          -> String -- ^ window name
+          Options -- ^ user options
           -> Double -- ^ sample time
           -> world -- ^ initial state
           -> (world -> IO (VisObject b, Maybe Cursor)) -- ^ draw function, can give a different cursor
@@ -127,8 +119,8 @@
           -> Maybe (world -> Position -> world) -- ^ mouse drag callback
           -> Maybe (world -> Position -> world) -- ^ mouse move callback
           -> IO ()
-playIO sizepos name ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
-  vis sizepos name ts userState0 simFun drawFun
+playIO opts ts userState0 userDrawFun userSimFun =
+  vis opts ts userState0 simFun drawFun
   where
     drawFun (userState, _) = userDrawFun userState
     simFun (userState,time) = userSimFun time userState
diff --git a/Vis/Vis.hs b/Vis/Vis.hs
--- a/Vis/Vis.hs
+++ b/Vis/Vis.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wall #-}
 
-module Vis.Vis ( vis
+module Vis.Vis ( Options(..)
+               , vis
                , FullState
                ) where
 
@@ -14,12 +15,25 @@
 import Graphics.Rendering.OpenGL.Raw
 
 import Vis.VisObject ( VisObject(..), drawObjects, setPerspectiveMode )
+import qualified Vis.GlossColor as GC
 
--- user state and internal states
+-- | user state and internal states
 type FullState a = (a, Float)
 
-myGlInit :: Maybe ((Int,Int), (Int,Int)) -> String -> IO ()
-myGlInit sizepos progName = do
+data Options =
+  Options
+  { -- ^ optional background color
+    optBackgroundColor :: Maybe GC.Color
+    -- ^ optional (x,y) window size in pixels
+  , optWindowSize :: Maybe (Int,Int)
+    -- ^ optional (x,y) window origin in pixels
+  , optWindowPosition :: Maybe (Int,Int)
+    -- ^ window name
+  , optWindowName :: String
+  } deriving Show
+
+myGlInit :: Options -> IO ()
+myGlInit opts = do
   initialDisplayMode $= [ DoubleBuffered, RGBAMode, WithDepthBuffer ]
 
   Size x y <- get screenSize
@@ -30,13 +44,18 @@
       y0 = intScale 0.05 y
       yf = intScale 0.95 y
 
-      ((xsize,ysize),(xpos,ypos)) = fromMaybe ((xf-x0,yf-y0), (x0,y0)) sizepos
+      (xsize, ysize) = fromMaybe (xf - x0, yf - y0) (optWindowSize opts)
+      (xpos, ypos) = fromMaybe (x0,y0) (optWindowPosition opts)
 
   initialWindowSize $= Size (fromIntegral xsize) (fromIntegral ysize)
   initialWindowPosition $= Position (fromIntegral xpos) (fromIntegral ypos)
-  _ <- createWindow progName
+  _ <- createWindow (optWindowName opts)
 
-  clearColor $= Color4 0 0 0 0
+  case optBackgroundColor opts of
+    Nothing  -> clearColor $= Color4 0 0 0 0
+    Just col -> clearColor $= Color4 (realToFrac r) (realToFrac g) (realToFrac b) (realToFrac a)
+      where
+        (r,g,b,a) = GC.rgbaOfColor col
   shadeModel $= Smooth
   depthFunc $= Just Less
   lighting $= Enabled
@@ -79,8 +98,7 @@
 
 
 vis :: Real b =>
-       Maybe ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)) -- ^ optional (window size, window position)
-       -> String -- ^ window name
+       Options -- ^ user options
        -> Double -- ^ sample time
        -> a   -- ^ initial state
        -> (FullState a -> IO a)             -- ^ sim function
@@ -90,12 +108,12 @@
        -> Maybe (a -> Position -> a)              -- ^ motion callback
        -> Maybe (a -> Position -> a)              -- ^ passive motion callback
        -> IO ()
-vis sizepos windowname ts x0 userSimFun userDraw userSetCamera
+vis opts ts x0 userSimFun userDraw userSetCamera
   userKeyMouseCallback userMotionCallback userPassiveMotionCallback = do
   -- init glut/scene
   _ <- getArgsAndInitialize
   
-  myGlInit sizepos windowname
+  myGlInit opts
    
   -- create internal state
   let fullState0 = (x0, 0)
diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+0.7.0.0:
+- pass in user options with Options type
+- add an optional background color argument
+
 0.6.0.0:
 - use spatial-math 0.2, which uses types from `linear` package
 
diff --git a/not-gloss.cabal b/not-gloss.cabal
--- a/not-gloss.cabal
+++ b/not-gloss.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                not-gloss
-version:             0.6.1.0
+version:             0.7.0.0
 stability:           Experimental
 synopsis:            Painless 3D graphics, no affiliation with gloss
 description:{