attributes of the @code{fringe} face for colors that @var{face} didn't
specify. If @var{face} is omitted, that means to use the attributes
of the @code{default} face for the colors which the @code{fringe} face
-didn't specify.
+didn't specify. For predictable results that don't depend on the
+attributes of the @code{default} and @code{fringe} faces, we recommend
+you never omit @var{face}, but always provide a specific face. In
+particular, if you want the bitmap to be always displayed in the
+@code{fringe} face, use @code{fringe} as @var{face}.
For instance, to display an arrow in the left fringe, using the
@code{warning} face, you could say something like: