What Colors Go Well on a Black Display Board

Black Backgrounds

• Black display boards offer a special set of challenges for the display of information. The reason humans interpret black as a dark color is its low reflectivity. Black readily absorbs light instead of reflecting it back to the viewer. Black's low reflectivity makes it a poor background for the display of information, regardless of the color used. Many educational institutions have switched to white boards because they are much easier for students to see. However, if a black background must be used, certain colors will display better than others.

Contrast

• When using a black display board colors with a high level of contrast will make your information much easier to see. Contrast, for our purposes, is a measure of the difference in intensity between the color used and the black background. White provides the highest level of contrast when used on a black background. Dark blue, brown and gray have a very low level of contrast against a black background.

Muted vs. Bright Colors

• Always avoid muted colors when using them against a black display board. Since black reflects so little light back to the viewer, it is important to use the brightest version of a color on the black to maximize the amount of light reflected to the viewer. Yellow is a color with a good level of contrast against black. If you use a muted yellow, the contrast level is still good, but the muted yellow will reflect less light than a brighter yellow will.

Translucence

• When working with a black display board avoid color mediums that are translucent in nature. Translucent paints, inks or markers allow light to pass through them and be absorbed by the black background. This results in your text or imagery having a lower contrast or muted appearance. This will make your display much more difficult to see.

Suggested Colors

• Suggested colors for use on a black display board are light colors such as white, yellow and light green. These colors have very good contrast to black and are generally not muted so they offer good reflectivity, making them easier to see. Remember to avoid translucent mediums and your black board will make a fine display.