Black PCB Board – Which PCB Solder Mask to Choose?

You may have already seen traditional, green colored PCBs but in rare situations, you may come across red, yellow, blue, white and even black PCBs boards. Most of the time, different colored PCB boards are available without any additional cost. The color variation is due to the solder mask, which is one of the parameters that you have to select when acquiring PCB fabrication services. However, you may wonder what particular benefits of choosing a solder mask of a color other than green are. Continue reading to find out more.

Green Solder Mask

Coupled with a white silkscreen, a green solder mask is standard. There is a reason why a green solder mask is a favorite among manufacturers; the high disparity between the traces, empty spaces and the planes make the defects visible to the naked eye.  Additionally, it is also easier to clean the flux residue from green PCBs.

Black Solder Mask

There is just something amazing about a black PCB board. A board of this color has almost zero contrast with the traces but yet, it appeals to many electronic hobbyists. In order to inspect the traces for defects manually, magnifying glass is required along with light angling in a particular direction. On the other hand, the silkscreen contrasts perfectly. As a matter of fact, without proper lighting, the pads and the silkscreen are the only things visible on the black PCB board. A board of this color has another unsettling feature; heat absorption when the current re-flows. This also causes the silkscreen to turn brownish from crisp white. On a brighter note, black PCBs are the best for mounting LEDs on.

Red Solder Mask

Red solder mask looks professional and the contrast between the spaces, planes and the traces is higher, but relatively lower than that offered by the green solder mask. As a result of this, the fine traces are best examined under magnification. Flux residue is just as easy to clean as it is with the green PCB and the silkscreen has decent visibility. Traces are invisible despite showering the light at an angle. The only thing that is worth commending the white solder mask on is that the black silkscreen stands out when placed on it. Apart from this, white PCBs are boring and the components seem as if they are floating on the clouds so to speak.

White Solder Mask

If you really think that it is really impossible to see the routing on blue and black PCB boards, boards with a white color are far worse than any other colored solder mask due to the lack of visibility to determine what is placed on it.

Blue Solder Mask

Have you ever looked at Arduino boards? They are dark blue in color and this is the shade of solder mask you get on the PCB if you choose the color blue. Just like black PCB boards, ones with blue solder mask also have the least contrast between the spaces, traces and planes. This is why magnification is absolutely necessary for looking at manufacturing defects. In addition, the silkscreen is also really prominent, making it the best selection for a heavily labeled board like, such as the black boards. Other properties are also similar to those displayed by black PCBs. Such boards are best for LED circuits as the flux residues and dirt shows up frequently on them, making them easier to clean.

Yellow Solder Mask

A solder mask having a yellow color is sort of de-saturated. A high contrast exists between the planes, spaces and copper traces.  Want to flaunt your beautiful routing? Yellow PCB boards are just the ones for you. However, along with these advantages, there are also some cons; the white silkscreen is obscure and hard to see on it. On the contrary, yellow is also quite easy to clean as dirt is easily visible on it.