Let you know about PCBs of different colors: Black PCB vs green PCB

Table of Contents

The color of PCB not only affects its appearance, but is also closely related to material properties and application scenarios. Black PCB uses a special black solder mask layer, which gives it a unique appearance and is also suitable for high-power and high-performance electronic devices. Green PCB is widely used in consumer electronics and industrial control equipment due to its high contrast and good recognition, which is convenient for identification during production and inspection.

Let you know about PCBs of different colors: Black PCB vs green PCB

What is Black FR4 PCB?

The black FR4 PCB is a printed circuit board with FR4 material as the substrate and black solder mask ink coated on the surface. The following is a detailed introduction about it:

1. FR4 material properties:

Composition and structure: FR4 is a plate-shaped laminated product made of special electronic cloth impregnated with epoxy phenolic resin and other materials, and hot-pressed at high temperature and high pressure. It uses glass fiber cloth as a reinforcing material and epoxy resin as an adhesive to form a composite material.

Performance characteristics: It has high mechanical properties and can withstand certain external impact and pressure, ensuring that the circuit board is not easily damaged during use and assembly; it has good dielectric properties and is an excellent electrical insulator, which can effectively isolate different parts of the circuit, prevent short circuits and leakage, and ensure the stability of signal transmission.

2. The role of black solder mask:

Insulation protection: Like other colors of solder mask, black solder mask can cover the non-conductive area of the circuit board to prevent short circuits between different lines, protect the circuit from external factors, improve the electrical insulation performance of the circuit board, and extend its service life.

Appearance and logo: Black gives the circuit board a high-end, mysterious and professional visual experience, making the product more attractive in appearance. It is often used in some electronic products that have special requirements for appearance or pursue a unique brand image.

Soldering and anti-corrosion: During the welding process, the solder mask can open windows at the designated welding position so that the solder flows only where it is needed, improve the welding quality, and reduce the occurrence of welding defects such as cold soldering and short circuits. At the same time, it can also protect the copper foil circuit from moisture, oxygen and other corrosive substances in the environment, prevent copper foil oxidation and corrosion, thereby ensuring the conductivity and reliability of the circuit board.

3. Application areas:

High-end consumer electronic products: such as high-end smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., black FR4 PCB can enhance the overall texture and grade of the product, matching the stylish appearance design of the product.

Automation equipment: With its good mechanical and electrical properties, black FR4 PCB can adapt to factors such as vibration, shock, and temperature changes in industrial environments, and is widely used in industrial controllers, automated production line equipment, robots and other equipment.

Communication equipment: Black FR4 PCB can meet the requirements of communication equipment for electrical performance and heat dissipation performance, and its appearance can also be consistent with the professional image of communication equipment.

Medical equipment: Black FR4 PCB has good insulation and mechanical properties, which can ensure the stable operation of medical equipment during long-term use. It is often used in medical monitoring equipment, diagnostic equipment, treatment equipment and other fields.

What is Green PCB?

Green PCB refers to a printed circuit board with a layer of green solder mask ink coated on its surface. The main function of this layer of green ink is to prevent the physical disconnection of the conductor circuit, prevent short circuits caused by bridging during welding, and ensure that welding is only performed on the parts that must be welded to avoid solder waste.

Advantages of green PCB

Visual effect and recognition: Green has better visual effect than other colors in the yellow light room, making the logo and tracking lines on the circuit board more clearly visible. In addition, in the surface mount technology (SMT) welding process, the green background helps optical positioning calibration and improves production efficiency and quality.

Environmental protection and cost: Green ink is relatively environmentally friendly, and due to the large amount of green ink in the market, the cost is relatively low. For a long time, the widespread use of green ink in PCB manufacturing has also made its procurement cost low.

Convenience of observation and maintenance for workers: Under strong light, green is less irritating to the eyes, allowing workers to maintain clear vision for longer and reduce eye fatigue. In addition, the green background makes the wiring clearer and reduces the difficulty of maintenance.

Black PCB vs green PCB: Which one is better?

Black PCB board and green PCB each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and choosing which one is better depends on the specific application requirements.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Black PCB

Advantages:

High-end and technological sense: Black PCB usually gives people a high-end and technological impression, suitable for high-end electronic products such as high-frequency circuits and high-speed signal transmission circuits, and can provide better signal isolation and electromagnetic interference (EMI) control.

High light shielding: Black PCB has high light shielding, and the appearance looks more high-end and atmospheric, suitable for application scenarios that require high aesthetics.

Disadvantages:

Complex production process: The production process of black PCB is relatively complex, and it is easy to cause process problems due to insufficient light, such as unclear circuit graphics development, decreased alignment accuracy, etc., which increases the scrap rate and leads to higher costs.

Heat absorption: Black PCB absorbs more heat, which may increase the risk of overheating of sensitive components.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Green PCB

Advantages:

Widely used and mature process: Green PCB is the most common color, the production process is relatively mature and stable, the curing time is short and the performance is stable, and there are rarely problems such as solder mask bridge shedding.

High visibility and contrast: Green PCB contrasts sharply with white text, enhances readability, and is suitable for application scenarios that require high visibility.

Environmental protection: The ink used in green PCB is relatively environmentally friendly and does not contain conductive components, which reduces the risk of short circuits and the risk of toxic gas release.

Disadvantages:

Traditional appearance: Green PCB gives people a traditional and reliable feeling, which may not be suitable for all high-end or modern design needs.

Application scenario comparison

Black PCB: Suitable for high-frequency circuits, high-speed signal transmission circuits, high-end computers and other semiconductor applications because of its good signal isolation and EMI control capabilities.

Green PCB: Green PCB is widely used in consumer electronics and industrial control equipment due to its good visibility and recognition.

What is White PCB?

White PCB is a circuit board with a white solder mask on the surface, which is usually used in high-end electronic devices and precision instruments.

1. Definition and characteristics

Color: The color of white PCB is limited to white, which makes it more convenient to check the existing circuit.

Price: Compared with conventional green PCB, the production cost of white PCB is higher because more processes and special materials are required.

Manufacturing difficulty: The manufacturing of white PCB is more complicated than other types of PCB.

2. Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

Beautiful and elegant: The white appearance is more concise and fashionable, suitable for high-end products such as high-end headphones, watches, etc.

Easy to identify: During assembly and repair, white PCBs are easier to identify solder joints and components, especially in darker environments.

Good thermal conductivity: White PCBs have good thermal conductivity, which helps to dissipate heat and improve product stability and life.

Disadvantages:

High production cost: More processes and materials are required during the manufacturing process, resulting in increased costs.

Difficult welding test: The surface color is brighter and the light reflectivity is strong, making the welding test process more difficult.

Not suitable for high-frequency circuits: Due to the high dielectric constant of white PCBs, they are not suitable for high-frequency circuit design.

What is Yellow PCB?

Yellow PCB refers to a printed circuit board (PCB) with a yellow solder mask (covering layer) coated on the surface. Yellow PCB is not common in PCB manufacturing, mainly because it has a poor contrast with the traces and screen printing, which easily hides the traces and affects readability and visibility.

Characteristics and uses of yellow PCB

Poor contrast: Yellow PCB has poor contrast with traces and screen printing, which makes it less visually clear than PCBs of other colors.

Antistatic layer: Yellow solder resist is often used for antistatic layer, which can effectively prevent static electricity from interfering with the circuit and improve the reliability and stability of the circuit board. In addition, yellow solder resist can maintain its original color after metallization and is often used in radio equipment.

How should the PCB color be selected?

Selecting the right PCB color requires consideration of multiple factors, including the effect of color on readability and aesthetics, the feasibility of the production process, and the needs of the application scenario.

PCBs of different colors and their advantages and disadvantages

Green PCB: Green is the most common PCB color and is widely used for its good contrast and readability. The surface treatment of green PCB reflects less light, which helps reduce glare and is suitable for most application scenarios.

Red PCB: Red PCB has high visibility and is suitable for high-end electronic devices and parts that need to be highlighted. The red solder resist is easy to control during production, with fewer problems of bubbles and thickness, and is suitable for use in high temperature and harsh environments.

Blue PCB: Blue PCB provides good appearance and recognition and is suitable for electronic products that require a high-tech feel. However, the blue solder mask has high fluidity and is prone to oil accumulation, so special attention should be paid during production.

Black PCB: Black PCB has high light shielding and aesthetics, but it absorbs heat and increases the risk of component overheating. Black PCB should not be used in high-temperature applications.

White PCB: White PCB is easy to identify in low-light environments and is suitable for applications that require high reflectivity, such as lamps and optical equipment.

Yellow PCB: Yellow PCB was once widely used, but has poor contrast with routing and screen printing and is now less used.

Recommendations for choosing PCB colors

Choose according to application scenarios: If high contrast and readability are required, green or blue PCBs are better choices; if high visibility and high temperature environments are required, red PCBs are more suitable.

Consider the production process: Different colors of solder mask have different requirements for the production process, and production efficiency and cost-effectiveness should be considered when choosing.

Aesthetics and design style: Choose the right color according to the overall design style of the product, such as red for activeness and enthusiasm, and blue for calmness and technology.

PCBs of different colors each have their own unique advantages and application scenarios. Green PCB is widely used in consumer electronics and industrial control equipment due to its good visibility and recognition. Black PCB is often used in high-performance electronic devices due to its high-end appearance and excellent heat dissipation performance.

As a professional PCB manufacturer, BEST Technology can provide PCBs in a variety of colors to meet the needs of different customers. Whether it is the pursuit of aesthetics or specific functions, we can provide you with high-quality solutions. Please feel free to contact us at sales@bestpcbs.com to get the best PCB color solution.