Why do they print brown letters on black chip packages?

[Braeden Hamson]

Did all these engineers just not have a grasp of graphic design? Should engineers mingle more with those art folk so they can understand that nobody can read brown on black? Maybe the engineers only see the world in shades of grey and brown. That'd explain why they only wear brown sweaters. But seriously, is it because they laser engrave all the chips or something? Why not make it like, easy to read. SME resistors are easy enough to read.

 

[kellys_eye]

Yes, laser engraving is the reason the print is 'brown'.

There's a trick going around where you smear a VERY tiny portion of white silicon heat compound on the chips and it 'reveals' the print a lot more clearly if it's a particular issue for you.

 

[Harald Kapp]

Or use sticky tape, see last entry here.

 

[BobK]

Funny how I never noticed that when I was twenty.

My pet peeve is audio components with dark gray labels on black. Made worse by the fact that I am trying to read them in a dakened media room.

Bob

 

[Irv]

I am of the opinion that they print dark gray text on black backgrounds so that the user will be very likely to plug something in wrong, and subsequently have to purchase another device.