Whiteboards versus chalkboards

When buying a board many face the dilemma whether it should be a functional and easy to clean whiteboard or a classic and familiar chalk board. There are many factors that can influence your decision such as price, functionality, aesthetics etc. In order to make this choice a little easier this article describes and compares both.

Chalkboard

A chalkboard, or blackboard, is a reusable writing surface on which text and drawings are made with chalk, a stick of calcium carbonate. Blackboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone, however modern versions are mainly green as the colour is considered easier on the eyes. Chalkboards are usually painted with matte dark paint. The highest grade chalkboards are made of rough version porcelain enamelled steel: black, dark green or blue.

The chalk marks can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth, a sponge or a special chalkboard eraser. Sticks of processed ’chalk’, made from gypsum, are produced especially for use with chalkboards in white as well as other colours.
James Pillans, headmaster of the Royal High School in Edinburgh, is considered the inventor of the chalkboard. He used it with coloured chalk to teach geography. The term ‘blackboard’ dates from around 1815 to 1825 while the newer, American term ‘chalkboard’ dates from 1935 to 1940. Chalkboards are often used in teaching, although in wealthier countries their use has significantly declined.

 Whiteboard

A whiteboard, dry-wipe board, dry-erase board, marker-board or pen-board, is usually white and glossy and is used as surface for non-permanent markings. In the mid-1990s the demand for whiteboards increased as they have become an indispensable piece of equipment to many offices, meeting rooms and school classrooms. They have now largely replaced black or green chalkboards as the most popular and functional in work environments.

The big change began around 1994-1995 when it became clear that chalk dust was harmful to health, computers and other office machines. Chalk’s airborne particles can easily get into computer frames, monitors and keyboards. So, at the time when computers became common and easily available at schools, whiteboards and dry erase boards began taking the place of classic chalkboards.
It is generally thought that the whiteboard was invented by Martin Heit, a photographer, who realised that film negatives could serve as an easy to wipe surface to write on with markers. However, when his whiteboard prototype burned down the night before its unveiling Mr. Heit chose to sell the idea to Dri-Mark.

Early whiteboards were made out of film laminate. Other types of whiteboard surfaces included: melamine or enameled hardboard, painted steel or aluminium and porcelain-on-steel magnetic surface. Enamel-on-steel magnetic whiteboards have gone through some transformations and improvements, such as cost reduction and a reduction in glare caused by the glossy surface.
The whiteboard pen was invented by Jerry Woolf working for Techform Laboratories and then patented by Pilot Pen in 1960s. It’s a non-permanent marker and uses an erasable ink for non-permanent writing. The ink adheres to the writing surface without being absorbed by it.

Advantages to chalkboards in comparison to whiteboards:

Chalk is an order of magnitude cheaper than whiteboard markers for a comparable amount of writing.
Chalk requires no special care whereas whiteboard markers must be capped at all times or else they dry out.
It is easier to draw lines of different thicknesses with chalk than with whiteboard markers. Markers on whiteboards are generally less pressure sensitive, making it harder to draw heavier/lighter lines.
Chalk has a mild smell, whereas whiteboard markers often have a very strong odour.
Chalk drawings often provide better contrast than whiteboard markers, which helps read at distance.
It is very difficult to determine the amount of ink remaining in whiteboard markers, only when it fades in colour it becomes apparent that the ink is low.

Advantages to whiteboards in comparison to blackboards:

A whiteboard can be used as the projecting screen for an overhead or video projector which allows a person giving the presentation to add notes, edit and make comments directly onto the whiteboard.
A whiteboard pen is more convenient than chalk as well as easier to hold and write with.
Chalk produces dust which some people are allergic to or may find uncomfortable. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, there is a connection between chalk dust and allergy and asthma problems. The chalk dust also affects dust-sensitive equipment such as computers.

Overall chalkboards have a classic look that cannot be replaced by whiteboards but whiteboards are more functional and much cheaper.

Did you know…?

• Albert Einstein did much of his important work using chalkboards.
• The chalkboard was in use in Indian schools in the 11th century according to Alberuni’s Indica written in the early 11th century. Small black tablets were used by children in schools.
• Most classrooms reduce this risk by using non-toxic low-dust and dust-free chalk as dust particles from chalkboard can cause or exacerbate respiratory problems
• Chalkboard manufacturers often advise that new chalkboards should be completely covered using the side of a chalk and then brushed off as normal to prepare it for use.
• The sound of fingernails scratching across a chalkboard is: After serious research into the matter, it’s now understood that it’s actually some of the lower-frequency sound vibrations involved in this action that trigger the aversion response, and not the squeaky higher ones you might suspect.

Chalkboards | Whiteboard | Chalk | Drywipe Markers | Drywipe Eraser