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What to Look for in Dry Erase Boards

By Otto On January 29, 2010 Under Reference and Education

You may think dry erase boards are a fairly straightforward subject, but there is a tremendous array of options available. It really all depends on the application.

A dry erase board is traditionally a tool used in busniess and education, but people are finding models and options more appropriate for the household, using them for quick notes or temporary artwork.

The dry erase board has generally replaced the chalkboard as the standard medium for writing and displaying information to a large group. started to understand the value of whiteboards}. With the low level of mess, the broad color options in the pens, and creative options that these features open up, users are finding the benefits worth the cost.

Actually, prices have gone down considerably in recent years as manufacturers have increased production to meet the growing demand.

While it may seems like all dry erase boards are made of the same stuff, nothing could be further from the truth. They may look the same, but the materials it is made out of greatly change its performance. The more durable the board is, and the better the material quality, the higher the price. On the other hand, a high-quality board can be used for the life of a building without needing to be replaced, even with heavy use. These heavy-duty boards are typically made of stainless steel and have a porcelain surface covered over with a thick laminate. They’re every bit as heavy as old-style chalkboards and require firm, permanent mounting for safe use.

The other extreme is the cheaper dry erase boards which are made of a variety of inexpensive and less durable materials. Materials used as a bad include cardboard, wood, particleboard, Masonite, and stainless steel. Sometimes these are offered in color options from plain white to pretty much any color you in the rainbow. Some boards are done with simplicity in mind, simply providing a thin steel surface with a light coat of laminate. Boards that are smaller often take on these variations because the market usually calls for more variety and personalization. Because household users probably won’t be presenting information to a large crowd of people, the optics and contrast aren’t as essential of concerns.

Whiteboards with a steel base or frame have the added advantage of being magnetic, allowing for easy placement of additional visual aids to augment whatever’s being presented on the board.

The electronic dry erase board is the pinnacle of technology for presentation. A few different companies manufacture these boards, including Panasonic. There are many different types of boards that can dramatically improve usability compared to the standard dry erase boards. Electronic boards often allow for instant digital imaging of that which is being written, in addition to whatever papers or other materials are stuck on it. This can eliminate or augment note-taking, allowing for the audience members to receive their own printout of what was presented on the board. This is extremely effective for complex presentations, allowing viewers to engage more completely in the live presentation. Some users find that PowerPoint, or similar programs which are the go-to option for digital recording of presentations, is far too sterile for some subjects. Electronic whiteboards are ideal for presentations that need to be digitally recorded, but which benefit from the kinetic energy of ideas being outlined in a visual way.

Whiteboards can even be cutomized to fit a wide variety of uses. One available option is printed lines across the board itself. These can find application in music lessons or ruled lines for practicing writing. Dry erase presentation boards can even be printed with a grid pattern for architectural, engineering, or mathematical purposes, or geographic maps for educational applications. For athletic applications, we offer pre-printed options for your convenience. These pre-printed lines save time and effort for users in these applications, providing reliably clean lines that do not erase and present the subject clearly.

Weigh your needs with the available options and prices and then choose carefully. The products themselves should be test personally. This allows for a good buying decision based on real functionality and visibility for audiences in any setting.

 

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