Quick answer: Coloured glassboards do far more than add a splash of decoration. The right hue can support dyslexia and SEN accessibility, reinforce your brand identity, zone open-plan spaces, and influence how people feel and focus at work. Presentation Spaces stocks magnetic coloured glassboards in a wide range of finishes, with custom RAL colours available on request.
Colour psychology: how glassboard colour affects mood and focus
Colour science is well-established in workplace design. Choosing a glassboard colour thoughtfully means every meeting room, breakout area or reception wall does a job beyond writing space.
- Blue and green promote calm, concentration and wellbeing. They are rooted in natural associations with sky, water and landscape, making them well suited to focused workspaces, study rooms and therapy environments.
- Red and orange signal urgency, energy and action. Useful in creative studios, briefing rooms or anywhere you want to prompt quick decisions, but use them in limited doses to avoid overstimulation.
- Yellow projects optimism and warmth. It works well in creative agencies, collaborative areas and classrooms where you want to encourage open thinking.
- White and light grey remain versatile and neutral, maximising contrast for writing and pairing with almost any interior scheme.
Mixing board colours across zones is often more effective than committing to a single hue throughout a building. Think about what each space needs to achieve first, then choose accordingly.
Dyslexia, SEN and accessibility: the case for tinted glassboards
Not all glassboards are used for corporate branding. A growing number of schools, further education colleges and SEND units specify tinted boards specifically because certain pastel tints reduce visual stress for readers with dyslexia, Irlen syndrome or other processing differences.
Research into coloured overlays and reading suggests that softer backgrounds, including pale yellow, soft green and light blue, can reduce the contrast glare associated with stark white surfaces. A coloured glassboard offers a permanent, washable alternative to coloured overlays and sticky-note workarounds.
If you are specifying for an SEN or inclusive environment, the Premier Coloured Magnetic Glass Wipe Boards range includes a broad palette that covers the pastel end of the spectrum as well as bold statement colours. All write and erase cleanly with standard dry-wipe markers.
Alongside colour choice, keep accessibility principles in mind when writing on any coloured board:
- Never rely on colour alone to show emphasis. Underline or use capitals as a secondary indicator.
- Check that your marker colour contrasts sufficiently with the board surface. Black or dark blue on a mid-tone board is usually the safest combination.
- Avoid cluttered layouts that increase visual load.
Space zoning: using coloured glassboards to define areas
Open-plan offices and schools often lack clear spatial boundaries. A deliberately chosen glassboard colour is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to signal "this area is for X" without building walls.
- Reception and entrance areas: brand colours here set the tone for visitors and reinforce identity from the moment they walk in.
- Focused work zones: cool blues and greens help occupants settle into deep work. They also look calm on video calls.
- Collaboration and brainstorming areas: warmer or more saturated colours signal an environment where energy and interaction are welcome.
- Breakout and kitchen areas: a bold accent colour here differentiates these spaces from the working floor without a structural change.
- Classroom subject areas: a distinctive colour per subject or key stage helps younger pupils navigate the room and associate the writing wall with a particular activity.
If you need a large writing surface that spans an entire wall, the Silk Wall and Mood Wall glass writing wall systems are available in multiple colours and can be cut to size to fit irregular rooms.
Brand alignment: matching glassboards to your colour scheme
Most businesses invest significantly in defining a brand palette. Using a glassboard that matches or complements those colours extends the brand into the built environment in a functional way, rather than as a purely decorative gesture.
Presentation Spaces offers coloured glassboards in a wide standard range, and custom RAL colours are available on selected products for precise brand matching. This is especially useful for franchises, hotel chains, co-working operators and corporate clients who need consistency across multiple sites.
When briefing a custom colour, supply the RAL or Pantone reference from your brand guidelines. The finish should be checked against a physical swatch before committing to a large installation, as screen rendering of glass-backed colour is not always accurate.
Interior design: choosing a glassboard colour that works with your space
Beyond function, a coloured glassboard is a design element. The toughened glass surface catches light differently from a painted wall and the result can be striking or subtle depending on the colour chosen.
A few practical considerations when matching boards to interiors:
- Contrast with walls: a board in a similar tone to the wall behind it will recede. If you want the board to function as a feature wall as well as a writing surface, choose a tone that reads distinctly from its background.
- Lighting: natural light shifts colour temperature through the day. Check how your chosen colour looks under both daylight and artificial lighting before ordering.
- Colour associations: beyond psychology, colour carries cultural associations. Red, for example, reads as energetic in one context and as a warning signal in another. Green in a healthcare setting carries different weight than it does in a co-working space. Consider your audience and context.
Browse the full range of finishes in the glassboards collection to compare standard stock colours and available custom options.
Browse coloured glassboards → See the full glassboards range at Presentation Spaces
Frequently asked questions about coloured glassboards
What colour glassboard is best for dyslexia?
Pale yellow, soft green and light blue are the most commonly recommended tinted backgrounds for readers with dyslexia or Irlen syndrome, as they reduce the contrast glare of stark white surfaces. Individual preference varies, so if you are specifying for a SEND setting it is worth trialling two or three pastel tints before committing to a large order. The Premier Coloured Magnetic Glass Wipe Boards range covers the pastel end of the palette alongside bolder colours.
Do coloured glassboards come in custom colours?
Yes. Presentation Spaces offers custom RAL colour matching on selected glassboard products, which makes it straightforward to align your board to a specific brand palette or interior scheme. Supply your RAL or Pantone reference when enquiring. Lead times for custom colours are longer than for standard stock, so factor this into your project timeline.
Can you write on a coloured glassboard with any dry-wipe marker?
Standard dry-wipe markers work on all coloured glassboards. For the best contrast, use dark marker colours, particularly black or dark blue, on mid-tone and saturated boards. On lighter pastel boards, most standard marker colours read clearly. Avoid permanent markers, which will stain the glass surface.
Are coloured glassboards magnetic?
Most coloured glassboards from Presentation Spaces are magnetic, including the Premier Coloured Magnetic Glass Wipe Boards range. This means you can attach documents, notes and colour-coded magnets directly to the surface, which adds another layer of zoning and organisational flexibility to the board.
How do I choose between a coloured glassboard and a coloured writing wall?
A standard glassboard suits a fixed, framed installation in meeting rooms, classrooms and offices. A glass writing wall system such as the Mood Wall or Silk Wall is better suited to large continuous surfaces, corridor installations or spaces where you want an unframed, seamless look. Writing walls can be trimmed to fit awkward dimensions and cover a greater area than individual panels.
Will the colour fade over time?
The colour in a toughened glass glassboard is applied to the rear face of the glass and protected by it, so it does not come into contact with markers, cleaning products or UV light in the same way a painted surface would. Under normal indoor use, coloured glassboards retain their colour for many years without fading.
To discuss colours, custom RAL matching or quantities, contact the Presentation Spaces team via the contact page or call 01382 913 913.
