What is a Dry Erase Board?

The dry erase board is a white note board named for its ability to be erased with a dry tissue, board eraser, or any soft dry material such as a paper towel or cloth. The secret is in the board's special dry-erase markers, that can be easily wiped clean without water or rubbing. If a regular marker or pen is used on a dry-erase board it will not come off without water and will likely stain. Only dry-erase markers should be used.

While chalkboards were once standard, chalk is messy and the boards can be difficult to read. The dry erase board has many advantages in that it is extremely light weight, its dry-erase markers or pens come in many colors, and the board itself is white, creating crisp, bright writing. It's also easier to erase the dry erase board than it is a chalkboard, and there is no dust or residue to clean up.

The dry erase board, also called a white board, comes in virtually all sizes and is utilized in countless applications. Lawyers, advertisers, and executives of all kinds make use of large, framed white boards on rolling easels for everything from presentations to employee conferences. Many classrooms use mounted dry erase boards instead of chalkboards. Restaurants often list their soup of the day or blue plate specials on smaller boards, and a white board mounted by the kitchen telephone is great for jotting messages, grocery lists and reminders.

The dry erase board can come imprinted with a permanent grid or template, such as a weekly work schedule or calendar. The grid or template remains while the information written within it can be erased and updated. Special suppliers can create a custom template suited perfectly to the client's purposes. A hospital might avail itself of a custom dry erase board to keep track of operating schedules or basic information in the fast-moving ER.

Because dry erase boards are lightweight they can be hung easily on any wall. Small, personal boards are very inexpensive and commonly framed in white plastic. They can be affixed to the wall with simple double-sided tape, while larger boards are framed in aluminum or wood and can be hung traditionally. There is even a type of dry erase board sold in rolls of any length, 5 feet (1.5 meters) in height, to be used as wall covering. This can be handy for working on storylines, theorems, or other highly involved projects.

From industrial applications to custom applications, from wall coverings to personal note boards, the dry erase board can be useful to virtually everyone.