Talk:Black/Archive 1

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Archive 1

Protected page

I have protected this page due to persistent vandalism. Regards. -Shougunner (talk) 17:26, 17 May 2008 (UTC)81.158.49.71 (talk) 17:25, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

Why was there so much discussion about black people in this talk page?

Why was there so much discussion about black people here? This article is about the color black, not black people. If you want to discuss black people, go to talk:Black people. I've moved all of the discussion about black people to the appropriate talk page. Helicoptor 17:01, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

Unsourced

The vast majority of this article is unsourced. Anything that is especially valuable that should be retained? - brenneman {L} 00:55, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

It is not footnoted, to be sure, but deleting legitimate material for that reason alone seems like self-destructiveness. Paul B 01:48, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
I've added a {{fact}} tag to a recent unsourced entry. I'd like to remove items without sources after they have been tagged like this and no sources are found. - brenneman {L} 02:18, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Redirect

Shouldn't the word "Kuro" redirect here? I mean, after all, Kuro does mean black, black as in color...

I totally agree here. That makes perfect logical sense since it is refering to the exact same color(/absence thereof). Jenerix525 17:46, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Deletion

I deleted the following sentence from the article:

Manifestations of centuries of racist philosophy (disseminated by whites, Arabs, and other "fair" skinned people) are evident in the continued perception of black inferiority within and outside black populations (ie. the racist stereotype that black people are more often criminals).

Assertions of this kind are not fit for an encylopedia. It is subjective and unverifiable.--130.85.194.105 23:58, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

"Black belt" in martial arts

The reference to black as the color of the belt for the highest-ranking martial artists in many modern schools of martial arts should be subsumed under the reference to kuro (Japanese for "black") as a symbol of nobility, age, and experience in Japanese culture. The coloring of the belts in these schools of martial arts is a direct reflection of the color-ranking scheme of Japanese culture.

actually in sama (southern area martial arts) karate their is a second black belt which is the next colour on from black and it has a white stripe around it so techinically not the highest belt can some body change this for me cos always scared that get it wrong but that's your sitaction thank ooo --Wwjd333 23:41, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Is this in Biblical order?

That is, "Seek and ye shall find". What is the logic of the order of these entries? Suggest alphabetical only. I have differentiated between "blacklisted" and "blackballed" here, which are not the same thing at all. I have also provided "blackmail" with a short definition, pinched from the eponymous entry.

Moreover, some entries have an explanation, others don't. Why does Black Thursday get a brief explanation, but the infamous "Black Hole of Calcutta" gets none. Myles325a 11:00, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Color absorption

This is a little strange, but i have a bet going with some of my friends. They claim that black attracts sunlight, and more sunlight comes to black objects than white. I think that black absorbs more light and lets less light bounce off, but the same ammount of light comes to black objects as white. Does anyone know for sure? --72.200.167.205 22:05, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

You're right. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.10.133.111 (talk) 02:39, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Obviously, objects all receive the same amount of sunlight in the vicinity but black deal with it very differently to white. No brainer, SqueakBox 02:48, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
Although gravity can bend light toward it, two bodies in space of the same density and mass will, regardless of colour, identical light-bending properties. If two bodies the size of the Earth were side by side, one painted pure white and the other painted pure black, a photon passing directly between the two bodies will be no more attracted to the one body than the other. I'm 99.9% sure this is correct, and if it should ever turn out that it is not, that will be a surprise not only to me but to the mass of the scientific community.
Yours, [User:Allixpeeke|allixpeeke]] (talk) 07:49, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions

Where are the sources for this section?? Kemet 20:22, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Black color and heat?

This article does not mention that the light that gets swallowed in a black object doesn't just disappear. According to my understanding it gets transformed to heat? (black car getting hotter than a white one) I would love to get more information about this process in the article. --Nathanael Bar-Aur L. 02:19, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

Cat image

That cat isn't black. To me it looks more like dark grey. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.10.133.111 (talk) 02:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Black cats can be good luck

For some reason in America black cats are bad luck... I changed it to make it more universal. I'm not at my best, though, so could someone please edit it a bit to make it better? Lazyguythewerewolf . Rawr. 21:12, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Punctuation

I have not noticed it anywhere else, but the negative symbolism list has a mis-punctuated name. The correct name is "Paint it, Black" (not entirely sure about capitalisation of Black) and not the current "Paint it Black". Me knowing this is a result of my history class doing work on music from that era (particularly the Stones and Beatles) and my particular history teacher stressing the significance of the comma. (Apparently, there is enough to write books on it. Was it an instruction to a man named Black, and other random theories.) I will add in the comma. If anyone disagrees with this they should reverse the change and state the reason for that here. Jenerix525 17:46, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

After a quick check, the capitalisation seems right. Also, without the comma Paint It Black is the name of a band. Jenerix525 17:51, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Black Triangle Badge

Possible entry:

  • Black triangle (badge), used in Nazi concentration camps to represent those determined to be "asocial". It is now used by lesbians as a sign of pride and solidarity.

However, while it was used as negative in the past, I think its modern usage is more positive. Where should it go? --Melissia 18:47, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

Insulting name

You cannot even imagine to how many people the name of this article is insulting. I suggest to move the article to Ultimately dark and replace all derogatory words in the article's body.--Certh 12:13, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

I was going to add a citation to this article but can't seem to do so since it's locked.

The citation is a link to: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/01/16/2139711.htm which is for the citation that is requested on the statement about the carbon nano-tubes are 30 blacker than the current standard of blackness. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jegbert (talk • contribs) 20:49, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Music

{{editsemiprotected}}

can anyone capable, change the first line in the music section:

with :

or just add another line to the section, as Jackson's song is more publicly known than "Black & White" from In Flames.

I'd rather that the first song be removed, as the music section in 'black' should not be an extensive list of music titles containing the word 'black', but rather a short list of the more famous titles.

also, for anyone wanting to comment that in the Black or White single, the artist is not referring to black with the general 'color' meaning, may I point out that other titles listed there also do the same thing: Black Metal and The Black Album refer by black to dark, negative lyrics & music genre in general, and Amy Winehouse's title refers from what I understand to the singer's mood after a break up. Kaly J. (talk) 12:04, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Done I added it to the section since the current scheme appears to be a collection of short, eclectic lists and this addition only brings that section to ten entries. Cheers, Celestra (talk) 14:13, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Black Friday is not the busiest shopping day

I don't know how to cite the absence of a fact but according to Snopes Black Friday is not the busiest shopping day of the year - http://www.snopes.com/holidays/thanksgiving/shopping.asp Padillah (talk) 19:37, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

Artists using black

Artists who have focused serious attention on Black in the whole of their careers, or in series' should be included on the black page such as: Ad Reinhardt, Kasimir Malevich, Franz Kline, Frank Stella, Gunter Umberg, Richard Serra, Vincent Como, Robert Rauschenberg, Terrence Koh, Frank Haines, Gabriel Schuldiner, Pierre Soulages... Euripides Smalls (talk) 23:04, 17 July 2009 (UTC)ES

No etymology?

How come there is no Etymology of black: the roots, where it came from, and no greek perspective of black either which is a shame. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gustav Ulsh Iler (talk • contribs) 06:57, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Politics

Isn't black the colour of counterrevolution, as opposed to red of revolution, viz. Le rouge et le noir, Stendhal, etc.I'm not sure which article should contain info on this. 129.67.138.111 (talk) 15:39, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

the Noir in Rouge et Noir refers to the clergy. If any colour signifies counter revolution, it is white. The Royalist rebels in the Revolt in the Vendee and Chouannerie were called Whites, and the counter-revolutionaries in Russia were called Whites.

Arab flags

  • Black was the color of the Arab dynasty of Abbasid caliphs, which is the reason black is frequently used in flags of Arab countries.

I don't think it should say it like this. I don't think arab countries have black stripes becauseof the abassids, but surely because of the very reasons the abassids themselves adopted black.Eugene-elgato (talk) 23:53, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

I would probably reduce the certainty of the statement in question. "It is thought by some" for instance. We don't want to be making assertions based on generalizations, especially ones that might be false. However stating that it is a prominent theory is documenting a prominent theory. --Robert Wm "Ruedii" (talk) 09:23, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Rich black

Added a link to "Rich black" which is already an article on the Wikipedia. (A common beginning graphic designer's mistake is to use K=100 (black ink) when one should use Rich black instead (many formulas exist for rich black, e.g. c=40 m=40 y=20 k=100). This of course, only applies to printing.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ll1324 (talk • contribs) 21:38, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Black ops

In ambiguity secrecy section, an addition should be made to include "black ops", as this is more specific than black projects, and more common a term in the US. Also, black helicopters might merit mention (helicopters bearing no coloring or FAA identification markings, generally used for covert operations).173.160.52.13 (talk) 20:45, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

Add another lang to lang list

Could someone with the authority to please add "ang:Sweart" to the list of this article in other languages. Gott wisst (talk) 02:38, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

Grammar mistake

Because I am not allowed to edit this page I am unable to fix a simple grammar mistake. Will a user please change the first "or" to "nor"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.241.209.220 (talk) 01:19, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

 Not done There is no "neither" to set up the "nor," so "or" is correct here. —C.Fred (talk) 14:41, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from Refinnejann, 4 May 2010 - disambiguation

{{editsemiprotected}} Please add disambiguation for sepia.

Refinnejann (talk) 14:37, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Since sepia is a dark brown-gray, and it's never described in relation to black in its article, do we need to mention it here? —C.Fred (talk) 14:39, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Sepia is mentioned in the article under Demography and is linking to the dab page. Refinnejann (talk) 14:42, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Already done -- /MWOAP|Notify Me\ 16:05, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Is black a color?

The abscence of colour is white, the absence of light is black, why are absences of colour or light regarded as not being a colour? If anything, black and white are shades of gray (Which is a colour)

There lies a paradox as to whether or not black is a color. If you use the spectrum reasoning, black not being part of the 7 component colours that make up white light, then black is not a colour. However, if black is explained as absorbing all light such that no light reflects back to an observer's eyes, then black is what the eyes perceive as "just another colour" because the eyes can't decipher which colour is it.

This is bugbear of mine, and I suppose it comes down to a question of semantics, and would be considered unproductive by most people, like the question of whether viruses are a life form or not. But here goes anyway. We see a surface as black when it is reflecting no light at visible wavelengths. Thus, it has been defined as "the absence of colour" as all the other colours are caused by non-zero wavelengths of light. My objection is that 0 IS a number, and can provide information. Thus, if you merely say "Black is not a colour because you are not seeing anything" then a philosopher might reply that your hand, not having organs of sight, is also not "seeing anything" but we would be loathe to say of the resultant lack of sensation that it is "black". More revealingly, we all have a "blind spot" on our retina, where the optic nerve cable enters the brain. We are generally unaware of it, but it can be located. In my case, I have a small blind spot right next to the fovea of my left eye, caused by retinal neuropathy. I only become aware of it when I am focusing on small print at a certain angle. When that happens, the letters simply vanish. I am not aware of any blackness at all. The difference between these preceding examples, and such an event as when I am looking at a dark sky on a cloudy night, is that the blind spot in my eye, and my hand, are not equipped to sense light at all. My eyes are, and in sensing “blackness” they are providing valuable information about the visual world.
Consider this example. You are going on a trip, and you decide with your family that when you reach your destination you will ring them. To save money, you agree that you will ring 3 times and then hang up. Your family await these 3 rings but they never come, and they begin to worry. Of course, it would be silly to say that no message had been conveyed as no sound had been issued by the phone handset. In the context of the agreement, a message has been sent by the inactivity of the sender. The same goes for the 0 wavelength of light. Physicists would be happy to say that 0 wavelength is as valid as any non-zero wavelength. After all, quantum physics is full of “virtual particles” and the like. So in the phone's case, silence is a type of sound, not the absence of sound, and blackness is a type of colour, not the absence of colour. In conclusion, remember that the most important clue in Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes’ story“Silver Blaze" from the following quotation:
Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?
Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.
Gregory: The dog did nothing in the night-time.
Holmes: That was the curious incident.
Of course, the clue was the dog didn’t bark because it had seen anything untoward. Therefore the perpetrator of the crime was someone the dog knew and trusted. The “absence of sound” in this case led to the apprehension of the perpetrator of a serious crime. So in such cases, these absences might well be regarded as “signals” every bit as important as those of a non-zero value. Myles325a 10:29, 6 April 2007 (UTC)
Black while commonly referred to as a color, is in actuality the abscence of color and as a word has several subtle differences in meaning. is the current lead sentence.
If you ask a typical person, he'll say black is a color. The American Heritage Dictionary says black is a color. I think the lead should identify black as a color, perhaps with a modifying/clarifying clause. -Grick(talk to me!) 01:35, 31 October 2006 (UTC)
I've gone ahead and copy/pasted and edited the intro from the white article. If somebody disagrees, please post here. -Grick(talk to me!) 23:53, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
If you ask me, you won't get me saying black is a colour. You'd also not get the answer from the people in the room with me now. -OOPSIE- 19:41, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Without knowing the people in the room with you OOPSI, I can't say how much credence I should give their testimony. But see "Black is not a colour" sub-heading above. Myles325a 10:31, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Black is not a color

It is not in the rainbow - it's ugly and depressing 81.156.133.211 19:38, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

A colour does not need to be in the rainbow to be a colour. A colour needs to be in the rainbow to be a hue, but not to be a colour. This is a common misunderstanding, and the reason why so many people incorrectly claim, as you have, that black is not a colour. As to whether black is "ugly" or "depressing," that's a subjective POV, one having no bearing on your claim.
Regards, allixpeeke (talk) 07:42, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
I thought it was considered a shade or is that just me misinterpreting something I heard as a kid? (Psyclon Thanatos (talk) 10:22, 5 October 2009 (UTC))
Black IS a colour the same way Atheism IS a religion.
Black is a lack of colouration. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.11.153.79 (talk) 16:58, 9 July 2010 (UTC)

Black is not a colour. Ask any scientist that you know —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.206.188.83 (talk) 15:30, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

Black IS a colour.

Proof: Definition of colour is-

"Color or Colour (according to spelling differences) is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, yellow, white, etc. " (source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour)

Since colour is about perception rather than light and we perceive black as we would perceive blue, red and green, which are also colours. Black must be a colour even thought it represents the absence of light.

What we call green, red, black etc is just a tag the brain uses to understand light. Not the light itself. When I dream I still see colour (including black) even though there is no light entering my eyes.

regards,
Stephen George

Black IS a color. It is so stupid that everyone acts like black isn't a color. There is a core misunderstanding of what color is here. Black is not a HUE. Things dependent upon an individual wavelength are hues, but colors are completely different. A color is the only thing that defines the state of an individual point of a visual object in sensory perception. That includes all hues, as well as all saturation and brightness. This means that not only are red, green, etc. colors, but so is white, brown, and black. Andrew Nutter  Talk | Contribs  18:33, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
How are you going to use Wiki as a source for trying to prove whether or not black is a color? Wiki is made by people, it's not always exact and creditable, because it's constantly being worked on. Since we're talking about colors, this is dealing with art. In art, black IS NOT a color. It is the absence of color. It consumes everything, every color, light. It drowns out everything. This should be a discussion amongst artists and those who know of science. All other opinions aren't exactly credible.
-V. Rose. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.11.60.70 (talk) 22:09, 3 June 2009 (UTC)
In point of fact no one's opinion is credible here. In wikipedia we need citations for factual statements. An acceptable definition of color and it's inclusion or exclusion of black is what is needed, not well meaning arguments. Padillah (talk) 14:49, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

Appeals to authority and majority are logical fallacies and have no business in scientific discussion. Black is a distinct absence of colouration, white is not one colour but a colouration of many colours and grey is ~99.99-0.01% colouration strength with all visible colours. This is not opinion but testable fact, how an article can claim perception of a universal property as a means of justification to claim that: an absence of something is something is a joke.

It looks black, but black isn't a colour, because infra-red looks black to the naked eye but low and behold it is definitely not black.

This is another in a string of incredibly ignorant things: how can anybody call 0 a number, it is not a number but a lack of any number, how can anybody think that darkness exists when it doesn't... This is supposed to be logical, it's a joke! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.11.153.79 (talk) 17:14, 9 July 2010 (UTC)

Black is a color by the definitions of color widely accepted in the scientific, art, and linguistic communities, and in common parlance. Philosophers have some arguments about various alternative definitions of color (arguments that stretch back >2000 years, with mostly the same considerations today as centuries ago), but that’s relevant to a page about the philosophy of color more than to a page about black. Color is technically defined as (according to the International Lighting Vocabulary, among other sources), and commonly understood to be, a human perception, rather than a physical property of stimuli or objects. Feel free to rant about how the common & technical definitions of color are "incredibly ignorant", "illogical", etc., but Wikipedia is not the place for it. Infra-red electromagnetic radiation is not properly even "light" (according to the technical definition of "light"), and the infra-red radiation emitted/reflected by objects has no relevance to their color. If you have further questions, I can suggest some more technical resources about how the human visual system works, or about the philosophy of color. –jacobolus (t) 18:08, 9 July 2010 (UTC)
Funny I remember distinctly that the ASCRIPTIVE VALUES of COLOUR are DEPENDANT on the DESCRIPTIVE VALUES of Light Frequencies and Light intensity, but that could be my Graphics Degree talking. Actually infra-red is ENTIRELY RELEVANT AS IT LOOKS BLACK TO HUMAN EYES. But calling something black because you can't see it is stupid, the accurate representation is it appears Black. Pit vipers can see heat, are you going to cal them blind, cameras can detect the visible forms of infra red, X-ray photography, heck you going to say their cameras work by magic?
Also if you are attempting to create a STRAW-MAN that classically defined light is not light, or that electromagnetic radiation which light is SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO BE, is somehow not light. Well I would love to stand you in front of a crowd of particle physicists so you can be laughed at. As for what I should read, I only studied graphics design academically for 7 years up to and including postgraduate level. Surgepeida is a joke indeed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.11.153.79 (talk) 19:54, 10 July 2010 (UTC)
I don’t know what “classically defined light” means, but in the colorimetry (& subsequently rest of the scientific) community, light is defined as only electromagnetic radiation which stimulates the human eyes, and color is defined as a perception, not a physical property. Here’s the official definition from 1922:
“Color is the general name for all sensations arising from the activity of the retina of the eye and its attached nervous mechanisms, this activity being, in nearly every case in the normal individual, a specific response to radiant energy of certain wave-lengths and intensities. It may be exemplified by an enumeration of characteristic instances, such as red, yellow, blue, black, white, gray, pink, etc.
“It is imposible [sic] to identify color with radiant energy, or with wave-lengths of radiant energy, although radiant energy is the adequate stimulus for color. This is because color is known to depend upon the presence and character of the perceiving individual and because it is directly recognized to be something radically different in kind from its stimuli. Consequently, nothing but confusion can result from the use of the word "color" as a synonym of "wave-length" or "wave-length constitution." Color cannot be identified with or reduced to terms of any purely physical conception; it is fundamentally a psychological category.” (Trolland 1922)
And here’s the official technical definition from 1944:
“Light is the aspect of radiant energy of which a human observer is aware through the visual sensations which arise from the stimulation of the retina of the eye.
“Color consists of the characteristics of light other than spatial and temporal inhomogeneities; light being that aspect of radiant energy of which a human observer is aware through the visual sensations which arise from the stimulation of the retina of the eye.” (OSA Committee on Colorimetry 1944)
And here’s the official technical definition from 1987:
“Color: Attribute of visual perception consisting of any combination of chromatic and achromatic content. This attribute can be described by chromatic color names such as yellow, orange, brown, red, pink, green, blue, purple, etc., or by achromatic color names such as white, gray, black, etc., and qualified by bright, dim, light, dark, etc., or by combinations of such names.”
“Light: 1. Attribute of all the perceptions or sensations which are peculiar to the organ of vision and which are produced through the agency of that organ.
“2. Radiation capable of stimulating the organ of vision.” (International Lighting Vocabulary, CIE 1987)
You’ll notice that “black” is explicitly mentioned as an example “color” in the official definition of “color”.... hard to see how it could therefore not be a “color”!
There are also official standards in America (ASTM), Germany (DIN), and elsewhere, which say nearly the same thing.
This is not a “straw man” (I’m directly disputing your claim that your definitions are the typical ones, by citing specific official sources which directly state otherwise; it would only be a straw man if I attributed to you an argument/statement which you did not in fact make, and then proceeded to refute it), and it’s a question of definitions/terminology, not fact, so cannot really be “scientifically proven” one way or another. Physicists sometimes refer to electromagnetic radiation generally as “light”, but this is a shorthand and to be technically precise they should properly use the term “electromagnetic radiation” (usually the distinction is perfectly clear from context and therefore not overly confusing). Hopefully the above quotations help clarify for you. –jacobolus (t) 00:01, 11 July 2010 (UTC)
Incidentally, if you take a look at any color book (for example, Hunt’s Reproduction of Colour, Berns’s Billmeyer and Saltzman's Principles of Color Technology, Wyszecki & Stiles’s Color Science: Concepts and Methods, Quantitative Data and Formulae, Wyszecki & Judd’s Color in Business, Science, and Industry, Fairchild’s Color Appearance Models, Kuehni’s Color: An Introduction to Practice and Principles, etc., you’ll see basically the same definitions again and again, because as I said, they are the commonly accepted definitions in optics and color science. If you’re really interested, many of these are on google book search, so you could probably find specific pages and quotations without much trouble. –jacobolus (t) 01:09, 11 July 2010 (UTC)
"Color is the general name for all sensations arising from the activity of the retina of the eye and its attached nervous mechanisms,"
Black is a lack of sensation.
Let me clarify the case: Two objects with no reflectivity at all but one with a transparency value of 100% which you cannot see and one with a transparency of 0% which you also technically cannot see but due to the juxtaposition of it and the surrounding area creates a silhouette which appears to be Black, which one has a colour?
The correct answer is neither, HOWEVER, if you were to paint these objects you would need to have Black Paint, which is often described by the lay person as a colour. This is because Black is a Colour in the 'Subtractive Colour Theory' (but white technically isn't in this theory), but in the confines of reality where additive colour theory applies and subtractive doesn't Black cannot be seen, and as such is a silhouetted shade, not a colour.
http://www.colormatters.com/vis_bk_white.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.11.153.79 (talk) 11:16, 11 July 2010 (UTC)
This is factually incorrect. You should go read Color vision, and if that does not suffice (it’s not the best article), I can suggest other books/resources. One of the best sources online is Bruce MacEvoy’s handprint.com. I’m going to stop repeating myself, since you don’t seem to be reading my responses. If you have anything different to ask, I’ll keep reading this page, and try to help if I can. –jacobolus (t) 15:52, 11 July 2010 (UTC)
The case for and against black as a colour has been discussed in great length. As a multimedia designer and animator let me shed some light (or rather not light on this issue of black as a colour.)
Black and White both are not and are colours at the same time.
It really depends on the perspective of the viewer.
If they have an understanding of Lighting then they would state that White is a mixture of visible hues which is what creates colour, however, black is not seen and as such, cannot be called a colour, but it is a shade.
If the person is coming from a mixers perspective, they would be using Black in terms of colour and White in terms of not a colour.
If the person is a lay person, all visible and non-visible forms which are interpreted by the eye can be called colours including black and white.
The objective answer is Black is not a colour
The subjective answer is that Black is a colour.
I hope this lays to rest some confusion... —Preceding unsigned comment added by MarxIzalias (talk • contribs) 11:32, 11 July 2010 (UTC)
No, it does not lay confusion to rest. Color is inherently perceptual ("subjective" if you like). There is no getting around it. You also might be interested to read Color vision, and perhaps MacEvoy’s site. –jacobolus (t) 15:52, 11 July 2010 (UTC)

Here’s a quotation from Mark Fairchild:

Q: Scientifically speaking, is black a color? Is white a color? (862)
A: There is no question that black and white are colors.
The technical definition of color that is internationally agreed upon includes them as colors and, specifically, there is a definition of achromatic colors as follows: "A color lacking hue; white or grey or black".

Cheers, jacobolus (t) 16:00, 11 July 2010 (UTC)

agreed (159.91.240.203 (talk) 01:02, 23 April 2011 (UTC))

Reflective Black

I just have a question and I don't know where else to ask. If black doesn't reflect any light, why is a clean black car so shiny? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.238.139.57 (talk) 20:35, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Because black paint is not "true" black. Black paint typically reflects 5-10% of light. DeutscherStahl (talk) 09:42, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Symbolism related to death

The article even mentions that black is the colour of death in Western culture, when comparing it to Japanese culture where black is the colour honour and white is the colour of death, but there is no section for it specifically in the article. I think it might be worth adding something mentioning both its symbolism of death itself and its usage as a sign of respect for the deceased. I'm not very good at adding content so I figured I'd just suggest it on the talk page. DeutscherStahl (talk) 09:42, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Forgotten Song

I couldn't help but notice that "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance wasn't on the list of song titles containing the word black. --Molpingin (talk) 00:07, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

Good point. There’s no way such a trivia section can ever be complete, and it’s basically irrelevant to the article. I removed the whole section. Cheers. –jacobolus (t) 03:20, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 13 December 2011

Black is the not a color but is just appearance an object gains gains that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Although black is sometimes described as an "achromatic", or hueless, color, in practice it can be considered a color, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint". Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 Color or light in science 2.1 Absorption of light 3 Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions 3.1 Authority and seriousness 3.2 Clothing 3.3 Demography 3.4 Philosophy 3.5 Politics 3.6 Science 3.7 Sexuality 3.8 Sport 3.9 Ambiguity and secrecy 3.10 Beliefs, religions and superstitions 3.11 Economy 3.12 Fashion 3.13 Symbolic dualism with white 3.14 Historical events 3.15 Expressions 4 Pigments 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Etymology

The word black comes from Old English blæc ("black, dark", also, "ink"), from Proto-Germanic *blakkaz ("burned"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhleg- ("to burn, gleam, shine, flash"), from base *bhel- ("to shine"), related to Old Saxon blak ("ink"), Old High German blah ("black"), Old Norse blakkr ("dark"), Dutch blaken ("to burn"), and Swedish bläck ("ink"). More distant cognates include Latin flagrare ("to blaze, glow, burn"), and Ancient Greek phlegein ("to burn, scorch"). Black supplanted the wonted Old English word sweart ("black, dark"), which survives as swart, swarth, and swarthy (compare German schwarz and Dutch zwart, "black"). Color or light in science


Nighttime Black can be defined as the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye. (This makes a contrast with whiteness, the impression of any combination of colors of light that equally stimulates all three types of color-sensitive visual receptors.) Pigments or dyes that absorb light rather than reflect it back to the eye "look black". A black pigment can, however, result from a combination of several pigments that collectively absorb all colors. If appropriate proportions of three primary pigments are mixed, the result reflects so little light as to be called "black". This provides two superficially opposite but actually complementary descriptions of black. Black is the lack of all colors of light, or an exhaustive combination of multiple colors of pigment. See also Primary colors. † various CMYK combinations c m y k 0% 0% 0% 100% (canonical) 100% 100% 100% 0% (ideal inks, theoretical only) 100% 100% 100% 100% (registration black) In physics, a black body is a perfect absorber of light, but, by a thermodynamic rule, it is also the best emitter. Thus, the best radiative cooling, out of sunlight, is by using black paint, though it is important that it be black (a nearly perfect absorber) in the infrared as well. In elementary science, far Ultraviolet light is called "black light" because, while itself unseen, it causes many minerals and other substances to fluoresce. On January 16, 2008, researchers from Troy, New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced the creation of the darkest material on the planet. The material, which reflects only .045 percent of light, was created from carbon nanotubes stood on end. This is 1/30 of the light reflected by the current standard for blackness, and one third the light reflected by the previous record holder for darkest substance.[1] Absorption of light Main article: Absorption (electromagnetic radiation) A material is said to be black if most incoming light is absorbed equally in the material. Light (electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum) interacts with the atoms and molecules, which causes the energy of the light to be converted in to other forms of energy, usually heat. This means that black surfaces can act as thermal collectors, absorbing light and generating heat(see Solar thermal collector). Absorption of light is contrasted by transmission, reflection and diffusion, where the light is only redirected, causing objects to appear transparent, reflective or white respectively. Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions

Authority and seriousness Black can be seen as the color of authority and seriousness. Black Watch is the senior Highland Regiment of the British Army. In Japanese culture, kuro (black) is a symbol of nobility, age, and experience, as opposed to shiro (white), which symbolizes serfdom, youth, and naiveté. Thus the black belt is a mark of achievement and seniority in many martial arts, whereas in, for example, Shotokan karate, a white belt is a rank-less belt that comes before all other belts. These ranks are called dan. Black was the color of the Arab dynasty of Abbasid caliphs, which is the reason black is frequently used in flags of Arab countries.[dubious – discuss] The riot control units of the Basque Autonomous Police in Spain are known as beltzak ("blacks") after their uniform. Traditionally, British police vehicles (panda cars) were in black and white.


Goth costuming Clothing Academic dress includes black robes for graduates. Black tuxedos are worn at formal occasions known as black tie functions. Black is worn by religious figures within Christianity, e.g. priests (especially of the older religious denominations), monks and nuns. Black is worn by Hassidic Jews. Black is worn by some Muslim women; see List of types of sartorial hijab for photographs of examples such as the abaya. Lawyers and judges often wear black robes. Many performers of European classical music or other serious art music dress in black for a concert or recital. Members of the modern goth and some punk subcultures dress predominantly in black (see also goth fashion). Demography The term "black" is often used in the West to denote the ethnicity of people whose actual skin color ranges from light to darker shades of brown such as sepia. For a discussion of usage, see the main entry at Black people and color terminology for race. Philosophy In arguments, things can be black-and-white, meaning that the issue at hand is dichotomized (having two clear, opposing sides with no middle ground). In ancient China, black was the symbol of North and Water, one of the main five colors. Politics The List of black flags, although not exclusively political, gives many political meanings. The Lützow Free Corps, composed of volunteer German students and academics fighting against Napoleon in 1813, could not afford to make special uniforms and therefore adopted black, as the only color that could be used to dye their civilian clothing without the original color showing. As these volunteers were greatly praised and glorified by later revolutionaries, their choice of the black color might have influenced its later connotations.


Black is a common symbol of anarchism, originating as a symbol in the 1880s. Black is used for anarchist symbolism, sometimes split in diagonal with other colors to show alignment with another political philosophy. The plain black flag is explained in various ways, sometimes as an anti-flag or a non-flag. Wearing black clothing is also sometimes an anarchist tactic during demonstrations, with a practical benefit of not attracting attention and making later identification of a subject difficult. This strategy is referred to as a black bloc. In Portuguese politics, black (and red) is the party color of the Left Bloc. The blackshirts were Italian Fascist militias. In Nazi Germany, the blackshirts was a nickname for the SS, as opposed to the brownshirts, the SA. The black triangle was used by the Nazis to designate "asocial" people (homeless and Roma, for example); later the symbol was adopted by lesbian culture. Science Black sky refers to the appearance of space as one emerges from the Earth's atmosphere. A black dwarf is the designation used in astronomy for a star that has burned out. The term "black hole" is applied to collapsed stars. Black body radiation refers to the radiation coming from a body at a given temperature where all incoming energy (light) is converted to heat. Sexuality In the bandana code of the gay leather subculture, wearing a black bandana means that one is into the Sexual fetish of Sadomasochism, sadists wearing the bandana in the left rear pocket, masochists on the right.[2] Sport The national rugby union team of New Zealand is called the All Blacks, in reference to their black outfits, and the color is also shared by other New Zealand national teams such as the Black Caps (cricket) and the Kiwis (rugby league). Association football (soccer) referees traditionally wear all-black uniforms, however nowadays other uniform colors may also be worn. A large number of teams have uniforms designed with black colors—many feeling the color sometimes imparts a psychological advantage in its wearers. Among the more famous (or infamous) include Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat of the NBA, and Inter Milan of the Serie A of the Italian soccer leagues. In auto racing, a black flag signals a driver to go into the pits. In baseball, "the black" refers to the batter's eye, a blacked out area around the center-field bleachers, painted black to give hitters a decent background for pitched balls. Ambiguity and secrecy A black box is any device whose internal workings are unknown or inexplicable. In theatre, the black box is a smaller, undecorated theater whose auditorium and stage relationship can be configured in various way. A black project is a secretive project, like Enigma Decryption, other classified military programs or operations, Narcotics, or police sting operations. Some organizations are called "black" when they keep a low profile, like Sociétés Anonymes and secret societies. A polished black mirror is used for scrying, and is thought to help see into the paranormal world without interference or distraction. Black frequently symbolizes ambiguity, secrecy, and the unknown. Beliefs, religions and superstitions


A black cat Black is a symbol of mourning and bereavement in Western societies, especially at funerals and memorial services. In some traditional societies, within for example Greece and Italy, widows wear black for the rest of their lives. In contrast, across much of Africa and parts of Asia, white is a color of mourning and is worn during funerals. In English heraldry, black means darkness, doubt, ignorance, and uncertainty.[3] The Black Sun is an occult symbol that is said to be related to Nazism and occultism. In the Maasai tribes of Kenya and Tanzania, the color black is associated with rain clouds, a symbol of life and prosperity. Native Americans associated black with the life-giving soil. The Hindu deity Krishna means "the black one". The medieval Christian sect known as the Cathars viewed black as a color of perfection. The Rastafari movement sees black as beautiful. In the Japanese culture, Black is associated with honor, not death with the white color being associated with death. Black-dog bias is a veterinarian and animal shelter phenomenon in which black dogs are passed over for adoption in favor of lighter colored animals. Black cats may be thought of as either good luck or bad. Economy To say one's accounts are "in the black" is used to mean that one is or "no longer in the red", or free of debt . Being "in the red" is to be in debt—in traditional bookkeeping, negative amounts, such as costs, were printed in red ink, and positive amounts, like revenues, were printed in black ink, so that if the "bottom line" is printed in black, the firm is profiting. Fashion In Western fashion, black is considered stylish, sexy, elegant and powerful. The colloquialism "X is the new black" is a reference to the latest trend or fad that is considered a wardrobe basic for the duration of the trend, on the basis that black is always fashionable. The phrase has taken on a life of its own as a snowclone, and has been stretched and parodied as a rhetorical device and a cliché. Symbolic dualism with white Main article: Black-and-white dualism Black magic is a destructive or evil form of magic, often connected with death, as opposed to white magic. This was already apparent during Ancient Egypt when the Cush Tribe invaded Egyptian plantations along the Nile River. Evil witches are stereotypically dressed in black and good fairies in white. In computer security, a blackhat is an attacker with evil intentions, while a whitehat bears no such ill will. (This is derived from the Western movie convention.) In many Hollywood Westerns, bad cowboys wear black hats while the good ones wear white. Melodrama villains are dressed in black and heroines in white dresses. Historical events A "black day" (or week or month) usually refers to a sad or tragic time. The Romans marked fasti days with white stones and nefasti days with black. E.g., the Wall Street Crash 1929, the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, which is the start of the Great Depression, is nicknamed Black Tuesday, and was preceded by Black Thursday, a downturn on October 24 the previous week. Black Monday, stock market crash on October 19, 1987. Black Wednesday caused Britain to pull out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Black Friday, various tragic events. Black months include: the Black September in Jordan, in which thousands of people were killed. Black July killing of the Tamil population by the Sinhalese government in Sri Lanka. Black Spring 2001 (Printemps noir), in the Berber region of Kabylia (Algeria), when the police shot and killed more than 100 people. The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, was a pandemic in Europe that killed tens of millions of people. The Black Hole of Calcutta was the overcrowding of an impromptu prison cell in which many died.

Expressions


Namesake of the idiom "black sheep" A black-hearted person is mean and unloving. A blacklist is a list of undesirable persons or entities (to be placed on the list is to be "blacklisted"). Black comedy is a form of comedy dealing with morbid and serious topics. A black mark against a person relates to something bad they have done. A black mood is a bad one (cf Winston Churchill's clinical depression, which he called "my black dog").[4] Black market is used to denote the trade of illegal goods, or alternatively the illegal trade of otherwise legal items at considerably higher prices, e.g. to evade rationing. Black propaganda is the use of known falsehoods, partial truths, or masquerades in propaganda to confuse an opponent. Blackmail is the act of threatening to reveal information about a person unless the threatened party fulfills certain demands. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature. Ordinarily, such a threat is illegal. If the black eight-ball, in billiards, is sunk before all others are out of play, the player loses. The black sheep of the family is the ne'er-do-well. To blackball someone is to block their entry into a club or some such institution. In the traditional English gentlemen's club, members vote on the admission of a candidate by secretly placing a white or black ball in a hat. If upon the completion of voting, there was even one black ball amongst the white, the candidate would be denied membership, and he would never know who had "blackballed" him. Black tea in the Western culture is known as "crimson tea" in Chinese and culturally influenced languages, (紅 茶, Mandarin Chinese hóngchá; Japanese kōcha; Korean hongcha), perhaps a more accurate description of the color of the liquid. "The black" is a wildfire suppression term referring to a burned area on a wildfire capable of acting as a safety zone. Black coffee refers to coffee without sugar or cream. Pigments

Black pigments include carbon black, charcoal black, ebony, ivory black and onyx. See also

List of colors Rich black, which is different from using black ink alone, in printing. References


This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) ^ 30 times darker, Darkest ever material created ^ Card showing list of bandana colors and their meanings, available at Image Leather, 2199 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114 and Gay City USA Hanky Codes: ^ (The American Girls Handy Book, p. 370) ^ Hal Haralson. "Dancing with the Black Dog". christianethicstoday.com. Retrieved 2006-11-10. Olih999 (talk) 16:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Not remotely clear what you're requesting, don't just copy the article text direct from the article page--Jac16888 Talk 16:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Black is not a colour

Black is not a colour, it is in fact the absence of colour. All the colours are in the spectrum and black is not as it is just what you get when the none of the colours are produced or reflected from an abject — Preceding unsigned comment added by Olih999 (talk • contribs) 16:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Apparently you haven't read the entire article, as your point is addresses at length in it. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:58, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Humans

Most of the section "Color as perceived by humans" doesn't make much sense. It seems like it came out of an over-analyzer nerd.

Fade to Black

The song doesn't really use the word black in a negative context. Actually, the word is never mentioned in the lyrics, just the title. It refers to the end of films, which can fade to black (which then segues to the end credits) or which otherwise usually cut to black (again, end credits). The title refers to life fading, as the song is about suicide in part, as though it were a film. Because of this, I think the song should be removed from the list of songs in the article.

Vandalism

some has vandalised wikipedia,(i.e. nonsensical references to african americans) please revert the article to its previous stage

thank you


Vandalism

Someone has embedded code to put derogatory comments in this article. I tried editing the page to remove it but it is somehow furthur embedded and I am not sure how to remove it. It is right under this section :

"Color or light" it says: "Blck people suck"

This needs to be removed

Edit request on 11 July 2012

[[File: ]]

Xenonflash1 (talk) 21:44, 11 July 2012 (UTC)

Not done: What change do you want made to the article? RudolfRed (talk) 22:21, 11 July 2012 (UTC)

black body

"In physics, a black body is a perfect absorber of light, but, by a thermodynamic rule, it is also the best emitter. Thus, the best radiative cooling, out of sunlight, is by using black paint, though it is important that it be black (a nearly perfect absorber) in the infrared as well."

1. replace "light" with "all incident electromagnetic radiation including visible light". ("Incident" is important.) This also solves the problems created by the phrase "best emitter", because, according to the sentence structure, "best emitter" refers to emitting only light, but it is paradoxical to put that in this page, as we are talking about the colour black (that emits no light). Black body, may not be black. Depending on its temperature, it may glow (not black).

2. Only an "ideal" black body can be a "best" emitter. Since black body is defined as the ideal emitter, it makes no sense to say "ideal black body". Instead, we can note that, while a black body is defined as the best emitter, any object that does not emit best is not a black body, but the object can be close to an ideal black body, or near-black.

3. The "best radiative cooling", is due to its emissivity. "In general", the duller and blacker a material is, the closer its emissivity is to 1, but there may be some exceptions. It does depend on the paint itself, so if the paint coat can form a material of better emissivity, it is possible that it does not need to be black in colour to be as good as other black paints.

4. Radiative cooling means emission of radiation to cool down the object, and the emissivity is dependent on factors such as temperature, but not dependent on "sunlight", nor its spectrum of UV rays etc. It will work just as well on any heated object as those heated by sunlight. It is the "best", regardless of whether it is heated by sunlight. It is the "best" simply because black body is defined to have the best emissivity. Hence the phrase "out of sunlight" only causes confusion.

5. "black (a nearly perfect absorber)", replace with "nearly black (a nearly perfect absorber)"

6. Radiative cooling may not be the best way to keep outer walls cool. Reflective surfaces might work as well. Radiative cooling versus reflective, there should be research cited to determine which is better. The popular notion is that black surfaces heat up more (and the material is also likely not an black body/ideal emitter). Reflective surfaces of ice in the Poles are said to act like a mirror, with less ice, more global warming.

7. It is also helpful to know that "absorber" only just means it does not reflect well. "a perfect absorber" means "does not reflect at all. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.255.2.93 (talk) 05:06, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Relevance of Gunmetal link

At the bottom of this page, Shades of Gray are displayed with color samples and names. The Gunmetal color links to a metallic alloy called Gunmetal, which has nothing to do with the color other than their similar names. Visually the two colors do not appear remotely similar (dark gray vs metallic red brass). Just thought someone might want to correct the link. -- 71.234.219.9 (talk) 09:08, 23 August 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 22 December 2012

50.37.84.213 (talk) 21:02, 22 December 2012 (UTC) Nigars are the problem with Black they aren't Black ,we don't know what they are,but Dark skinned.

Do you have a suggested wording? The present wording is "The term "black" is often used in the West to describe people whose skin is darker", which pretty much conforms with what you are saying, as far as I can tell. -- Dianna (talk) 16:44, 23 December 2012 (UTC)
Not done: please be more specific about what needs to be changed.JayJayTalk to me 01:40, 24 December 2012 (UTC)

Calling "Black" a color when it is a shade?

I think we need to start a serious discussion to it being a part of the subject of "colors" when in technicality, it is not one. Thoughts? Coeco (talk) 13:48, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

This article is largely about the history and cultural associations and uses of black, and in all of those black is certainly considered a color. In Webster's new world dictionary it's called "the darkest color". It may not be considered a true color in optics, but in other fields it certainly is. SiefkinDR (talk) 15:56, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

Check Archive 1. You'll see a lengthy discussion was already had on the topic of black being a colour.
Some incorrectly believe that all colours are shades but that not all shades are colours, that black is an example of a shade that is not also a colour. In reality, all hues are colours while not all colours are hues—black is a prime example of a colour that is not also a hue.
If one holds up a black crayon and asks, "What colour is this," none would respond, "That crayon does not have a colour"; instead, people would simply say "black." Although transparent/invisible is not a colour, a black crayon is visible and opaque, and all opaque objects possess a colour, regardless of whether they possess a hue.
The following chart was designed in January of 2010:
http://alexpeak.com/art/charts/thecolourblack.jpg
In short, we oughtn't say, "Black is not a colour; it is a shade." Rather, we ought to say, "Black is not a hue; it is a colour."
Cheers,
allixpeeke (talk) 19:42, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

Race and Color

In this section, it refers to the 2012 US census. Is this correct? I thought they do it only in years ending in zero, every 10 years, 1990, 2000, 2010.Zdawg1029 (talk) 21:14, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

STOP LOCKING THIS PAGE

IM TIRED OF WIKIPEDIA LOCKING PAGES FOR NO REASON, WHY IS BLACK LOCKED ITS JUST A COLOR SO WHY LOCK IT??????? IT SHOULD BE FREE FOR EVERYONE GUYS. >:/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.171.8.245 (talk) 16:22, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Just make an account if you care so much. --occono (talk) 17:15, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

Constant IP vandalism. 71.92.79.250 (talk) 21:26, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Parallel universes and Gutenberg's navy blue ink

I removed the paragraph starting "Obtaining a good quality black was an essential element of the most influential invention of the Middle Ages; the printing press." and the associated picture, File:Gutenberg bible Old Testament Epistle of St Jerome.jpg . There are no references given for this assertion, and it seems to me that the colour black per se is not essential to the influential development of the printing press and higher quality, smudge-resistant ink. In a parallel universe, navy blue might just as well have done the trick. Willondon (talk) 18:36, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

You make an interesting point, and I will correct the text and make it more clear, and am adding a reference on the topic. Black was chosen for handwriting and printing for the simple reason that, as the darkest color, it makes the greatest contrast with white paper or parchment, and is the easiest color to read. For the same reason, it's used for the print on computer screens. I don't know what color they would use in a parallel universe, since I've never visited one, unless you count Las Vegas. Best regards, SiefkinDR (talk) 09:57, 30 August 2015 (UTC)
I imagine a hideous neon green ink. No, let's not count Las Vegas. Willondon (talk) 15:17, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

Blackest

Vantablack is also made of vertical carbon nanotubes. How is it different than the RPI invention, or are they actually the same thing? They seem to have very similar reflectivity. There's also super black which isn't mentioned. -- Beland (talk) 02:39, 8 March 2016 (UTC)

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Discussion

Semi-protected edit request on 16 February 2018

Can someone add Shades of Grey on the category for the page Black? Dragonmaster1996 (talk) 05:24, 16 February 2018 (UTC) Dragonmaster1996 (talk) 05:24, 16 February 2018 (UTC)

@Dragonmaster1996: "Shades of gray" is already a box at the bottom of the article. Where specifically do you want to add it? Anon126 (notify me of responses! / talk / contribs) 05:51, 16 February 2018 (UTC)
 Done Per WP:CATDEF, White and Black generally define the extremes of gray-shading and White is already included in the cat Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 21:00, 17 February 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 June 2019

I'd like to request for the removal of photo3a=Supreme Court US 2009.jpg. I find it is incredibly inappropriate to include photography of government officials on a Wikipedia page describing the colour black. Politicising this page is not needed, and I'm sure another suitable photograph can be found to replace the current one promptly. Infres (talk) 01:15, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: This seems to be basically "I don't like it" - there is nothing wrong with the image, nor is any rationale given in the above statement apart from the editor considering it "incredibly inappropriate". Chaheel Riens (talk) 06:28, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 June 2019

Black is not a color because it does not contain wavelength 182.64.189.4 (talk) 19:42, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. NiciVampireHeart 21:15, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Possible mobile formatting errors, iOS

Not sure what is causing it but on the official mobile app the first paragraph gets cut off at "[[visible" and then goes directly to "North America", skipping a big chunk of text. Not sure where the formatting is going wrong between desktop and mobile for this article. Updating iOS to latest 13.5.1 to see if this changes anything TheWikiJedi (talk) 07:45, 11 June 2020 (UTC)

On second thought this looks to probably be some caching thing where the previous problematic edit to the intro format has not been overwritten yet... TheWikiJedi (talk) 07:52, 11 June 2020 (UTC)

Ugly image in the montage

The Vantablack image that has been put into the lead montage is particularly ugly, and it is not even evident what is is. It merits only one sentence in the article itself, and seems to be basically promoting a commercial discovery. Can't we find an image that's more representative of the contents of the article? Cordially, ####

@SiefkinDR: While I might disagree that the Vantablack image is "particularly ugly" given its scientific nature, I was unaware of its commercial purposes and that its record has already been surpassed. I have now changed the montage image to charcoal sticks, important materials for drawing black from ancient times. Cheers -- Akira😼CA 02:49, 10 August 2020 (UTC)
Thanks, that's better. But, forgive me for being pioky, but there's now a lot of blank white space at the top, and the montage looks unbalanced. The montage is the signature image of the article, and it has to be perfect. Do you think you could choose an iconic and easily recognized image of black from the article that fits the space and has a different background color? Many thanks! SiefkinDR (talk) 09:36, 10 August 2020 (UTC)
Thanks for the feedback. For sure. I changed the charcoal one into a photo of a coal mine. I didn't manage to find any good substitute for Anubis tho: it has to be some ancient art piece because all others are modern (so we need some balance). The Lascaux painting was good, just having a more orange tone than a black one. The Greek ones share this problem and might not be easily recognized as well. Since Anubis is quite informative and easily recognizable I'll probably leave it there, but please feel free to switch its background color with technologies or change it if you've found any good substitute. Cheers -- Akira😼CA 11:49, 10 August 2020 (UTC)
Nice work. I like the coal mine, it's an iconic image of black. You might consider just leaving out the Anubis, and having the coal mine only on top, to balance the single image on the bottom. Cordially, SiefkinDR (talk) 20:05, 10 August 2020 (UTC)
Thanks ;) instead I retouched the Anubis one and now it has a black blackgroud! For me a 2-3-1 montage structure looks more balanced while providing an additional piece of information to the readers. So I'd like to leave it like that. If you have any additional suggestions please feel free to contact me again. Cheers -- Akira😼CA 01:58, 11 August 2020 (UTC)
I'm afraid it looks a little unfinished, since the two images aren't the same height. The trickiest part of making a montage is getting pictures that align without leaving space. Can you work on it a bit more? You probably need a different image on the left or right, or two new images that line up. Please take a look at the article on coal, and/or the Wiki Commons section on coal, and you can probably find an image that's the same height as Anubis. Cordially, SiefkinDR (talk) 06:47, 12 August 2020 (UTC)
 Done just be mindful that we always have Commons:CropTool at our disposal :D -- Akira😼CA 07:00, 12 August 2020 (UTC)
Thanks, I didn't know that. I think it looks good now. Good work!SiefkinDR (talk) 08:13, 12 August 2020 (UTC)

Montage doesn't represent the article

Each image of a montage should each illustrate one major aspect of the article. The current montage has three images representing the underworld and mourning, which is only one part of the article. The top right image of a funeral is not discussed at all in the article. I'd suggest replacing the top two images with one image representing ethnicity, a black person or persons; and one image about black in fashion, or an image of black in nature, such as coal or ebony or a night sky. Ideally the images should come from those already in the article. Cordially, SiefkinDR (talk) 17:52, 19 October 2020 (UTC)

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