Hello all.

I plan to buy an extremely cheap CRT monitor for my new box, but it unfortunately doesn't match the case, keyboard, and general decor. Therefore, I wish to paint it black if easily possible. Getting a different monitor isn't really an option, as very lightly used 22" medium quality CRTs for $100 aren't easy to come by.

A friend of mine suggested that latex dye was an option, but couldn't/was too lazy to give me a link, and I'm not having too much luck googling it. I'd prefer if at all possible to use something rub-on rather than spray-on, as I'd rather not take the thing apart, thereby voiding the warranty.

Any suggestions?

you could probably get some krylon and spray it into a can, dipping your brush in there.

A friend managed to black out the dash in his car with, believe it or not, boot polish. Maybe that will work but i havent tried it myself.


Hope that helps. Rik.

I don't see this as somethign difficult at all. Get a small (half pint or so) can of black paint, and a small brush. Nothing to spray, and you directly control how thick you put it on. Take some masking tape to the screen so you don't screw that up.

This shouldn't be hard to do.

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

I guess I didn't express myself very well, in that I was looking for something rub-on as opposed to even normal paint, as it seems to me that, even with the most care possible, painting the ventilation grates would unavoidably result in some of the paint going inside the case, possibly to do damage.

It's also recently occurred to me that painting the thing may void the warranty too. I'll have to check on that...

Yes you may very well viod warranty.
Seems that semitry is important to you but how important?
May not be worth it.
Though you may want to consider a vinyl dye apllied with
a small dabbing swab or even black vinyl
sticker material, the stuff they make stickers out of.
just cut it close then trim with razor blade.
G'Luck

monitors are suprisingly resistant to liquids, once they dry out. my friend and i once spotted a gateway 21" crt someone was throwing out in the rain. it was screen-down in a 6 inch deep puddle and was thoroughly soaked inside from the rain. after 7 days drying off, the thing worked perfectly. still does, in fact.

That's good to know, however, water would evaporate pretty near completely, and paint would most certainly not. And paint could very easily be conductive, and make a short... looks like I'll probably be living with a white monitor and a black computer. Thanks for all the suggestions though.

Well since it's alot easier to remove the visible parts of your pc.
Maybe consider changing or painting your tower instead?!?!?
G'Luck

You could always buy a cheap black monitor.
It'll probably cost you the same amount if you painted it black. You can get some cheap ones now. Shop around, that's my suggestion.

I'm using a black coloured case, with black keyboard and an MX500 mouse. and a white monitor. Looks abit weird but hey! Works perfectly fine!

But its true, I think a black monitor would suit my PC better. Colour coordinated it earlier, had a white keyboard, and white Logitech mouse, but that was before someone spilled a drink on my keyboard (of course, main reason to replace was cos the wasd keys were faded, and the white keyboards aren't quiet enough, just hate those tapping noises in the middle of the night), and an MX500 was going cheap.

paint isn't conductive when dried, but when heated by the monitor's parts during operation it could give you trouble.