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Why for monochrome displays was chosen green, gray or yellow(amber) colors?

Any reason like red LEDs because it simpler in production.

upd: Amber for reducing eye strain. Gray for white imitation.

but why greeen?

Torv
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    Perhaps because he human eye is most sensitive to green or colors in the middle if you can't make white? – kenny Feb 19 '13 at 12:21
  • "An amber screen was claimed to give improved ergonomics, specifically by reducing eye strain; this claim appears to have little scientific basis." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monochrome_monitor we have gray or "page white" for like white/ So why green? – Torv Feb 19 '13 at 12:26
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    Why do you assume those colors? I have also seen blue, red, purple, and orange. Some monochrome LCD's even have RGB LED Backlights so you can change the color on a whim. –  Feb 19 '13 at 20:48
  • I do recall our school specifically requesting a green screen mono monitor for our network server. If this was cost or I.T preferences I do not know, it's only purpose was to start the server (Acorn hardware) then it was usually ignored until a shutdown was required. I also just remembered the Amstrad PCW256 and 512 machines , these were mono display ( and had built in 3 inch floppy but let's not go there ) , reasoning for mentioning this is simply you could not specify a different colour but the motherboard was in the CRT case on these. – AndyF Jan 13 '20 at 14:43

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Quick bit of Wikipedia leads to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphor#Standard_phosphor_types

"P1" is a zinc silicate which is found natually occuring in an ore. I suspect this was the first kind of phosphorescent material to be used in CRTs, and as it's naturally occuring it may be the cheapest. In most monochrome CRT applications (especially osciliscopes) there's no need to upgrade to white and people are familiar with green.

pjc50
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  • So, you mean that p1 phosphor was chosen for monochrome displays because it was simple to use the same technology as in osciliscopes, dont you? – Torv Feb 19 '13 at 19:52