Abstract: A magnetic writing board providing a thin, lightweight, durable writing board, which has an internal array of closely arranged magnet assemblies. The magnetic writing board is operated to contemporaneously create a display which may be transferred to a computer for the modification thereof. The image may then be redisplayed, printed, stored, and/or remotely displayed such as at a computer monitor. A portion or all of an image may be completely and immediately erased. The magnetic writing board includes a grid disposed behind a display surface and a plurality of display elements, one each disposed within each cell defined by the grid. Each grid cell receives a masking agent to obscure the contrasting color of at least the forward edge of the display element when the display element is in the back position. The magnet assemblies are each oriented with their magnetic poles in the same direction, with the positive and negative poles being oriented to face either the front or back of the magnetic writing board.