Abstract: This invention relates to a contrast maintaining means for use in display devices. The invention uses a substrate of synthetic paper having a light reflectance to light transmittance ratio which is in the order of 1 to 1. A substantially opaque coating material having a light reflection index near zero is deposited in the desired pattern upon the substrate so as to provide an information carrying display. The coated areas of the display neither transmit nor reflect a significant amount of light. When light reaches the display from behind the light transmitted through the substrate is of substantially the same intensity as the light that would be reflected from the substrate if the same light had reached the display from the front. The light reaching a viewers' eyes from the uncoated areas of the substrate is constant for nearly all lighting angles while substantially no light reaches the viewers' eyes from the coated areas of the display.