What are the differences between transmissive, semi-transmissive, and reflective LCD displays?
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1/11/2026
Today we’ll talk about the differences between transflective (semi-transmissive), transmissive, and reflective modes in monochrome LCD display modes. Note that these concepts also apply to color LCDs.
So-called transmissive means, as the name implies, that the LCD screen can be seen through from the front—you can directly see what’s behind it, as shown in the image:
Reflective is the opposite of transmissive. That is, when viewing the LCD from the front, you cannot see through to the back at all.
What we call reflective means that the display relies on reflected ambient light, as shown in the image:
Transflective, also known as semi-reflective / semi-transmissive, is a display mode that lies between transmissive and reflective.
When viewed from the front, the back of the LCD can be seen, but not very clearly. It can also reflect ambient light, but the reflection is not as strong or complete, as shown in the image:
So why are these three display modes divided this way?
The main difference between transmissive and transflective modes is usually based on the intended usage environment.
Because transmissive displays cannot reflect ambient light, they are typically used indoors. When used outdoors, unless the backlight brightness is extremely high, strong sunlight will greatly reduce the display’s visibility.
Transflective displays, on the other hand, combine the advantages of both indoor and outdoor use. Outdoors, they can rely on reflected sunlight to provide clear visibility; indoors, they use the backlight to ensure good display performance.
Therefore, if the usage environment includes both outdoor and indoor scenarios, we usually recommend using a transflective display.
