Thermal Colour Palettes Explained: White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot & When to Use Each
Every thermal scope and monocular comes with a handful of colour palettes. White hot, black hot, usually a red or highlight mode, often a few more. They all show the same sensor data, so which one you pick comes down to how easily your eye reads the scene in front of you. This guide explains what each common palette does, when each one earns its keep in Australian conditions, and which ones to leave alone.
Short answer
White hot is the all-round default. Warm objects glow light against a dark background, which is ideal for general scanning and detection. Black hot flips that for a more natural, photo-like image that many shooters find easier for picking out detail, and it holds up well in fog and rain with the contrast turned up. Red and highlight modes darken everything except the hottest objects, so heat sources pop while staying easy on the eyes. Multi-colour palettes (rainbow and the like) exaggerate temperature differences for tricky, cluttered scenes. No palette changes detection range, sensitivity or detail. Pick for readability and switch when the conditions change.
The common palettes at a glance
| Palette | What you see | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| White hot | Warm = white/light, cool = dark | General scanning and detection; the default that always works |
| Black hot | Warm = dark, cool = light. Looks closest to a B&W photo | Identifying detail on animals; fog and rain with contrast up |
| Red hot / red monochrome | Only the hottest objects highlighted against a dark scene | Quick hot-spot pickup while scanning; long sessions with less glare |
| Sepia | Golden tones across the scene | Long observation. Gentle on the eyes |
| Rainbow / multi-colour | Hot-to-cold mapped across strong colours | Separating subtle temperature differences in cluttered or warm terrain |
White hot: the default for a reason
White hot is the palette nearly every thermal boots up in, and it's most shooters' scanning mode of choice. A fox, pig or deer holds more heat than paddock, scrub or timber at night, so it jumps out as a bright shape against a dark field. If you only ever used one palette, this is the one. It gives away the least in any single situation.
Black hot: detail and dirty weather
Black hot flips the map. Warm objects come up dark against lighter, cooler surrounds, and it reads remarkably like a black-and-white photo. Plenty of hunters find body shape, posture and fine features easier to judge this way, which helps when you're deciding what an animal is rather than just where it is. It's also the go-to in fog, drizzle and humid air. When moisture flattens the scene contrast, black hot with the contrast turned up often keeps definition that white hot loses. Why damp air flattens thermal contrast in the first place is covered in our NETD explainer.
Red and highlight modes: making heat pop
Red hot and red monochrome darken almost everything and paint only the hottest objects bright. That makes them efficient scanning modes, because anything alive jumps out instantly, and the darker overall picture means less glare and eye strain over a long night behind the eyepiece. The trade-off is that the scene context (fence lines, dams, tree lines) mostly disappears. So a lot of shooters scan in a highlight mode and switch to white or black hot to work out what they've found. Sepia works on the same eye-comfort idea with its softer golden tones, and suits long, patient observation.
Rainbow and multi-colour: niche but real
Multi-colour palettes map the hot-to-cold range across strong colours, which exaggerates small temperature differences. On warm evenings when rocks, bare ground and stock all hold about the same leftover heat, which happens a lot in an Australian summer, that extra separation can help split a faint heat signature from a warm background. They look spectacular, but most people treat them as a situational tool rather than a daily driver.
How to choose on the night
- Scanning paddocks for anything alive. White hot, or a red/highlight mode if your eyes are getting tired.
- Working out what you've spotted. Switch to black hot and judge shape and detail. See our fox and pig guides for the full field routine.
- Fog, drizzle, humidity. Black hot with the contrast turned up.
- Warm ground after a hot day. Try a multi-colour palette to separate animal from background.
- All-night sits. Red monochrome or sepia to save your eyes.
Switching palette is usually one button. Build the habit of matching the palette to the moment instead of leaving it wherever it came out of the box.
FAQ
Which palette is best for hunting?
There's no single best. White hot for finding and black hot for identifying is the pattern most experienced shooters settle into, with a highlight mode for easy scanning. The palette that lets you read the scene fastest is the right one.
Does black hot show more detail than white hot?
Both contain exactly the same information. Black hot just presents it in a tonal arrangement a lot of eyes read more naturally, like a photograph. If fine detail seems easier in black hot for you, that's a perfectly good reason to use it.
Do colour palettes affect detection range?
No. Range comes from the lens working with sensor resolution and pixel pitch. See detection range and lens size. Palettes only change how it's presented.
Why does my thermal look flat and grey no matter the palette?
Low scene contrast (damp air) or an overdue calibration are the usual suspects, not the palette. Run an FFC/NUC and check your focus. Our sharpest-image guide walks through the full checklist.
Related: Get the Sharpest Thermal Image · How Thermal Imaging Works · Best Thermal Scopes Australia · Browse thermal scopes and thermal monoculars.