The colored rectangle in the middle of the mechanism

[Topoi28]

I'm getting ready to paint a boombox for the first time and I'm trying to decide what parts to paint and how.

I realized all the boomboxes I've worked on have this little rectangle behind the cassette. Is there a functional purpose for this rectangle? I know some decks have colored stickers there, so I was thinking maybe it was to make it easier to see the little plastic window in the middle of cassettes?

I'm pretty new to cassettes, so this might be a pretty dumb q! But googling "boombox rectangle" got me nowhere.

 

[JimmieJam]

Yea I think its colored to make you be able to see the tape ...how far it is rolled up on each wheel , so you know for example its fully rewound ect.

 

[docs]

Yeh indeed.

 

[Topoi28]

Thanks!

 

[caution]

Nice decks have a backlight instead of a sticker