A transparent mobile handset housing with graphical elements such as alphanumeric characters, icons, and logos positioned directly onto the housing with visibility enhanced through backlighting. The transparent housing is covered with an opaque coating and omitted portions of the opaque coating form a negative image of the graphical elements, or the housing is left transparent and opaque graphical elements are coated onto the housing. A backlighting source from within the housing, such as an array of light emitting diodes or an electroluminescent panel, provides illumination to the housing. In the case of negatively imaged graphical elements, the graphical elements are illuminated. In the case of opaque graphical elements, the surrounding transparent housing is illuminated.