Ceramic black materials for use as, or in, colorants, inks, pigments, dyes, additives and formulations utilizing these black materials. Black ceramics having silicon, oxygen and carbon, and methods of making these ceramics; formulations utilizing these black ceramics; and devices, structures and apparatus that have or utilize these formulations. Plastics, paints, inks, coatings, formulations, liquids and adhesives containing ceramic black materials, preferably polymer derived black ceramic materials, and in particular polysilocarb polymer derived ceramic materials.