I was also uninspired by the aesthetics of a Shimano freewheel I bought last year. I got a quality, black, 2 sided permanent marker, cleaned the surface area and colored all the white writing in. Now it's invisible and has lasted a year with no chipping or fading. A clear coat on top of the marker really isn't necessary.
Now it looks just like any other freewheel, and the 14-28 6 speed is lighter than most old 14/21 5 speeds.