E Ink display
Electronic Ink technology
The purpose of this page is to educate anyone interested in learning more about E Ink technology and the ways it can be applied to innovative products.
The technology that replicates the appearance of ink on paper.
Electronic paper is also known as e-paper, e-ink, or electronic ink. However, it is most commonly referred to as E Ink, after the company that brought the product to market. The content displayed on an E Ink screen is as clear and readable as if you had written it with a pen onto a piece of paper. Sometimes electronic paper displays are also known as EPD or electrophoretic displays. EPDs are one of the e-paper technologies mainly used by E Ink.
Thanks to its remarkable adaptability, e-paper is used in a variety of innovative ways. The range of usages is extensive, including but not limited to accessories, phone displays, digital signs, and other devices. Unlike traditional paper, it cannot be folded into origami shapes, but it is still flexible in that its capabilities are still being explored.
E-paper’s remarkable characteristics, including excellent visibility, paper-like readability, and extremely low energy consumption, make it perfect for a wide range of incredible products.
“Electronic Paper Explained: What is it and How Does it Work?”
How does it work?
Yes, that's correct! Electronic paper, such as E Ink, works thanks to millions of tiny ink capsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. These capsules are used to create the text and images on the display by selectively moving the particles to the top surface of the capsule, depending on the desired appearance.
Exactly! Each ink capsule is filled with a transparent fluid containing minuscule particles, approximately as wide as a human hair. E Ink displays consist of millions of these capsules arranged in a thin film. Each capsule can be independently controlled to display different colors and shades by applying varying electrical charges. This technology allows for the creation of high-resolution and energy-efficient displays.
That's correct! The color particles inside the capsules are moved by electric charge. By applying an electric field to the capsules, the color particles can be selectively moved to the top or bottom of the capsule, resulting in the display of different colors and shades.
Exactly! Above and below the film of capsules, electrodes are placed. When a positive or negative electric field is applied to an individual electrode, the color particles with the corresponding charge will move either to the top or bottom of the capsule, resulting in the display of the desired text or image. This process allows for the selective control of each capsule to create the desired visual content on the electronic paper display.
Yes, exactly! The differently colored particles within the capsules allow for the creation of colorful images and text on electronic paper displays. By selectively controlling the movement of these colored particles within each capsule, a wide range of colors and shades can be displayed, providing versatility and richness to the content shown on the screen.
That’s correct! In the simplest version of an e-paper display, the particles inside an e-ink capsule are typically white or black. The ink particles that carry a positive charge are white, while the ink particles that carry a negative charge are black. By selectively manipulating the electric charge applied to each capsule, the display can create text and images with varying shades of black and white, resulting in high contrast and readability similar to that of traditional ink on paper.
In an EPD (electrophoretic display), the color is determined by the movement of the particles inside the capsules. By selectively applying electric charges to the capsules, the color particles can be moved to the top or bottom of the capsule, resulting in the display of different colors. So, in essence, the EPD gets colored by the movement of the colored particles within the capsules.
Exactly! When an electric charge is applied to the capsules in an EPD (electrophoretic display), the particles inside them are selectively moved to either the top or bottom of the capsule based on their charge.
In areas where a negative electric charge is applied, the black particles (which are also negatively charged) are forced to the top of the capsule. As a result, the surface of the display appears black in color in those areas. This selective movement of particles allows for the creation of text and images with varying shades of black and white, resulting in high contrast and readability.
What led to our preference for an E Ink screen over an LCD screen?
1. Enhanced battery longevity
No power is required for image retention.
Bistable displays, a type of E Ink screen, have the ability to retain an image even without a power source. With E Ink technology, the display remains visible without consuming power unless the displayed content changes. This means it doesn’t require a battery or any power source to remain visible. To update the content on the E Ink screen, the device will need to be charged.
Bistability reduces energy consumption.
One of the reasons people opt for this type of display for devices like eReaders is that power is only needed when turning to the next page. When reading a page, no power is consumed. Additionally, longer battery life makes these displays more environmentally friendly.
2. Analog Sensation:
E Ink offers an analog sensation, resembling real printed paper from every angle and under various lighting conditions.
The incorporation of a frontlight ensures readability in both sunlight and low-light conditions, without causing glare. This feature also contributes to reduced eye strain, promoting better eye health with an E Ink screen.
“E Ink technology reduces the reliance on paper, thereby saving trees and mitigating the environmental impacts associated with papermaking and printing processes. Compared to PDAs, laptops, and tablets, eBooks consume significantly less energy to display information. A single battery charge can provide up to a month of reading. Utilizing sustainable technology like E Ink is not only easy on the eyes but also on the environment.”
3. Blue Light Protection:
E Ink screens do not emit blue light, which can adversely affect sleep quality.
After an hour and a half of technology usage in the evening, the sleep hormone melatonin is suppressed due to the blue ‘backlit’ light emitted from LCD screens found in phones, computers, televisions, and other screen-based devices. Our biological adaptation to technology is still in progress, and our bodies continue to associate bright light with daylight.
E Ink displays are reflective displays, while LCD displays are emissive displays. LCDs rely on a backlight to make the content visible by projecting light through the display. This backlight can cause difficulty in reading LCD screens in bright sunlight as it struggles to compete with the sun’s brightness.
E Ink displays operate differently from LCD ones as they do not utilize a backlight.
The outdoor performance of an E Ink screen is exceptional as it remains perfectly usable both during the day and at night. Ambient light from the environment is reflected from the surface of the display, allowing the content to be visible. Dark areas absorb sunlight, while light areas reflect it, resulting in a clear and visible image.
As with any reflective surface, the more ambient light, the brighter the display looks. This attribute mimics traditional ink and paper, and users of E Ink displays have said that they do not have the same eye fatigue as with LCDs when reading for long periods of time.’
4. Frontlight
The display content remains visible at night without the need for backlight exposure. In Red Phone products, the frontlight panel uniformly illuminates the display, allowing for usage both day and night without causing glare. We have opted for warmer diodes compared to standard LEDs used for screen illumination.
E Ink displays are reflective, while LCD displays are emissive. LCDs rely on a backlight to project light through the display, making the content visible. However, LCDs become difficult to read in bright sunlight as the backlight struggles to compete with the sun’s brightness.
Why is E Ink better for your wellbeing?
We opted for an E Ink screen because we believe it prioritizes human health the most.
The advantages of this type of display are significant, benefiting eye health, energy efficiency (due to bistability, requiring energy only for display content changes), offering an analog feel, higher pixel density, and improved readability in daylight compared to regular LCD screens. Research suggests that devices emitting blue light, particularly at night, can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to various health issues such as heart palpitations, muscle pain and weakness, and daytime irritability. This concern over blue light-emitting devices, including smartphone or computer LCD screens with LED backlighting, led to a recent study by the Lighting Research Center recommending shutting down devices at least 2 hours before bedtime.
All of the aforementioned reasons have in some way aided us in the decision making process with regards to our products.
If you agree with our decision to choose an E Ink display, we’d love to hear from you! Share your experiences with us by sending an email to one@ceiver.in or joining the discussion on our Forum. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re available on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Let’s connect! For more information about Red Phone, visit our website.