E Ink is the creator of electrophoretic electronic ink (ePaper) — the optical component of a film used in Electronic Paper Displays. Although futuristic-sounding, electronic ink is actually a straightforward fusion of existing knowledge of chemistry, physics and electronics to create this new material. It's so much like paper, it actually uses inks – electronic ink!

E Ink has several types of electronic ink, in both black & white and color utilizing either microcapsules or Microcups®.

For black and white displays, each Microcapsule or Microcup contains negatively charged white particles and positively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a positive or negative electric field is applied, corresponding particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user. This makes the surface appear white or black at that spot.

In our color inks, multiple particles are within each capsule or cup, and each has its own charge to control its position within the capsule or cup to create the colors visible to the eye.

E Ink sells display modules to device makers who wish to integrate our reflective displays into their application. E Ink has two display platforms currently available – Segmented displays for applications that can utilize predefined segments that can be turned on or off, and Matrix displays, for applications that require the display of many different forms of text and images. Contact sales for further information.

Yes, please refer to E Ink Color Products, or click E Ink Spectra, E Ink Gallery, E Ink Kaleido, E Ink Prism or E Ink Marquee pages to find them.

Simply put, E Ink displays reflect the ambient light in a room, exactly like printed paper and do not use power to maintain an image, while LCD displays use a strong backlight that is modulated using liquid crystals. Because E Ink displays work like a printed page, and emit no blue light, they are not as tiring on eyes as an LCD screen. A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that devices using an E Ink enabled screen with a front light were up to 3x safer for the eyes than LCD screens.

The underlying ePaper technology is very similar but is tuned to the needs of the different applications of a Matrix display versus a Segmented display.

Matrix displays are intended for applications requiring the display of many different forms of text and images. These displays comprise of a large array of pixels. These individual pixels are controlled by a TFT array similar to what you will have a typical computer monitor or TV screen.

Segmented displays are intended for applications where the display requirements can be met using predefined segments that can be turned on or off. This is similar to what one would see in a typical calculator with a numeric or alphanumeric display and can be used for dynamic graphics- the display be made up of an array of pixels or by a collection of predefined shapes. Visit our module page for high resolution displays and our Prism page for segmented displays.

E Ink sells display modules comprising of the ink layer, a TFT and a variety of other options, including front light or touch panel. See our Module page for more information on standard sizes and stack configurations.
• At this time we do not sell the film alone without a JDA.
• We do not sell our electronic ink in its ink form.

This varies based on the size and requirements of the display application and whether it is a custom or standard size display. It is best to discuss your requirements with a member of our sales team.

Learn more about our standard modules.

Pricing for Matrix displays depends on volumes and whether the display is a custom or standard display. Please reach out to our sales team for more information.

This will vary depending on the project and the research involved. E Ink does engage in research projects and collaborative work through E Ink's internal research and development groups. These are usually projects that are aligned with our business goals. Reach out to our sales team for more information.

The size and shape of an E Ink display is totally dictated by the size of the electrical backplane that the E Ink film is laminated to. Displays can be very small or very large. E Ink has standard display modules in a variety of different sizes. Learn more about our standard modules.

The drive for E Ink displays is typically 15 volts but can depend on size and platform of ink used. An ecosystem of electronic components exists for design of complete ePaper systems.

All E Ink displays are bi-stable. This means that they only consume power while the display is being updated. No power is required to maintain an image after it has been updated. The power required to for the update process depends on the size of the display but is of the order of microwatts.

Yes there are developer kits available for products from E Ink and from our partners. Visit our kits webshop.

An E Ink display module supports numerous modes for updating the display. Different modes exist to support the different update requirements. See our different Brand pages for specifics on the platform you are evaluating. However, because E Ink screens are bi-stable, only the regions of the screen that are changing require updating. Any pixels that are not changing do not require updating.

Using the faster update modes, some E Ink screens can support video or animation quality video rates. However, constant updates reduce the power efficiency of our ink systems.

The flexibility of an E Ink display is controlled by the backplane. E Ink offers a flexible plastic-based TFT product called E Ink Mobius, which can be utilized in a range of applications.

Thicknesses range from 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm. This includes the E Ink film, protective sheet and the glass TFT backplane.

The operating temperature range for most of E Ink’s displays is from 0-50 °C. Some displays are available with a wider temperature range to meet needs for outdoor(-15-65°C) or in refrigeration signage.

E Ink has several standard parts available. Learn more here.

For those customers who are investigating an E Ink Segmented application, we provide a prototype development program. E Ink works with customers to finalize the specifications for the desired display. Based on the specifications E Ink will provide a quote for the prototype design. Upon completion of the specifications and quote acceptance, first working samples can typically be delivered in 12 weeks. At the completion of the prototype, per unit mass production pricing is finalized.

Yes, we recommend that you use one or more of our standard displays. Please visit our kits webshop. We do not provide free samples at this time.

The smallest Segmented display dimensions are approximately 6mm X 6mm. The largest display is 600mm x 600mm.

E Ink Segmented displays range from 1 to hundreds of segments.

At this time we do not provide free samples. You can use one or more of our standard displays. Please visit our kits webshop.