E-Ink Displays : Explained!
Have you ever wondered how the display of a Kindle works? Kindle Displays are called as E-Ink displays. Read this article to learn more about e-ink displays.
What is E-Ink
E-Ink displays are basically displays that require very little power to run. It very much resembles a normal paper. The good thing about e-ink is the fact that it is good for your eyes whereas normal displays like LCD and AMOLED are not good since they emit blue light. E-Ink displays mostly comes in grayscale but today it even comes in color.
How are they made?
The research for E-Ink displays started in an MIT lab and it was patented on 1996. The rights to the technology is currently in the hands of E-Ink corporation which was acquired by a Taiwanese company name ‘Prime View International’ in 2009.
The Logo of e-ink cooperation. Credit - blog.eink.com
E-Ink is made into thin film and then fixed into electronic devices like watches, phones, e-readers etc. Today E-Ink corporation has partnered with famous companies like Amazon, Sony, Motorola, Rakuten (Kobo reader), etcetera. There are various types of e-ink displays. The most commonly used one is called as ‘E Ink Carta HD’, which is used by most of the kindles.
The Yota Phone (e-ink phone), Credit - amazon.com
How does E-Ink displays work?
In e-ink technology tiny microcapsules are put in a liquid which is covered with a film layer. The microcapsules contain positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles. First, a negative electrical field is applied and this causes the white particles to rise to the surface. In the same way a positive electrical field is applied and the black particle rises up to the surface. By applying different fields at different parts of the screen, e-ink produces a monochromatic text display.
Disadvantages of E-Ink Displays
- E-Ink displays are not backlit, making it difficult to read in a dimly lit place
- They cannot display video
Advantages
- It looks and feels like paper
- It consumes less energy
- It is good for on our eyes since it does not emit blue light.
Check out this lifewire article) for more information. Also check out the official e-ink website.
That’s it for now,
Thanks for reading,
Stay home stay safe,
Bye👋🏻
-Rajat KR