Display Technology
Transforming display technology: a new generation of colour
e-Paper displays
Daniel Burke, marketing manager at Review Display Systems (RDS), investigates the latest developments in colour e-Paper displays
C
olour e-Paper displays, such as the Kaleido 3 displays from E Ink, represent one of the latest evolutions in electronic display technology. The latest
product enhancements are now enabling the growth of applications for e-Paper, expanding its appeal across industries such as retail, transportation, and publishing.
Understanding colour e-Paper technology
e-Paper technology mimics the appearance of traditional ink on paper, offering a power efficient, high-visibility alternative to more traditional LCD and OLED displays. Colour e-Paper displays such as Kaleido 3 employ a colour filter array layered over a black-and- white e-ink substrate, allowing vibrant colours to be displayed. When compared to earlier iterations of e-Paper products, the latest Kaleido 3 technology offer: enhanced colour saturation: improved filter technology delivers more vivid colour tones.
34 February 2025
higher resolution: increased pixel count supports more detailed graphics and finer text.
faster refresh rates: reduced lag for smoother image transitions, thereby enabling more dynamic applications. Other colour e-Paper technologies, such as Print-Colour or Advanced Colour ePaper (ACeP), are further enhancing optical performance with more accurate colour reproduction and improved saturation.
Advantages of colour e-Paper displays
Although e-Paper technology is still in its infancy when compared to long established display technologies it can still provide a number of potential advantages including: Energy efficiency - e-Paper screens consume power only when the display content changes, making them ideally suited for battery-operated devices.
Readability - superior sunlight readability compared to traditional display
Components in Electronics
technologies, which is essential for outdoor or high-brightness environments.
Durability - designed to withstand environmental stress, e-Paper technology is less prone to glare, overheating, or damage from prolonged UV exposure.
Versatility - colour e-Paper expands the potential uses to include more visually rich applications, from advertising signage to complex data visualisation.
Limitations of colour e-Paper Despite their many advantages, colour e-Paper still has some performance and usage limitations:
Limited colour gamut - while still improving, e-Paper colours are less vibrant than traditional LCDs or OLEDs.
Slower refresh rates - though improved, e-Paper displays are not yet able to support video playback or real-time applications.
Higher costs - colour e-Paper displays are more expensive than monochrome
alternatives, making them less accessible for cost-sensitive applications.
The e-Paper market landscape Monochrome e-Paper
The most established e-Paper technology, monochrome e-Paper, is widely used in e-readers, retail shelf labelling, and industrial signage. It provides concise, high-contrast displays and ultra-low power consumption which make it an ideal choice for applications where colour is not an essential requirement.
Two, three and four-colour displays e-Paper displays offering additional colours, typically black, white, red, and yellow are commonly found in retail environments. These displays provide visual differentiation without the complexity of full-colour displays, making them cost-effective for on-shelf labelling and promotional signage.
Colour e-Paper The newest frontier in e-Paper, full-colour
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