16 August 2026

^{Efficient, colorful, next-generation electronic shelf label. (Photo: Business Wire)}

 

Walk into a modern supermarket and look closely at the price labels. What appears to be an ordinary piece of printed paper may actually be a small screen receiving wireless updates from a central system.

Most of us know electronic paper—or “e-ink”, as it is commonly called—from devices such as the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo e-readers. Strictly speaking, E Ink is the company that dominates this market, while electronic paper or e-paper describes the broader display category.

Electronic paper screens do not glow like smartphones, play perfectly smooth video or constantly demand our attention. They simply display words and images, sometimes helping a device run for weeks between charges.

Those apparent limitations are useful for a variety of applications beyond the e-reader: the electronic paper display uses less electricity, remains visible in sunlight and can be updated without replacing printed material.

 

How does an e-ink screen work, and why does it use so little power?

 

An LCD display generally relies on a backlight, while an OLED display uses pixels that emit their own light. Both require a continuous power supply to keep displaying an image. Electronic paper works more like a highly sophisticated Etch A Sketch.

In a black-and-white E Ink display, millions of microscopic capsules contain electrically charged black and white particles suspended in fluid. When an electric field is applied, one set of particles moves towards the surface and the other moves away, producing the light and dark areas that form text and images.

Once the particles are in position, they remain there without the display panel having to redraw the image continuously. This property, known as bistability, is why electronic paper uses so little power while showing static content. Independent research published in Nature Communications confirms that electrophoretic displays can retain static text or images without electricity. The complete device may still consume power for its processor, wireless connection or front light. But the display panel mainly needs electricity when its contents change.

Because electronic paper reflects ambient light rather than relying on a constantly illuminated screen, it also remains readable outdoors, in contrast to conventional phone displays that are impossibe to read in bright sunlight.

 

Where is e-ink used besides e-readers?

 

In a lot of places, actually!

1. Supermarket price labels

Electronic shelf labels allow retailers to update thousands of prices and promotions remotely. Staff no longer have to walk through every aisle replacing pieces of paper, while shops can synchronise shelf information with their central pricing systems more efficiently.

The same labels can display stock information, QR codes or product origins. Their batteries can last for years because the display does not consume continuous power while showing an unchanged price.

Electronic labels also make it technically easier to change prices frequently. That does not mean every retailer using them is introducing surge pricing or personalised prices. It simply means that changing a price no longer requires an employee to print and replace a label.

2. Digital notebooks and paper-like tablets

Devices from reMarkable, BOOX, Kobo and Amazon have expanded electronic paper from reading into writing, sketching and document annotation. Larger products such as the Amazon Kindle Scribe combine an e-reader with a digital notebook and stylus.

For people who spend their working day staring at bright screens, the relative simplicity of these devices is part of the attraction. An e-paper tablet is not necessarily more capable than an iPad. In many cases, it is useful precisely because it does less.

Refreshes are generally slower; fast-moving video remains a poor fit for most consumer e-paper devices and some displays briefly flash when refreshing a page. But for reading reports, taking notes or working without a parade of incoming messages, those limitations can become features.

3. Public signs and information boards

Bus timetables, hospital directions, office-room signs and public-information boards rarely need to change 60 times per second. Sometimes they change only a few times a day.

That makes them strong candidates for electronic paper. A display can retain its information without continuously powering the panel and, in some installations, run from batteries or solar energy.

Large-format colour e-paper has now moved beyond demonstrations. In June 2026, 75-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 advertising displays were installed at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. They can operate for extended periods on battery power, although content updates and supporting systems still consume electricity.

4. Luggage tags, dashboards and changing surfaces

Electronic paper is also being developed for reusable luggage tags, smart-home dashboards, delivery labels and equipment displays—situations in which information changes occasionally but does not require constant animation.

BMW has even demonstrated concept vehicles covered with E Ink material that can change their exterior appearance. This is not yet a feature to expect on an ordinary production car, but it illustrates the technology’s potential beyond rectangular screens.

Important to note here: not every e-paper display is flexible. A bendable screen requires a flexible backplane as well as flexible electronic-ink film.

 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-ink?

 

The main advantages of electronic paper are its extremely low power consumption when displaying static content, excellent visibility in sunlight and ability to retain an image without continuously powering the panel. It can also provide a calmer, more paper-like reading experience than a conventional screen.

Its disadvantages include slower refresh rates, less vivid colour, occasional flashing or ghosting during page changes and limited suitability for video, gaming and highly interactive applications.

 

Is colour e-ink as good as an LCD or OLED screen?

 

Not if “good” means bright, saturated colours and smooth movement.

Some colour e-paper displays place a filter over black-and-white electronic ink; others manipulate several differently coloured particles. Both approaches involve compromises affecting brightness, colour saturation, resolution or refresh speed.

Recent colour e-readers are considerably more appealing than earlier generations, but they still do not look like OLED tablets. Colours tend to be softer and more reminiscent of newsprint than a glossy magazine.

That is not necessarily a failure. A supermarket sign, digital poster or book cover does not need cinema-quality colour. It needs to be readable, stable and efficient.

 

Will e-ink replace conventional screens?

 

No. And that's an unfair comparison, really.

OLED and LCD displays excel at movement, brightness and rich colour. Electronic paper excels when an image needs to remain visible for a long time while using very little power. One is suited to films and games; the other to books, labels and timetables.

The beauty of e-ink is that it can make previously static objects updateable.

 

Frequently asked questions about e-ink

 

Does e-ink use electricity?

Yes, but an e-ink panel mainly consumes electricity when its image changes. The complete device may still use power for lighting, processing and wireless connectivity.

Is e-ink better for your eyes?

Electronic paper reflects ambient light and may feel more comfortable for some readers, particularly outdoors. That does not establish that every e-ink device is inherently better for everyone’s eyes.

Can e-ink display colour and video?

Colour e-ink is already available, although its colours are generally softer than those of LCD and OLED displays. Some newer panels can show animation or video, but electronic paper remains best suited to largely static content.

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Explore e-ink devices

 

Best suited to	Device	What distinguishes it
Affordable reading	Amazon Kindle	Compact monochrome e-reader
Reading indoors and outdoors	Kindle Paperwhite	Larger display, warm light and water resistance
Illustrated books and comics	Kindle Colorsoft	Adds a colour e-paper display
Reading and handwritten notes	Kindle Scribe	Large screen with stylus support
Colour reading and note-taking	Kobo Libra Colour	Colour display with optional stylus
Android-based flexibility	BOOX Note Air	Supports more apps than most e-readers
Distraction-free writing	reMarkable Paper Pro	Focused on handwriting and annotation

 

 

 

 

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