Electronic ink - seemingly ordinary but subtle

(E-Ink: Like The Everyday Kind, But A Whole Lot Smarter)

It has been confirmed that the durability of paper prints is much longer than expected. Since the advent of the Internet, some people have worried that the static printing world will soon be a thing of the past. However, when the booming voice of .com is declining, publishers have found that people still prefer to read books rather than using handheld computers (PDAs). Read it. Readers like to read paper books, a more intimate book than e-books and other paperless recording devices, except that its information capacity is small.

So, can you read a book that is printed on a gracious, light-weight, portable material that can be updated? Can it integrate the advantages of traditional publishing with emerging digital tools? Let us step into E-ink, a company that recognizes the use of its own electronic ink technology to change the way people communicate visually.

At the 2001 TextOne Zero seminar held at the Marriott Brooklyn Hotel in New York on May 22, E-ink's CEO and chairman, James Iuliano of Cambridge University, explained the E-ink perspective with an open tone. The TextOneZero seminar focused on digital publishing, digital libraries, and those emerging technologies that have brought about changes in the book industry, as well as Mr. Iuliano's "paper-like display and future publishing industry" speech.

Choosing the Loss "You don't have to make this choice whether you use a handheld computer to read e-books or choose a book that we all feel comfortable printing with ink," he told the e-books or paper media books that were Publishers, editors, and executives from various companies.

Mr. Iuliano said that E-ink technology allows readers to apply electronic technology while maintaining the attributes of printed books. He asked the audience to imagine a regular paper that can embed hundreds of subtle printing elements that do not change the shape of the paper. These tiny printing elements allow the paper to be typeset as required and are non-reusable and reusable. This is the principle of how E-ink works.

Mr. Iuliano showed that the idea of ​​inventing E-ink was based on consideration of the persistence of paper media. Paper media have been in existence for more than 2,000 years since its invention. This is due to its ease of use, light weight and portability, being unbreakable, easy to fold and pack, reading in many environments, and not requiring energy. . In short, paper media has many surprising advantages, making it an ideal reading medium.

“But in the information age, paper media have serious flaws,” he continued. “You put information content in paper media and it is very difficult to change it.”

According to Mr. Iuliano, a $40 billion production line has emerged, which has changed the deficiencies of the single print product that cannot be changed, and produces products that can change as needed. The appearance of E-ink makes paper have both traditional advantages and features it does not have, resulting in a truly new display product and e-book that can change the way people exchange information.

"White paint particles"
How does it work? Mr. Iuliano said that E-ink uses titanium oxide, the most white material of all humans, and grinds it into small particles called white paint tablets. The white paint pellets are then chemically charged, after which they are mixed with a dye and pressed into a clear, approximately 100 micron blister (about as thick as someone's hair). Finally, the electronic ink is sandwiched between two conductors. If positive electricity is applied to the top layer, negatively charged paint particles move to the top layer. Therefore, the reader can see a white point. If the polarity is reversed, the negatively charged white particles move away from the top layer and the dyed ink appears. In order to obtain a grayscale image, it is necessary to control the position of the titanium oxide particles in the capsule during the treatment process. According to Mr. Iuliano, this approach is an exploration of color imaging in the future.

Mr. Iuliano explained: "Through the delicate electrodes, charged white paint particles play a hide-and-seek game in the ocean of dyes, which can change our imagination for ink-like materials." He said when you think of us With laptops, computers, and PDAs, you can feel the advantages of E-ink is outstanding. In fact, all the shortcomings of LCD display can be compensated by using E-ink.

The first advantage of high brightness, high definition and durability is that it is easy to understand. E-ink manufacturers use the same components as traditional ink components - only charged inks, to make electronic inks, so electronic inks look similar to those printed on paper and match both brightness and contrast. Very high and can have a 180 degree perspective.

Another advantage that can exceed digital readers is the power consumption of electronic ink. Once the white paint particle is driven to a state where an image has appeared, the image may disappear - without additional energy support. Mr. Iuliano confirmed that: "If you turn off the laptop's power, you will see a black color. However, these are completely absent for electronic ink."

The third advantage is strong printability - for almost all materials. This is an ink. If you walk into the lab and a small bottle of electronic ink splashes on your body, you become a walking monitor. Electronic inks can be printed on textiles, paper, plastics and many other materials. The liquid crystal display is displayed on the glass and it is heavy and fragile. Electronic inks can be displayed on plastic surfaces, making them ultra-thin, flexible and non-breakable.

You can ignore it but it is very different. Printing with electronic ink is also very easy. For example, it can be used for web printing and soon it can also be used for glossy advertising papers and other large format labels. All of these features allow it to be displayed flexibly, just like on paper, and will no longer be an alternative to the aforementioned advantages of e-books or paper media.

This article cannot predict the prospect of cooperation between electronic ink and other electronic devices. For example, E Ink recently announced that it will work with IBM to develop a world-class SVGA electronic ink display. According to Mr. Iuliano, electronic ink will also be compatible with emerging changes in the entire publishing industry in the field of printed electronics. Here, E Ink and Lucent Technologies have produced the world's first fully printed display. “Think about it. Our ultimate goal is to print on one sheet of paper, one side with ink and the other with electronic ink,” said Mr. Iuliano.

Mr. Iuliano said he is looking forward to the electronic ink-type display can be put into the market in the first quarter of next year.