E-paper film print technology opens door to lower-cost IoT displays

Technology News | August 21, 2019

By Rich Pell

E Ink JustPrintIt, as it is called, is a rewritable, digital, electronics-free display medium geared towards smart office, transportation, retail, healthcare and IoT applications like ID badges, gift cards, loyalty cards, packaging, healthcare or public transportation cards. The technology can be implemented onto small and large format rewritable ePaper displays.

The JustPrintIt printing technology, licensed from HP, works to display images and content on E Ink’s ePaper film, utilizing a proprietary hardware imager in conjunction with the ePaper display material to produce a rewriteable, high-resolution image, potentially in a range of resolutions, sizes and formats.

The image can be updated over thousands of times by passing the ePaper display material through the hardware imager, without the requirement of a TFT and on-board display electronics. The system is also tamper-resistant, as images and information on the badges can only be updated by using the associated imager. The technology enables lower-cost displays for applications heavily reliant on printing, such as security badges and industrial labelling, and since the technology offers an alternative approach to printing images or information on paper, it may be considered a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative.

”I’m excited about E Ink’s efforts to advance HP’s innovative e-display technology,” said Keith Moore, HP Fellow and VP/Head of Print Adjacencies and 3D Lab HP Labs.

E Ink is building the ecosystem and is seeking partners to bring this technology to the market over the next two years with new partners to collaborate on the JustPrintIt platform in joint development and commercialization.

E Ink – www.eink.com