What makes CLEARink a contender in many different markets: it’s both cheaper to produce and looks better than its e-paper competitors. The technology brims with so much promise that it won Best of Show at Display Week 2017.
Sri Peruvemba, Head of Marketing at CLEARink Displays, answered several questions regarding CLEARink Display’s electrophoretic technology. Here are just a few reasons why CLEARink seems destined to become a mover and shaker in the e-reader space.
CLEARink Looks Better Than E Ink
The CLEARink technology looks like E Ink, but with some big differences. While both share an underlying technology (electrophoresis), the secret behind CLEARink lies in a new type of ink, co-developed with Merck, and a reflective panel. Here’s how it compares to LCD, OLED, and e-paper:
The new ink and reflective panel make images that are sharper and clearer compared to E Ink displays. According to CLEARink Displays CEO Frank Christiaens, CLEARink’s whites offer twice the “reflectance” (or whiteness) of E Ink, which almost equals ink on paper. Part of its competitive edge lies in its simplicity. Instead of using two kinds of inks (or pigments), CLEARink employs just one. According to Peruvemba:
“E Ink uses a two particle system to generate black and white. To generate white, E Ink uses a white particle to reflect light. Whereas CLEARink only uses one particle — black — to generate black state. To generate white, CLEARink uses a TIR (Total Internal Reflection) film on the front surface.”
The end result: higher contrast, lower power consumption, and even color video, when combined with an LCD layer.
While CLEARink’s video variant consumes more energy than E Ink, its power consumption relative to LCD comes in around 80 to 90 percent less. In addition, it can display motion video with a refresh rate of around 33 Hz — a little choppy, but good enough.
But there’s more. A lot more.
