Guide
ePaper (e-ink), LCD screen or printed poster: which fits a venue?
Three surfaces, three uses. An LCD screen is made for video and colour, but it emits light, draws power continuously and needs a cable. A printed poster has the presence of paper, but every change means reprinting and rehanging. ePaper, also called e-paper or e-ink (electronic ink), keeps the presence of paper, with no cable and no light, and changes its image remotely, in greyscale.
The comparison
E-ink, LCD or print: eight criteria compared.
ePaper is not better at everything. It is better at being quiet.
| Criterion | Framed print | LCD / OLED | Ginko ePaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light emission | None | Continuous, emissive | None, reflective |
| Power draw | None | Continuous | Only when the image changes |
| Cabling | None | Power and data | None, Wi-Fi and battery |
| Remote update | Reprint and reinstall | Yes | Yes, fleet-wide |
| Eye comfort | Paper | Glare, and always emissive | Paper-like, 180° |
| Moving image | No | Yes | No |
| Full colour | Yes | Yes | Greyscale |
| Architectural integration | Reads as a framed work | Reads as a device | Reads as a framed work |
When to choose what
Each surface has its place.
The LCD screen
When the image has to move: video, animation, a live schedule, vivid colour. It needs a socket within reach, and brings its own light into the room.
The printed poster
When the image stays the same for months: an artwork, a fine-art print, permanent signage. Every change goes through the printer, then a rehang.
The ePaper frame
When the image changes often, menus, programmes, signage, campaigns, and the venue wants neither light nor cable: lobbies, suites, spas, galleries, yachts. Several venues are run from a single window.
Questions
What we are asked.
Can an ePaper frame replace an LCD screen?
Not everywhere. ePaper shows no video and no animation, and Ginko stays in greyscale. It replaces the screen where the image must last and change from time to time, with no light and no cable.
Does an ePaper frame use power?
Only when the image changes. Between two changes, the image holds with no power at all. On a Ginko frame, the battery lasts up to three years, depending on how often the image changes.
Can you see it at night?
It emits no light: like a poster, it is read by the light of the room, and fades with it.
Is ePaper available in colour?
Colour ePaper panels exist. Ginko chose a greyscale panel, sixteen levels, which renders photography the way a silver print does.
How much does a Ginko ePaper frame cost?
The Ginko Horizon starts at 4 500 € and the Ginko Monumental at 5 800 €, excluding tax, with the four woods and anti-reflective real glass included. Leasing starts at 195 € a month, over 24, 36 or 48 months, with Studio Pro included.
ePaper, e-paper, e-ink: what is the difference?
None: they are names for the same technology, electronic ink, also called electronic paper. Black and white pigments move inside tiny capsules under an electric field, then hold in place with no power. E Ink was originally the name of a manufacturer of these panels.
Can an ePaper frame be used for digital signage?
Yes, for everything that does not move: menus, programmes, signage, campaigns. The image is changed remotely from Ginko Studio, on one frame or a whole fleet, at a scheduled time. For video, a screen remains the answer.
Does an ePaper frame need a power socket?
No. A Ginko frame runs on its battery, for up to three years depending on how often the image changes, and receives its images over Wi-Fi. Nothing to plug in, no cable to run through a wall.