Improving Reading Comfort: E Ink Receives World's First Paper Like Display Certification from TÜV Rheinland

HSINCHU, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TÜV Rheinland Greater China ("TÜV Rheinland"), the international testing, inspection and certification body, has presented E Ink Holdings Inc. ("E Ink") with both the "Paper Like Display" Quality-mark and China-mark for its color ePaper display module, the world's first ePaper display module to receive this certification.

The demand for ePaper products is growing quickly due to the continued increase in digital display content and greater user awareness on the importance of visual health. Existing display product standards are aimed at self-illuminating products such as LCD and OLED display panels, so are not suitable for reflective displays like ePaper. An industry standard for scientifically evaluating the performance of ePaper and other reflective display products is therefore urgently needed.

Frank Holzmann, Global Vice President of TÜV Rheinland Business Field Electrical, said: "TÜV Rheinland has been studying how user experience can be integrated with new display technologies for a long time. The Paper Like Display standard incorporates user experience with the latest visual health research to look at their performance in two dimensions, reading comfort and safety. It provides a scientific standard for the testing and assessment of paper-like display products. We will continue to work closely with E Ink in the future to promote the development of high-quality ePaper products."

Johnson Lee, CEO of E Ink, said that the company was delighted to obtain the two "Paper Like Display" certifications from TÜV Rheinland. E Ink has long been a promoter of ePaper technology and applications, and the certifications are proof that ePaper is truly like conventional paper, displaying images without any backlighting. No light source shining directly into the viewer's eyes reduces visual fatigue after extended reading. The company hopes to work with ePaper ecosystem partners and promote "Paper Like Display" certification for all ePaper related products. The goal is to create the most comfortable ePaper products for users.

Specific optical indicators on reading comfort for paper-like display products were developed through two years of extensive collaboration between experts at TÜV Rheinland and E Ink. How each parameter influenced reading comfort was also analyzed in conjunction with user experience to arrive at the Paper Similarity Index (PSI). PSI will serve as a guide for the continued refinement of e-paper technology. It will also help consumers select e-paper products that offer a high level of reading comfort.

The new certification was awarded to E Ink's color ePaper display module based on the latest E Ink Kaleido™ Plus technology. The technology offers 16 gray levels and 4,096 colors, making it suitable for the display of rich graphical information such as graphs, maps, images, comics, and advertising. Text and detailed images can be clearly displayed even under the sun. Certification testing found that E Ink Kaleido™ Plus delivered outstanding performance on all parameters related to reading performance. Its PSI rating of 86 is the highest of all comparable products on the market rated by TÜV Rheinland to date.

As the leading global provider of technical services, TÜV Rheinland has more than two decades of experience in display products. It has developed a variety of standards and certification services on low blue light, retina protection factor, flicker-free, eye comfort and full care display for different product categories. It has long worked to encourage technological progress in display technology in pursuit of better display performance and protection of users' visual health. TÜV Rheinland and E Ink will continue to work closely together to promote the establishment of international standards. They will also work with the ePaper Industry Alliance to support the industry's development in each application ecosystem.