3.13.00
Two technologies may revolutionize ink-on-paper printing, electronic
ink and electronic paper.
Electronic Ink
Tiny capsules contain a liquid blue dye and negatively charged
white pigments. The 100 micron wide capsules are suspended in a liquid
carrier which can be used to transfer them to a substrate producing a
density of 256 capsules (dots) per inch. When placed between charged
electrodes, the pigments migrate within the capsule. A negative charge
will attract the white pigments to produce a white image, and a positive
charges will produce a blue image. Charges can be applied either from the
viewed or hidden side of the substrate, or both. When the power source is
removed, the capsules will remain in position for weeks. To image the are
of a mousepad, 0.1 watts are required. Reapplying a charge will
redistribute the pigments to form different images, like tomorrow's
news.
Electronic Paper
A similar idea is an 'electronic paper' consisting of two transparent
layers containing an oil with suspended beads. The beads have different
colored hemispheres charged positively and negatively. When a charge is
applied to the sandwich, the beads rotate to expose the desired
hemisphere, either completely to produce a single color, or partially to
expose a portion of each color. In this manner, a grayscale or vignette
can be produced. Once rotated, the beads maintain their position until a
subsequent charge is applied.
Author: Kevin Juhasz
Source: Newspapers and Technology March 2000, p. 8