E-Ink Constraints

Designing for 16 shades of gray.

The Refresh Rate Problem

Animations and subtle transitions do not work on electrophoretic displays. UI must be discrete, binary, and high contrast.

E-ink refresh rates average 450ms. Any interaction taking less time than the refresh rate feels broken.

Common E-Ink Mistakes

MistakeImpactSolution
Low contrast graysIndistinguishable due to dithering.Strict black and white thresholds for UI elements.

Dither Simulator

FAQ

Can I use CSS animations?

Absolutely not. Disable all transitions via media queries for e-ink browsers.