E Ink announced today that Sharp Corporation is introducing new color models of their ePoster electronic paper displays using E Ink Gallery Plus. Sharp plans to release a 25.3” and a 13.3” model to the market in October and September 2023, respectively.

Digital signage is becoming a valued communication tool for transmitting information in a timely manner. However, it is still common to see paper posters used in areas where it is difficult to install digital signage, where access to power is an issue, or in locations that cannot support the weight of a large, light-emissive screen. As cities and companies prioritize more sustainable solutions in their space design and limit power-hungry light emissive displays, reflective, non-emissive E Ink displays provide an ideal solution. E Ink’s ePaper displays only consume power when being updated, drastically reducing the power draw of the display. As the world’s only Dark Sky Association-approved digital signage, E Ink’s displays do not contribute to light pollution. They can run off batteries or solar cells, freeing the units from being placed on the power grid.

The Sharp ePoster products can be updated using a USB flash drive or via a smartphone app. When combined with e-Signage S, Sharp’s proprietary software system for content distribution and management (sold separately), the display can be updated over a network, making managing and operating the display “smooth and easy,” including updating content on multiple display units at one time, specifying the updating date and time and more.

Three years ago, Sharp Corporation and E Ink began collaborating to combine their strengths to contribute to the carbon-neutral era by popularizing digital posters. The potential of these digital posters has been confirmed through marketing activities, such as exhibiting prototype displays at exhibitions in Japan and around the globe. In April 2023, Sharp released their 42-inch monochrome ePoster digital paper display in the Japanese market. In addition to having a power consumption of 0 W during display, it also uses light reflected from outside sources to display its image, providing optimal visibility even in bright environments. In March 2023, E Ink and Sharp announced their collaboration to bring ePaper ePosters to market, with the 25.3” and 13.3” devices to be the first to launch.

Since entering the digital signage business in 2005, Sharp has become a “market leader” both through the development of displays, and by offering a wide variety of solutions for digital displays, from planning, production, consulting and system construction to installation and maintenance.

“We are excited to see the launch of the new Sharp ePoster devices and the progression of our work with Sharp,” stated Naoki Sumita, president of sales and marketing, Japan, of E Ink. “As cities and communities look to reduce their carbon footprint, E Ink offers a grid-free solution to enable their sustainability efforts, and Sharp is ideally positioned to bring this solution to market.”

Sharp and E Ink will continue working together on new advancements for ePosters and expand their efforts worldwide. The companies are excited to bring to market solutions that balance the need for digital content with the need for devices that fit into the carbon-neutral era.