Electronic paper is a technology that has been gaining popularity in the last decade. It involves devices that mimic the readability and clarity of a piece of printed paper using various types of “e-ink”. Through various mechanisms, devices such as Kindles and Nook readers color their individual pixels either dark or light, which results in a device that provides a paper-like reading experience unparalleled to that of LED devices. Currently, electronic paper devices hold huge potential as an industry that can replace the paper industry or reduce our reliance of paper materials, either of which would reduce paper waste. Paper waste accounts for around 40% of the US’ waste, and is thus a problem that is worthy of investigation through less expensive display technologies.

Many electrofluidics phenomena are being harnessed for electronic paper, and one such phenomena that has just recently entered into the radar of science and industry is electrowetting. This involves using charge to move small amounts of colored fluid by running voltage through them on a nanoscopic scale. While many devices have been prototyped or created commercially using electrowetting, there is still a large amount of room to improve on the design and production of current electrowetting display devices. Since certain designs require an intensive industrial process, the widespread use of e-paper can be encouraged by experimenting with more innovative designs that are easier to produce and more cost-effective. These new designs could include features such as pixel-less or open-structured pixels, etched-in or 3D printed pixels, and new fluid control mechanisms.

Cheaper and more efficient production of e-paper will allow for mass production, which will make e-paper both more affordable as well as more accessible to the world.