Exploring Dithering on Spectra 6-color E-Ink Displays

4 months ago

The XIAO ePaper DIY Kit (ESP32-S3) – EE04 from Seeed Studio features a 6-color Spectra 6 display.
Dithering techniques were used to simulate a new range of color tones and shades beyond the native 6 colors.
Hardware includes an ESP32-S3 controller board with Wi-Fi/BLE support and e-paper displays in various sizes and colors.
The Spectra 6 E-Ink display supports colors like White, Black, Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue with a slow refresh rate (20-30 seconds).
Dithering methods tested include Checkerboard 50%, Triple + WHITE/BLACK, Bayer 4×4, and ErrorDiffusion Approx.
Checkerboard 50% was the most effective for simulating intermediate colors while maintaining clarity.
Color blends like Purple, Brown, and Sky Blue were successful, but mixes with white were less convincing.
The kit is ideal for static dashboards, signage, or low-power digital art due to its slow refresh rate.
The ESP32-S3 and Spectra 6 display combination offers great potential for experimentation and learning.
Future posts will cover converting images into arrays for efficient display on multicolor ePaper.

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