Color e-ink photo frames
A color e-ink frame shows a picture on electronic paper in six inks: black, white, red, yellow, blue and green. It has no backlight and no cord, and it will not play video. All 8 frames on this site are color e-ink picture frames, and some makers write that as eink.
What color e-ink is
Classic E Ink is made of capsules holding black and white particles in clear fluid. An electric field pulls one color to the surface and it stays there with no power (E Ink). Color panels add colored pigment. The screen in every frame we cover is E Ink Spectra 6, which shows black, white, red, yellow, blue and green (LCD-Mikroelektronik), at up to 200 pixels per inch and a typical contrast ratio of 30:1 (E Ink).
Is eink the same as e-ink?
Yes. You will see the word written eink, as one word, and Bloomin8 calls its product the Eink Canvas on its own store. It is the same screen. What matters is color against black and white.
How the colors look
Six inks are not millions of colors. Every other shade is made by dithering: dots of the six, placed so they blend when you stand a few feet back, the way a newspaper prints a photo. Close up it looks like film grain.
- Black
- White
- Yellow
- Red
- Blue
- Green
The inks are also duller than a screen. Pimoroni’s driver for its Spectra 6 displays lists measured colors in which white is really a light gray and blue is closer to navy (Pimoroni inky library). Our guide to how color e-ink works shows both sets.
Bright, simple pictures with strong color suit it best, and dim, low-light ones go muddy. Our photos that suit e-ink guide shows the same still life in daylight and at dusk, and the photo converter shows your own photo in six inks before you buy.
Color e-ink or an LCD frame
An LCD frame shows millions of colors, runs slideshows and video, and works in a dark room. A color e-ink frame gives those up for a matte, print-like picture with no glow and a battery that lasts months. The Aura Ink costs roughly double an LCD Aura frame (Digital Camera World). The full comparison is in e-ink or LCD.
Color e-ink or black-and-white e-ink
Black-and-white e-ink has only the black and white particles, so a picture comes out in grays. Color e-paper comes in more than one kind. E Ink’s Kaleido 3, which it pitches at eReaders and eNote devices, lists 4,096 colors at 150 pixels per inch in color and 300 in black and white (E Ink). The photo frames use Spectra 6 instead, with six inks at up to 200 pixels per inch, and every frame we cover has that color screen.
The color e-ink frames we cover
| Frame | Screen | Sizes | From | In the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aura Ink | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3 in | $499 | Not sold in UK |
| Ugreen Gallery | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3 in | $299 | Not announced |
| Fraimic Smart Canvas | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3 and 31.5 in | $399 | Ships abroad, no UK price |
| Bloomin8 E-Ink Canvas | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3 and 28.5 in | $499 | Yes |
| SwitchBot AI Art Frame | E Ink Spectra 6 | 7.3, 13.3 and 31.5 in | $149.99 | Yes |
| Reflection Frame | E Ink Spectra 6 | 10 and 13.3 in | $199 | US store only |
| InkPoster Affresco and Tela | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3, 28.5, 31.5 and 40.5 in | $499 | Yes (prices in pounds) |
| Aluratek ePaper Wi-Fi Frame | E Ink Spectra 6 | 13.3 in | $349.99 | Not sold in UK |
US prices, the lowest on each frame’s page, read on the makers’ own stores between October 10, 2026 and October 23, 2026; each page dates its own. Ugreen’s page also mentions a standard 4-pigment E Ink option, so check which version you order.
Where to start
- The sharpest picture: the Reflection Frame 10-inch, $199 on sale (list $249.99), with 200 pixels per inch.
- The cheapest: the SwitchBot AI Art Frame 7.3-inch at $149.99 (£159.99 in the UK).
- Photos sent in by the family: the Aura Ink, US only so far.
- Local control, standard frames and a 28.5-inch size: Bloomin8.
Every model side by side is in the comparison table.
Questions about color e-ink frames
What colors does a color e-ink frame show?
Six: black, white, red, yellow, blue and green. Every other shade is made from dots of those six (dithering), so a photo looks grainy up close and smooth from across a room.
Is a color eink frame the same as a color e-ink frame?
Yes. Eink is just the one-word spelling. The difference that matters is color against black and white, and every frame we cover has a color screen.
Does a color e-ink picture frame need to be plugged in?
No. The frames we cover run on a rechargeable battery. The claims run from up to 3 months for the Aura Ink at one photo a day to 1-3 years for Bloomin8 at one refresh a day, so what you get depends on how often the picture changes.
Can you see a color e-ink frame in the dark?
Not without a light. The screen reflects the room’s light and makes none of its own. Of the frames we cover, only the Aura Ink has a front light.
Can a color e-ink frame show video or a fast slideshow?
No. Changing the picture means moving pigment, which takes about 15 to 30 seconds on most frames and about a minute for the first picture on an InkPoster. That is why frames change picture about once a day.
What does a color e-ink photo frame cost?
SwitchBot’s 7.3-inch frame is $149.99, the cheapest we cover. For a 13.3-inch frame, Reflection Frame starts at $299.99 and Bloomin8 is $499. Prices were read on the makers’ own stores, the oldest of these on October 23, 2026.