Got a Spare E Ink Display Laying Around? Build Yourself an Electronic Etch A Sketch!

E Ink displays are pretty remarkable; they have extremely high contrast, are readable in direct sunlight, and, most importantly, don’t use any power to maintain a static screen. They only use power when refreshing the screen, which is why your Kindle’s battery lasts so long between charges. The downside is that e-ink displays take a long time to refresh, especially if they have a third color on top of black and white. They also look awfully similar to an a Etch A Sketch, so why not use an E Ink display to build one?

This electronic Etch A Sketch was built by Dr. Scott M. Baker, and is part of a post explaining the fundamentals of using hobbyist e-ink displays, along with reviews of some popular models. If you want to learn how the displays actually work and how to choose one, read Baker’s entire article to get an idea of the basics. If you’re just here for the Etch A Sketch, skip to the bottom.