E-paper readability

[JohnDae]

I make some observations based on couple of weeks of experience with modern e-ink e-paper E-reader device.

Generally, the readability is much better than other display technologies but still ways off from ink on paper.

First, the 'white' is gray which means much more light is necessary to read compared to white or creamy yellow book paper. This often means I have to setup special lighting to read whereas a book would be fine as is.

Any extra lighting, however, adds to discomfort especially because glare is a big problem unlike with book paper. The glare is comparable to or even worse than anti-glare coated monitor which means everything light and especially all light sources show up as bright semi blurred reflections. This means I have to hold the device at a specific angles depending on the surroundings for a glare free reading experience whereas diffuse book paper is essentially glare free. It doesn't help that the glare highlights the fact that the letters reside under a few millimeters of coating with smudged surface from using the touchscreen.

The two above mentioned problems (lack of whiteness & glare) are the same fundamental issues my old reflective frontlit LCD reading device suffered from, however both aspects are greatly improved.

Finally, the PPI is completely sufficient for reading but, aesthetically, fonts look somewhat pixelated when not using anti-aliasing or blurred when anti-aliasing is being used compared to most books. The PPI would probably have to be increased to around 1200 or even 2000 to get comparable font quality.

For future versions of the technology, I hope developers concentrate on improving the whiteness and reducing the glare for even better reading experience.

[meeera]

Why are you pointing point-source lamps directly at a modern reader? Just adjust the frontlight to the correct setting for your environment, and leave your ambient lighting at a modest, diffuse level.

[JohnDae]

Originally Posted by meeera

Why are you pointing point-source lamps directly at a modern reader? Just adjust the frontlight to the correct setting for your environment, and leave your ambient lighting at a modest, diffuse level.

I seem to prefer reading under daylight or under reflected light from the environment after sunset.

[DrNefario]

Me too. I'd prefer not to have the light on my paperwhite to be honest. (Yes, maybe I should have gone for the regular kindle instead of the paperwhite. Too late now.) I'm not even convinced the PW is better than my old keyboard kindle, which didn't have the light diffusion layer or the touchscreen.

[patrik]

When you read a book, the page is typically curved. When you read on an e-reader, you have perfect angle to the page, all the time.

[jackie_w]

Perhaps your comparison opinion depends on the quality of your paper books.

All my fiction pbooks are paperback, not hardback, many of them 20+ years old. I just opened a few of them, at random, off my bookshelf. Not one of them had text which looked sharper or clearer than the text on my 300dpi Kobo. Most of them had yellowed pages. Most of them had a font-size smaller than I prefer these days which also means the letters are "spindlier" (if that's a word).

[GlenBarrington]

The opinions expressed by, well, everyone in this thread are . . . opinions. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' on something like this. We all use what works for us. I love my PW2, and I like my Android tablet, for reading. I just don't buy, or read, paper books any more.

It's hard to condemn someone who loves to read so much that they have opinions on the best way to read!

[Deskisamess]

None of my paper books are printed on “white” paper. The print in almost all of my paper books is too small to be easily read by me. The pages are light grey or yellowish in color, never stark white, even when brand new.

I have no glare issues on my Oasis or Kobo Glo unless I’m aiming a bright light directly at the screen, which I don’t do. I love the front lighting on both of these devices, as well as older Kindles I’ve owned.

I am absolutely thrilled with the tech that allows us each to have what works best for our individual needs.

[JohnDae]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Perhaps your comparison opinion depends on the quality of your paper books.

It would but I wasn't trying to compare books to e-reader devices but readability quality of ink on paper to e-paper. I'm a big fan reading device tech and I think this is clearly increasingly the way of the future for everyone.

I just point out that paper is generally far more white and drastically less glossy which in general gives better readability than todays e-paper. I`d like e-paper that was even more like paper in my next device.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by JohnDae

It would but I wasn't trying to compare books to e-reader devices but readability quality of ink on paper to e-paper. I'm a big fan reading device tech and I think this is clearly increasingly the way of the future for everyone.

I just point out that paper is generally far more white and drastically less glossy which in general gives better readability than todays e-paper. I`d like e-paper that was even more like paper in my next device.

On the other hand, magazines and some coffee table books are printed on glossy paper with glare considerably worse than e-paper.

[ilovejedd]

I've read on the Paperwhite 3 in direct sunlight and under bright fluorescent lighting. Haven't really had any issues with glare, contrast or text sharpness/clarity (font: Bookerly). The PW3 definitely has less glare compared to my laptop's anti-glare LCD.

Paperwhite 2, however, was admittedly somewhat blurry.

[JohnDae]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

On the other hand, magazines and some coffee table books are printed on glossy paper with glare considerably worse than e-paper.

This gave me the idea that that ideally the glossiness would be electronically controllable parameter along with the actual color of the 'white'. Nice rough and diffuse wood fiber over wood fiber texture for books with creamy white page color. Pristine glossy white for picture magazines.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by JohnDae

This gave me the idea that that ideally the glossiness would be electronically controllable parameter along with the actual color of the 'white'. Nice rough and diffuse wood fiber over wood fiber texture for books with creamy white page color. Pristine glossy white for picture magazines.

Paper and electronic displays are different things, each with advantages and disadvantages. I don't see the need to try to force electronic displays to look exactly like paper, just for aesthetic purposes. Let each do what it does best.

[rcentros]

I used to work in a print shop. You can go back a step further and compare letterpress printing to offset printing. In my opinion, offset is not even close to good letterpress printing, although offset is superior to "digital" (laser or inkjet) printing.

As for eReaders, I'm not that concerned about the "paper" color. I just want sharp, dark fonts with good contrast. I would love to be able to use a front-lit model, but my eyes won't cooperate. But I don't feel like I'm missing much as book lights and lighted cases fill in nicely (when reading in dim light) for me.

[crane3]

I found that FBReader on the ipad had a "white paper" that looks wood fiber texture; FBR also had the brown paper background that I liked more.

Then I checked if something was available on Moon+ Reader Pro & found it. The textured brown paper was at the next to the last choices, the white paper is previous to that. The last selection is lavender(?); haven't tried that as the textured brown paper is highly satisfactorily for me & no glare reading with my reading glasses.