Best Dasung Eink Monitor Setup

Eletronic Ink Tech Devices
#1

Dear fellow E-Ink folks,

I assume many of you are using the Dasung Paperlike as an external monitor since it’s the monitor with the best resolution and refresh rate. Especially with Dasung turbo, their engineers are doing a great job. You can find the latest model here:

However, to get the most out of the product (e.g. eink coding), I would like to share you some tweaks to optimize for a black/white working mode and improve low contrast issues:

  • Use Notepad++ with Solarized light theme
  • Use the white-high contrast theme in windows 10
  • Use combo (Windows and +) to activate “Zoom-Tool”, then use Control + Alt + i to revert colors if needed (e.g. on dark only websites)
  • Look regularly (especially on EyeLeo reminders) on high distant objects to relax eyes in general
  • Work in fullscreen mode (F11) to make up for a smaller display
  • Have an own external high quality background light to put directly on screen --> i use this BenQ ScreenBar LED Monitor Desk Lamp with Auto Dimming and Colour Adjustment Functions, Eye Care, No Screen Glare or Flicker, USB Charging, Office Lamp [Energy Class A+]
  • I work parallel with Send to Kindle app to send papers/articles to my Kindle and read them over there
  • If you try to do Zoom Video Meetings reduce contrast with hardware buttons, change video view to minimum possible and also buy external hardware camera to place above or next to Dasung Screen so you look “into the camera”.

I also have another screen (Paperlike Pro 2nd gen) which I use for travel. I am also thinking to install another Dasung screen in order to have a dual eink screen setup. Will report soon on that endavour.

If you want to read a great guide about the current state of eink monitors, you can find it here: https://cloudconfusing.com/2020/02/07/e-ink-monitors-ready-for-prime-time/

1 Like
#2

More tips from reddit users:

#1

  • Do you use the Fast+ and M3 modes? I use them but maybe there is a better choice.
  • use shortcuts as much as possible to avoid using the mouse (example of Linux useful scripts to select windows) ;
  • there is a visual studio e-ink plug-in which gives a color theme ;
  • I also have a BenQ light (but it does not adapt automatically). I find it less tiring with the light set to red;

#2
Let me add some tips for Paperlike HD-F under Mac.

  • you need to turn off True Tone as well as night shift to avoid small flickering dots (Also, if you used the flux app in the past, even if you quit it you quit it, you may still have the display profile (pref system / display / colour tab) set to flux (that was my case) )
  • Use switchResX to add a custom “scaled” resolution of 2201x1650 (yes 2201). Then use the “1101x825, hiDPI” option.

#3
Using ubuntu + i3 window manager optimized for e-ink screen (Link + Screenshot: https://github.com/numbworks/i3_eink_config)

2 Likes
#3

#4

  • Minimize scrolling by using page up/down keyboard shortcuts
  • Have a plain white desktop
  • Switch off animations in accessibility
  • Reduce the animation effects in the dock settings
  • I prefer mine at 1600x1200
  • Make the mouse pointer larger
  • Use large text
  • Use a font designed for e-ink: Literata is my favourite
  • Zoom in on websites
  • I mirror my MacBook screen, but only have its brightness up to watch videos or check colours
  • Don’t use dark modes, and make customisable apps very white
  • Have warm light directional lamps pointing at the screen instead of using the built in lights
  • Have the top of the screen at eye level

#5

So, my tips:

  • Learn all possible shortcuts (switch tabs in browser, switch apps, validate dialog, space bar to page down, zoom size text, …)

  • You have a checkbox in “system pref / accessibility / display” to increase contrast : it add an extra border on some macos ui element (I find the slider below not useful)

  • There is an extension for firefox to improve contrast (“font contrast”). FF also have a high contrast mode that I find not practical

  • Try to understand M1/M2/M3 Vs contrast +/-. My understanding is: contrast +/- “moves the range” from light/medium to medium/dark, and M1/M2/M3 makes this range wider, at the price of less level of gray. But I may be wrong

  • There are 9 level of contrasts

  • Usually for videos you want to use lowest contrast level

  • Don’t use the software, it’s too buggy, just use the button on the screen

  • Take really care that you don’t use a software like flux or night shift. And even when quitting flux, you may still have the profile activated (Displays / colour / display profile)

  • For anything which is white with black background (video tutorial, site …), you can set an os shortcut to inverse all color of the screen: sys preference / keyboard / shortcut / accessibility / invert colors (I use ctrl+alt+cmd 8)

  • It’s nice to have a white desktop background, but you may have difficulty to read the name of the icons on the desktop. so : right click on desktop / show view options, and then increase the size of the font. Alternatively hit cmd+A to have everything selected and then readable

  • I use 1100x824

#6

hi for code editor I have to say that i abandoned (i am using visual studio code) - syntax highlighting is so useful and not usable in B&W. I am interested if you have any good configuration for it.

the only additional tips i could give you according to previous posts is that I put my dasung on an articulated arm of photo camera. It allows me to use it without backlight and to avoid annoying light reflection by moving it easily. I also tried a classics monitor arm but the dasung was to light for it.

The drivers are buggy and each time I connect my dasung on my mac I have to adjust the settings again. (i use M2 with black+)

Anyone knows if the config can be saved on the dasung ?

#7
On my side I’m happy with coding on dasung, as long as I use a light theme. I use mostly phpstorm, and the difference of level of grey / background color / italic / underline makes syntax highlighting somehow noticeable enough. Definitely not perfect though

I think that without or with the driver installed, the settings are resetted every time you reconnect the screen. (Just that, with the driver, you have extra bugs)

Another tip or solution about light reflection : putting yourself (and the screen) perpendicular to a window : you’ll still have some outside lights, but no reflection

#8

I finally succeeded in activating high dpi on mac

I use SwitchResX and I had to add a new scaled resolution for the dasung : 2201x1650 (the real resolution does not allow hidpi (it is a mac os bug)

then I choose the 1101x825 and it works like a charm

1 Like
#4

More tipps: