Using an E-Ink Monitor: Part 2

This is a follow up to my 2024 post about using the Dasung Paperlike HD-F e-ink monitor.

It’s spring again in Philadelphia, which means I’m dusting off my Dasung 13.3” Paperlike HD-F. This portable e-ink monitor allows me to work on my laptop outside, in full sunlight.

Since last year I’ve made some changes to improve my experience with the monitor.

Clearing the monitor screen programmatically

The monitor suffers from ghosting, where an after-image of the screen contents persists faintly. This can be annoying and reduce legibility, especially as it builds up over time. There’s a physical button on the front of the monitor that resets/clears the screen. I was looking for a software solution to clear it so that I could keep my hands on the keyboard and not have to press the button, which nudges the monitor from its position resting on top of the laptop screen.

In my previous post I reported that I couldn’t get Dasung’s PaperLikeClient software to work on my Macbook. That is still the case, but I discovered a way to clear the monitor using Lunar. With the Lunar CLI (which you can install via right clicking the GUI Lunar app menubar icon > Advanced features > Install CLI integration), you can clear the monitor using this command:

lunar ddc PaperlikeHD 0x08 0x0603

I put that into a Raycast script, so now clearing the screen is just a few keystrokes away.

Addressing flickering

A Reddit poster pointed out that Apple’s temporal dithering (FRC) causes some flickering on the Dasung monitor. I did notice this after they raised it, and I tried their suggested solution of using Stillcolor. Stillcolor does indeed turn off temporal dithering which resolved the flickering.

Securing external monitor to laptop screen

Last year, I had been using the Dasung monitor by basically resting it in front of the laptop’s built-in screen. This approach was less than ideal. First, the monitor would often slip and slide down over the keyboard, since there isn’t much lip to hold it up. Second, the monitor is rather heavy, and at certain angles it would make the laptop sreen fall open to its full extent. My temporary solution was to use a bag clip to hold the monitor in place. That only sort of solved the first problem, but it didn’t work that well.

In the fall, I roped in my mechanical engineer friend to draft and 3D print some pieces to help secure the monitor in this arrangement. We worked together on developing some hinges to (a) hold the monitor in place and (b) support the laptop screen at a specific angle.

After a couple iterations, he produced these small, adjustable hinges.

• These feature a thumbnut to allow securing the laptop hinge at a specific angle, preventing the screen from falling fully open
• They have a pronounced vertical support that the base of the e-ink monitor rests upon, holding it up
• There’s also a slot to allow access to the ports

I’ve only had the opportunity to use the monitor with these hinges a couple times, but so far they’re solving the problem splendidly. I’m looking forward to many days of working from the roof 🕶️