E Ink Carta is a family of monochrome electrophoretic display panels from E Ink. It is used in e-readers, e-notes and monochrome e-paper displays. It comes in several generations, such as Carta 1000, 1200 and 1300. Each generation improves contrast, refresh speed or responsiveness.
If you have shopped for an e-reader or a monochrome e-paper display, you have probably seen “Carta” on the spec sheet, followed by a number like 1200 or 1300. This page explains what the name and the number mean, and whether the number matters.
What Is E Ink Carta?
Carta is E Ink Corporation’s monochrome electrophoretic display platform. It is the panel technology behind many black-and-white e-readers.
It is not a single product. It is a lineage of generations (Carta, Carta 1000, Carta 1100/1200, Carta 1300). They share the same electrophoretic, bistable principle. Each one improves contrast, refresh speed and responsiveness.
When a spec sheet says “Carta”, it tells you which family of E Ink panel is inside. It works like a processor family name on a laptop spec sheet. It tells you more than just “fast”.
Carta Versions Compared: 1000, 1200 and 1300
The generation number matters more for some uses than others.
| Generation | Where it sits | What improved |
|---|---|---|
| Carta 1000 | Baseline | Established Carta as E Ink’s standard e-reader platform |
| Carta 1100 / 1200 | Builds on 1000 | Faster response time and improved contrast ratio over the 1000 baseline |
| Carta 1300 | Builds on 1200 | Faster refresh and noticeably reduced input latency. Aimed at reading and at stylus and note-taking use |
| Carta 1400 | [CONFIRM] | [CONFIRM against E Ink’s published specifications] |
Specific figures such as contrast ratio and response time are published by E Ink. Please add them from E Ink’s current documentation, with the source noted. Do not use figures from review sites or marketing summaries as final, because claims get refined over time.
The practical takeaway: each generation is a real improvement, not a renumbering. The gap between adjacent generations (such as 1200 and 1300) is smaller than the gap between Carta and the technology it replaced.
Carta vs. Pearl
Pearl is the earlier E Ink generation that Carta replaced. What distinguishes Carta is better contrast and faster response time.
Later Carta generations also support E Ink’s REAGL waveform technology [CONFIRM which generations]. It reduces the need for a full-screen flash on routine page turns.
How Carta Works
Carta uses the same core mechanism as other E Ink electrophoretic displays. Microcapsules filled with charged black and white particles are suspended in a fluid layer between electrodes. An electric field moves the particles to the top or bottom of each capsule. This forms the visible image.
Once set, the image holds with no continuous power. This is the bistable property that defines e-paper. See the e-paper glossary for bistability, refresh modes and related terms.
The panel does not choose the waveform on its own. Running the correct waveform for a given panel and refresh mode is the job of the driving electronics. If you are sourcing that layer for a Carta-based design, see our TCON and controller boards.
Carta vs. E Ink’s Color Technologies
Carta is monochrome only. It sits alongside E Ink’s color lines, not against them. They are built for different products.
If you are also looking at color technologies such as Spectra 6, Kaleido 3 and Gallery 3, see color e-paper technologies.
The short version: Kaleido 3 layers a color filter on top of a Carta-class monochrome film. Carta is often the black-and-white foundation that a color technology is built on, not a competing option.
Where Carta Is Used
Carta is used mostly in reading and writing devices:
- E-readers.
- E-notes and digital notebooks.
- Outdoor and industrial monochrome e-paper displays that put text clarity and battery life ahead of color or fast refresh.
MyGica’s 13.3″ EPC1330B outdoor display is built on a genuine E Ink Carta panel. It uses the same contrast and low-power properties that make Carta the default choice for e-readers. It is packaged for outdoor signage instead of handheld reading.
Does the Carta Generation Matter to You?
It depends on what the device is for:
- Casual reading. The difference between Carta 1200 and 1300 is real but subtle. Either gives a paper-like reading experience.
- Note-taking or stylus input. Newer Carta generations reduce input latency. This matters more here than for reading alone.
- Sourcing a panel for a product. The generation affects contrast, refresh speed and cost. Confirm which Carta generation a supplier is quoting. “Carta” alone does not tell you enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the numbers in Carta 1200 or Carta 1300 mean?
They are generation numbers. A higher number is a later generation of the Carta platform, usually with better contrast, response time or latency. They are not a resolution or a size.
Is Carta the same as E Ink?
No. E Ink is the company. Carta is one product line in its portfolio, focused on monochrome displays. See E-Paper vs. E Ink for the difference between the category and the company.
Is Carta 1300 available in color, or only black and white?
Carta itself is monochrome only. Kaleido 3 adds color with a color filter array (CFA) on top of a Carta-class film. The color layer sits above the same monochrome panel. You get Carta’s black-and-white performance with color added.
What is the difference between Carta and Pearl?
Pearl is the earlier generation. Carta replaced it with better contrast and faster response time.
Does a higher Carta generation number always mean a better display?
Generally yes, within the Carta family. Each generation improves contrast, refresh or responsiveness. But the generation number does not capture everything that affects display quality. Panel size, resolution and the driving electronics also matter.
Can Carta panels be used outside of e-readers?
Yes. The same low-power, high-contrast properties apply to other monochrome e-paper uses. These include signage, industrial displays and outdoor units, wherever text clarity and battery life matter more than color or fast refresh.