Technology guide
The six technical decisions that decide your ESL choice
The questions to answer before choosing a manufacturer. Each section links to the matching filter in the catalogue.
1 · Colour technology
In e-paper labels the colour capability comes from the number of pigments in the display. More colours draw more attention, but refresh time, unit cost and energy consumption all rise with them.
| Level | Colours | Typical technology | Refresh | Cost impact | When? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 colours (BW) | Black, white | E Ink Carta / Aurora | 1–2 s | ×0.85 | Price, barcode and location code only |
| 3 colours (BWR) | + Red | E Ink Spectra | 2–4 s | Reference (×1.0) | Classic retail, discount emphasis |
| 4 colours (BWRY) | + Yellow | E Ink Spectra 3100 | 4–8 s | ~×1.35 | Promotion bands, brand colours |
| 5 colours | + Orange | E Ink Spectra 3100 Plus | 5–10 s | ~×1.5 | Richer promotional design |
| Full colour | Full colour palette | Spectra 6 / Gallery class | 15–25 s | ~×2.1 | Product photography, fashion, cosmetics |
| LCD rail | 16.7M colours | TFT-LCD, backlit | Instant (video) | Very high + mains power | Retail media, dynamic advertising |
2 · Communication protocol
The protocol decides installation cost, update speed and battery life together. The wrong choice comes back as a coverage problem at scale.
Infrared (IR) hybrid Pricer
An optical signal from ceiling-mounted transmitters. No radio contention, and sub-second bulk updates even in dense label environments. It needs line of sight, so ceiling height and shelf layout must be planned.
- Fastest bulk update
- Longest battery life (up to 10 years)
- Mounting discipline is critical
2.4 GHz proprietary VusionGroup · SoluM · Hanshow
The most common approach. A vendor-specific low-power protocol; SoluM states a 45 m line-of-sight range. It shares the band with Wi-Fi, so channel planning is required.
- Balance of speed, range and cost
- Widest product range
- Watch for Wi-Fi interference
Bluetooth LE 5.x ZKONG · Minew
Standard BLE infrastructure: low access point cost and fast commissioning. Bulk update time can grow with label count, so measure it in the pilot if you plan dynamic pricing.
- Lowest infrastructure cost
- Open ecosystem, SDK access
- Risk of slowdown at density
Sub-1 GHz (433/868 MHz) Sertag
Low frequency, high penetration. In warehouses dense with metal racking and walls it covers a wide area from a single access point. Bandwidth is low and bulk updates are slow.
- Widest coverage, fewest APs
- Ideal for warehouses and industry
- Slow bulk updates
3 · Display size and mix planning
No store is fitted out with a single size. In a typical supermarket the label mix looks like this:
| Class | Size | Typical share | Use | Information capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 1.0" – 2.2" | 25–35% | Narrow shelves, cosmetics, pharmacy, jewellery | Price + barcode |
| Standard | 2.3" – 4.2" | 50–60% | General grocery shelf | Price + unit price + description + barcode |
| Large | 4.3" – 7.5" | 8–15% | Appliances, electronics, DIY | Spec block, QR, comparison |
| Aisle header | 7.6" – 13.3" | 1–2% | Category signage, promotion board | Full-page image and text |
| LCD rail | 600–1200 mm | Optional | Retail media, brand communication | Video, animation |
These mix ratios form the default values in the budget estimator .
4 · Battery life — look at your scenario, not the catalogue
When a manufacturer says "up to 10 years" it assumes a particular update frequency. What actually drives the real figure:
Update frequency
Life can differ several-fold between one update a day and one a week. If you plan dynamic pricing, ask the manufacturer for a life commitment based on your own scenario.
Colour count
A BWRY refresh consumes noticeably more energy than a BW one, and the gap widens further on full-colour models.
LED use
An LED left on during order picking shortens battery life. Budget for it separately in heavy pick-to-light scenarios.
Ambient temperature
Lithium cell capacity drops in freezer cabinets. Check the stated life of freezer models separately.
Signal quality
A weak signal means more retries and more consumption. Access point placement affects battery life directly.
Replaceability
Can the battery be replaced, or does the whole label go? This decides your total cost after year five.
5 · Environment and IP rating
6 · Software, integration and contract
Integration checklist
- Price transfer from ERP/POS: file, API or database trigger?
- Change latency: how many seconds after the till before the shelf updates?
- Template engine: how many templates, and are conditional fields (discount, unit price, origin) supported?
- Label-to-product pairing: is there a barcode scanner, NFC or mobile app?
- Multi-store management: central campaign distribution with per-store exceptions
- Permissions and audit trail: who changed a price, and when?
- Cloud or on-premise? Data residency and data protection requirements
- API access and public documentation
What to pin down in the contract
- Label warranty and battery warranty — these are separate items
- Replacement time for faulty labels and a committed annual failure rate
- Annual licence increase cap and an exchange-rate clause
- Return of data and templates when the contract ends
- Spare part supply commitment (7–10 years minimum)
- Pilot scope and acceptance criteria
- Training and on-site support days