E Ink and Esquire Team up for Latest Issue

Esquire's Electronic Ink Issue: Novelty or New Technology?

Oct 22, 2008 Sarah Moore

Esquire Magazine recently became the first print publication to use E Ink technology, creating a major buzz about electronic paper displays and the future of periodicals.

For their 75th special edition, Esquire released 100,000 copies of the magazine that boasted E Ink covers and an E Ink advertisement. The men’s monthly, long known for its innovative use of new journalism styles and emerging artists, is once again turning heads with the introduction of electronic paper displays to print media.

E Ink Corporation is the creator of electronic ink and electronic paper displays (EPDs). EPDs are high resolution, low power displays that have long been used in advertising, cell phones, and electronic readers such as the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader. They boast “a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, light form,” according to their website. EDPs employ electronic ink that carries a charge, which allows it to be updated via electronics. It is toted as an innovatory technology that combines both functionality and creativity in a sleek tool.

Esquire’s E Ink issue contains a cover that reads, “the 21st century begins now.” The electronic text conceals and reveals itself, as well as flips the foreground and background’s shades of black, white, and gray in various timed patterns. “Normal” illustrations on the cover are also backlit with E Ink. The inside cover houses an advertisement for a Ford Flex Crossover, where a flashing loop simulates the car’s movement. The display will run for 8-9 months, but may last longer if the magazine is kept in cool conditions such as a freezer.

The resulting storm of blog posts and reviews has been a mixed bag. Many of the more tech-savvy readers are less than impressed by the mediocre graphics and lack of color in the actual display. Others see this as yet another foul attempt by floundering print publications to boost revenue and advertising sales instead of promoting new journalists and improving article quality (the E Ink components were partly financed by the Ford Motor Company). And some Esquire subscribers are peeved because they will not receive the special E Ink version of the issue; they must purchase it at newsstand prices.

With such clamor comes support as well. Many praise the new technology as a cutting-edge first step for combining digital and print components in journalism. Developments such as color and increased graphic quality are an exciting frontier that will encourage an increase in readership. Other supporters see Esquire’s partnership with Ford as a welcome relief from increasing periodical costs. The E Ink issue is $6, a 50% jump from the normal $4 issue, but Ford’s financial backing dissuaded an even larger cost to the consumer.

The latest Esquire is flashy, literally, and causing quite a stir among readers. Whether or not this latest advancement in print media is successful is yet to be seen, but it opens doors to exploring the integration of the tangible and the technological.

Resources

E Ink Corporation. “Electronic Paper Displays.”

http://www.eink.com/technology/index.html

Murph, Darren. “Esquire's E Ink-infused magazine cover shown on video.” Sept. 8, 2008.

http://www.eink.com/technology/index.html

The copyright of the article E Ink and Esquire Team up for Latest Issue in Magazine Publishing is owned by Sarah Moore. Permission to republish E Ink and Esquire Team up for Latest Issue in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Esquire's October 2008 Cover