Printed Electronic Displays: Progressing the Vision (Printed Electronics Europe 2005)

The current market for all forms of signage for mass communication is huge, estimated at around $100bn. The dominant technology is printed signs on paper, giving excellent visual performance at relatively low cost. In time, electronically changeable signage will take over a large part of this market, driven by the emergence of low-cost electronic display technologies and benefiting from the operational cost savings of wireless content distribution.

 

Kodak has been developing its first generation reflective digital signage technology, a part-printed cholesteric liquid crystal display, first announced in May 2004. The operation and construction of the device will be described. Future improvements to the technology will be discussed, with a particular focus on manufacturing technologies related to coating and printing.

 

Chris Rider is Display Programme Leader, European Research Laboratories, Kodak Limited, UK

 

Chris joined Kodak's research laboratories in 1981 and has worked on a wide range of projects from basic research into non-linear optics to photoprocessing equipment commercialisation. Recently, as commercialisation manager for printed circuit board photomask films his team developed the film which is now most widely used worldwide in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. That experience has proved useful in his current role managing a growing portfolio of disruptive technology projects for Kodak's newly formed Display Business.

 

Chris graduated from Imperial College, London, with a Masters degree in Applied Optics. He has 29 granted patents.