New technology brings moving images directly onto paper

At this week's Plastics Electronics trade fair in Frankfurt, developers from German electronic company Siemens presented extremely thin, miniature colour displays that can be printed onto paper or foil. The displays can be produced at a very low cost leading Siemens to state "Color displays may one day be used practically everywhere." The use of such displays could, for example, mean a revolution to packaging, displaying information about products or even operating instructions for devices. And they could be used in newspapers as well, especially because Siemens scientists are currently optimizing displays to allow showing moving pictures.

Siemens spokesman Norbert Aschenbrenner said in The Guardian, "The technology makes it possible to put moving images directly onto paper ... at a cost that would make it economical to use on everything from magazines to cigarette packets ... where the moving images would give more detailed instructions than any photo could ever do." The new technology is expected to cost about ?30 per square meter. It is planned to be available by 2007.

Referring to the possible use of the technology in newspapers, Aschenbrenner said, "We think that at the moment the screens will appear first in more expensive magazines in the form of high-impact adverts. But as the price sinks we expect them to appear in papers as well, possibly as a really attention-grabbing front page." That would be quite a revolution in newspaper design.

Aschenbrenner explained the displays' potential: "The images are in colour, and can broadcast anything that can be shown on a regular flat screen monitor or TV, although with a slightly lower quality. These could be short film clips or flash animations like those found on the internet." That would enable newspapers to compete with the Internet and television using the printed paper. The new technology is an interesting development and makes one curious of what the future will bring. Are we going to read newspapers that are full of ultra-thin displays showing short films? Or are we going to read our newspaper on an e-paper-device? Or are we just going to read everything online? What do you think?

Sources: The Guardian, Siemens