Improving User Experience: Obsidian Minimal Eink Mode for Electronic Paper

The previously introduced Obsidian md is a cross-platform second brain/productivity software. In addition to computers and mobile phones, it can also run on open system Android e-paper devices. However, due to the characteristics of e-paper screens, even if unofficially optimized software can run on e-paper devices, most of them will not have a good experience, and the same is true for Obsidian.Recent ObsidianMinimal theme updateThe e-paper screen mode makes using Obsidian on e-paper much more user-friendly.

Take Mobiscribe WAVE as an example: Minimal theme application comparison

With the lower-end host currently available to Mike,Mobiscribe WAVEFor example, Obsidian’s default dark theme is very poor in Wave’s rendering, almost to the point of being unusable. Even if you switch to a light color, the contrast of the colors is not strong enough. Although the use experience has been improved, it is still not very good.

Obsidian native theme effects

To install the Minimal theme and Eink mode, you first need to download the Minimal theme from the appearance setting area, and then go to the plug-in area to download the Minimal Theme Settings plug-in. After downloading, go to the plug-in settings and you can find the eink (beta) option in the color matching.

Install Minimal theme and Minimal Theme Settings plug-in and Eink mode location

After applying the Eink mode of the Minimal theme, you can obviously feel that the contrast of the interface is greatly enhanced, and the fonts are thicker, which is indeed more comfortable for viewing.

Color rendering performance after applying Minimal theme Eink mode

Performance on hosts with BSR technology: improved, but not required

From the before-and-after comparison of WAVE, we can probably know that basically the Minimal Eink mode can improve the performance of Obsidain on e-paper readers to a certain extent in most cases. However, a number of newer models in the e-paper market are equipped with BSR technology, which uses additional GPU to adjust the screen presentation to make the color contrast more obvious. For these models, is Minimal’s Eink mode helpful? Mike happens to have a Kaleido 3 color panel and a regular black and white panel host equipped with this technology. The conclusion from experience is that it is not really necessary. For color cameras, since BSR itself can adjust the color contrast, especially the feature of making the screen whiter, basically as long as you find a theme with sharp enough contrast, you will have a good experience, and you don’t necessarily need the Minimal Eink mode.

Boox Tab Ultra C comparison between Big Sur Aesthetic and Minimal Eink modes

As for the black and white panel, due to the contrast-enhancing characteristics of Eink, Mike personally thinks the effect is better, but there seems to be no problem if the native light color theme is used.

The effect of applying Minimal Eink mode to Boox Palma

Summary: Make Obsidian more usable on electronic paper

Generally speaking, the introduction of Minimal Eink mode is undoubtedly a great boon to users of e-paper readers, especially on lower-end hosts, which can greatly improve the user experience. Mike personally feels that this is really a very good development. We hope that as the e-paper market expands, more apps will launch Eink-friendly modes to make the user experience better on Eink screens.