Image: Aura
Digital picture frame brand Aura has announced a new take on its frames with the Aura Ink. The new digital frame opts for a low-power e-paper display, enabling a cord-free design that isn't stuck to locations near outlets. Aura says the Ink will look more like a print and less like a screen and claims this is the thinnest e-paper frame available.
Those familiar with e-readers or tablets that use e-paper may be scratching their heads and questioning the display's quality for photographs. The Aura Ink, though, differs from e-readers in that it uses E Ink Spectra 6, which is not currently found in any e-readers. It is, however, found in other digital photo (and poster) frames, such as the InkPoster, so Aura isn't the only company using the tech to show off more detailed imagery.
The Aura Ink can be mounted to the wall or placed on a tabletop.
Image: Aura
E Ink Spectra 6 uses six ink colors (white, black, red, yellow, green and blue). Aura says it added a proprietary dithering algorithm that expands the appearance of its six-color system into millions of tones. As a result, Aura claims it gives the illusion of a full-color photograph. "We hold color accuracy, brightness, and overall photo reproduction to a higher standard—even while working within the unique characteristics of e-paper, such as its narrower palette, more muted tones, refresh process, and pixel structure," explained Eric Jensen, Aura’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder.
The 13.3-inch Aura Ink display also features a built-in, automatically adjusting front light to boost contrast and vibrancy without glowing like a traditional screen. Like Aura's other frames, it uses paper-textured matting and a glossy finish to look like a traditionally framed print.
A zoomed-in crop of the display.
Images: Aura
Aura says the frame refreshes overnight to show a different photo each day, using a gradual, 30-second imprinting process that reconfigures each pixel's physical color. You can change the schedule to show more pictures throughout the day, but the single photo per day provides a more traditional print experience.
One of the benefits of the e-paper design is lower power usage compared to an LCD. "A top request has been a truly wireless frame with minimal charging, and e-paper is the only technology today that can deliver that," said Jensen. Aura says it provides up to three months of battery life on a single charge, meaning users can place the frame anywhere without considering outlet location. The cordless design also makes it more attractive when hanging on the wall and more feasible to integrate into traditional gallery walls.
The testing process.
Photo: Aura
The Aura Ink is also quite slim, even for traditional picture frames, measuring just 15.24mm (0.6"). Like Aura's LCDs, it offers unlimited photo sharing without a subscription and allows friends and family to contribute photos from anywhere. The frame features hidden buttons to allow for manual changes, or users can control what's on display via the Aura app.
The Aura Ink is now available for $499.
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Press release:
Meet Aura Ink: The Wireless E-Paper Frame Pioneering the Future of Photos at Home
Cordless by design, Aura’s new Ink frame advances the latest in e-paper technology to feel as natural as a printed photo yet as dynamic and connected as a digital frame.
NEW YORK, NY (October 21, 2025) — Aura, the leading brand and innovator in premium digital picture frames, today announced the launch of Aura Ink, the cord-free e-paper frame that feels more like a print and less like a screen. A bold step in Aura’s award-winning connected frame line-up, Ink features a 13.3″ color e-paper display, ultra-slim 0.6″ profile, and up to three months of battery life on a single charge—powered by Aura’s easy, subscription-free and unlimited photo-sharing app.
Many homes have walls adorned with framed photos of loved ones. While digital frames have made it easier to display and share more memories than could ever be printed, cords and outlets can be limiting. A truly wireless digital frame now becomes possible with the latest generation of color e-paper: a low-power display that can go months on a single charge.
Aura Ink was created, building on E Ink Spectra™ 6, to deliver a digital frame that effortlessly shows unlimited photos and lives untethered in any space. New images appear daily—or set up a schedule in the app to display more—through a gradual, 30-second imprinting process that reconfigures each pixel’s physical color. The result is a vintage-toned display that looks like a traditional photograph yet carries the intelligence and connectivity Aura is known for.
"Aura has always been about creating easier ways to relive meaningful moments. Ink is a step forward in that vision as a truly wireless frame for more photos at home," says Abdur Chowdhury, CEO and co-founder of Aura. "With over a billion photos shared to Aura frames in the last year, Ink introduces something new for those who want the next generation frame in their space, and a better use for the growing libraries of photos otherwise left on our phones."
Advancing e-paper with richer color and smarter lighting
Even with today’s advancements in color e-paper, limitations remain: a palette of just six different ink colors for rendering photos and reliance on ambient light, which can leave images appearing dim. Aura engineered Ink to address these challenges while staying true to its signature design-first approach.
- Proprietary dithering algorithm: Aura’s dithering approach for Ink expands the appearance of display’s six-color ink system (white, black, red, yellow, green, and blue) into millions of tones, creating the illusion of full-color photographs.
- Subtle built-in front light to highlight photos: Boosting contrast and automatically adjusting to ambient conditions, the front light provides gentle vibrancy for photos without the glow of a traditional screen, with automatic shut-off to keep the frame dark at night.
- Cordless Flexibility: With up to three months of battery life on a single charge, Ink can be placed anywhere in the home. Note: battery life may vary based on factors such as the amount of time per day the frontlight is illuminated, image update frequency, WiFi strength, and more.
- Ultra-slim: At just 0.6" thick, Ink is the thinnest e-paper frame available, designed to join a gallery wall or stand alone. Ink comes with a wall-mount and tabletop stand.
- Thoughtful material-inspired design: A graphite-inspired bezel, paper-textured matting, and glossy finish evoke the look of a traditional framed print.
"Innovation at Aura starts with understanding how people want to live with their photos. A top request has been a truly wireless frame with minimal charging, and e-paper is the only technology today that can deliver that," said Eric Jensen, Aura’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder. "Because Aura frames are designed for sharing and displaying photos of loved ones, we hold color accuracy, brightness, and overall photo reproduction to a higher standard—even while working within the unique characteristics of e-paper, such as its narrower palette, more muted tones, refresh process, and pixel structure. Ink is just the beginning of how we’ll keep advancing this technology for photos in the home."
Smarter Features, Simpler Experience
The Ink frame sets up in minutes and connects through the Aura Frames app, offering unlimited, subscription-free sharing central to Aura’s platform:
- Effortless setup: From box to wall in just minutes, users can connect to WiFi® and set up Ink using an intuitive QR code guide.
- Invite loved ones: Friends and family can privately contribute photos from anywhere, turning the frame into a shared album.
- Stay with your memories longer: To encourage mindful viewing and extend battery life, Ink refreshes overnight to show a new photo each day, though you can see more images using the app or on-frame buttons.
- On-frame controls: Hidden buttons allow manual changes in addition to control via the Aura app.
Designed to be tech hidden in plain sight, Ink has also officially been Calm Tech Certified® from the Calm Tech Institute, for its purpose of minimizing digital noise and alert fatigue. Aura is the first and only digital frame to earn this recognition. For vibrant, high-resolution displays, Aura’s HD LCD frames remain an excellent choice for buyers.
Aura Ink is now available for $499 at auraframes.com in the United States. Ink’s e-paper frame joins Aura’s top-rated line-up of digital HD frames, including the best-selling Carver, the versatile Aspen, and the wall-mountable Walden. For more information, visit auraframes.com.
