Think about the walls in your home. Chances are, they’re filled with framed photos—smiles from birthdays, vacations, and everyday moments you want to keep close. But once a picture is framed, it rarely changes. And while digital frames make it easier to display more photos, the need for a cord limits where they can actually be placed.
That’s why we created Ink, Aura’s first-ever cordless, color e-paper frame. Featuring a sleek 0.6" profile and a softly lit 13.3" display, Ink feels like a print, functions like a digital frame, and, perhaps most importantly, lives completely untethered by cords. With a rechargeable battery that lasts up to three months on a single charge,* unlimited storage, and the ability to invite others to add photos via the Aura Frames app, it’s the cordless, wall-hanging frame our customers have been asking for.
The science behind Ink
To build a low-power, cord-free digital frame Aura’s imaging experts harnessed the full potential of E Ink Spectra™ 6 technology and engineered a proprietary dithering algorithm. Using error diffusion, this algorithm selects and places the available six ink colors—white, black, red, yellow, green, and blue—near each other to create the appearance of a full-color photo. The result is a vintage-toned display that brings out the warmth of a sunset, the subtlety of a black-and-white portrait, and, most importantly, the joy of a loved one’s face.
“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,” says Eric Jensen, Aura’s CTO and co-founder.
Since e-paper relies on the room’s natural lighting, which can make images appear dim, our engineers designed Ink with a subtle built-in front light—just one-eighth the brightness of an LCD backlight. Using motion and light sensors, this front light automatically adjusts throughout the day: adding gentle vibrancy when needed, turning off at night, and conserving power when no one is home. For added control, users can also schedule the light to turn on and off at set times.
A calmer kind of technology
One thing users will notice early on is Ink’s distinctive refresh, which takes about 30 seconds to transition from one color photo to the next. By default, the frame refreshes overnight to show a new photo each day, though you can see more images using the app or on-frame buttons. This more deliberate pacing not only extends battery life but also encourages viewers to pause and stay with a single moment a little longer.
We’re proud that Ink, along with our bestselling Carver and Aspen frames, is among the first digital frames to be Calm Tech Certified—a recognition for products designed to minimize digital noise and distraction.
Made to blend in
On the surface, Ink looks more like a piece of décor than a device. Its graphite-inspired bezel, paper-textured mat, and glossy finish are intentionally timeless, designed to blend seamlessly into a gallery wall or rest naturally on a tabletop stand. “Ink gave us the chance to explore and expand the potential of digital frames,” says Scott Chapps, Aura’s Chief Creative Officer. “The result is a frame that not only showcases your photos beautifully but also feels natural in any space.”
Share more, effortlessly
Like Aura’s other frames, Ink is powered by the Aura app, which makes sharing simple. Users can upload photos from their phones, email, or cloud accounts, invite friends and family to contribute, and store unlimited memories without subscriptions or fees.
While Ink differs from our bestselling LCD frames, it continues Aura’s mission of bringing loved ones closer. “Aura has always been about creating easier ways to relive meaningful moments,” says CEO Abdur Chowdhury. “Ink is a step forward in that vision as a truly wireless frame for more photos at home.”
Aura Ink is available now for $499 at auraframes.com.
*Up to three months of battery life when changing one photo per day. Battery life will vary and depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the frequency of image updates, app and button usage, the light level in the room where the frame is located, the amount of time per day the front light is illuminated, the location of the frame and whether it is in a high-traffic area, and environmental factors (e.g., WiFi strength and room temperature).