---
id: epaper-dithering
version: "6.0.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# epaper-dithering — Dithering algorithms for e-paper/e-ink displays

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 89.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

epaper-dithering is a Python library that dithers images for e-ink and e-paper displays with limited color palettes. It wraps a Rust core to apply one of ten dithering algorithms (from simple ordered dithering to Jarvis-Judice-Ninke) across ten color schemes ranging from monochrome to 7-color Spectra displays. The library uses perceptually weighted OKLab color matching to preserve hue and includes pre-dithering adjustments for exposure, saturation, shadows, highlights, dynamic-range compression, and gamut compression.

Typical use is loading an image with pillow, calling dither_image() with a chosen color scheme and algorithm, and saving the result. The library handles RGBA compositing automatically and supports serpentine scanning to reduce directional artifacts. It targets developers building e-paper display applications who need fast, high-quality image conversion without manual color space tuning.

Use it for:

- Convert photographs for e-ink price tags or shelf displays that support 3–7 color palettes.
- Batch-process images for e-paper photo frames with grayscale or limited-color output.
- Prototype dithering results across multiple algorithms and color schemes to find the best visual match for a specific display.
- Apply tone and gamut compression to images before dithering to compensate for e-paper's limited luminance range.
- Generate monochrome or 3-color dithered previews for testing e-ink display firmware or hardware designs.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Converts images to dithered output optimized for e-ink displays with limited color palettes, using compiled Rust algorithms for fast processing.

Yes, if you are building e-paper or e-ink display applications. The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive MIT license, and provides a well-documented API with pre-built wheels for modern Python versions. Install friction is moderate but manageable. Not relevant for general image processing or non-display use cases.

## Install

pip install epaper-dithering
uv add epaper-dithering
poetry add epaper-dithering

## Installing epaper-dithering

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled Rust extension requiring platform-specific wheels, but wheels are pre-built for Python 3.11–3.13 across macOS, Linux (x86_64, aarch64, armv7l), Windows, and musl systems. Active maintenance with recent release.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in commercial and private projects with minimal obligations.

Quickstart:

from epaper_dithering import dither_image, ColorScheme, DitherMode
import pillow

image = pillow.Image.open("photo.jpg")
dithered = dither_image(image, ColorScheme.BWR, mode=DitherMode.FLOYD_STEINBERG)
dithered.save("output.png")

Requires Python 3.11 or later; pillow must be installed as a runtime dependency.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the ~30ms performance claim for 800×480 images holds across all supported platforms and dithering modes.
- Whether OKLab color matching actually eliminates the achromatic-attractor bug mentioned, or if this is a relative improvement.
- Exact behavior and visual quality differences across the ten dithering algorithms in practice.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 89.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

e-ink image dithering, epaper display conversion, limited palette quantization, error diffusion dithering, e-paper color schemes, e-ink-display, image-quantization, rust-extension

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/epaper-dithering) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/epaper-dithering/)