{"id":1532,"date":"2020-06-29T14:39:05","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T21:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crystalfontz.com\/blog\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2026-04-01T06:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T13:07:00","slug":"choosing-a-display-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crystalfontz.com\/blog\/choosing-a-display-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing a Display: Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is a wide world of display technology out there and it can be difficult to decide which type of display will work best for a given project. This post will help narrow down your options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that the display is often the main human interface to a product, so it’s important to find a display that fits your needs early in the design phase, rather than trying to find a display that will fit in an already constrained system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our support team is here to help you find your perfect display. Feel free to reach out for help<\/a> – let us know what features matter to you: color, interface, size, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Color, Modern<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you’re looking for a display that will take center stage, you should look to a TFT LCD<\/a>. These displays are full color graphic displays, meaning there’s essentially no limit to what you can display. Plus, with up to 16.7 million colors, these displays are vibrant eye catchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an extra boost in creating a beautiful interface, look into accelerated graphics displays such as our EVE<\/a> displays. Read more about how an EVE module can help your project shine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Quick to Integrate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you need a display that’s quick to integrate, look into character displays<\/a>. These displays include a CGROM<\/a> making it easy to send text to be displayed. Plus, most character displays use a controller compatible with the Hitachi HD44780<\/a> meaning it’s easy to find resources online to integrate these displays into all kinds of systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another good option for quick integration is to choose a display with a popular controller chip so you can tap into the resources on the web. For instance, check out displays that use the Solomon Systech 1309<\/a> or 1306<\/a> both of which are popular in maker communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Tight on space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you need to fit a display into a slim space, consider an OLED<\/a>. Because OLEDs display images by emitting light, they do not require a backlight<\/a> to be seen in the dark. This saves the space that would be needed for a backlight with an LCD<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, OLEDs can save power based on how they’re used. When an OLED<\/a> is displaysing black, the black pixels are off, requiring no additional power. So smart use of an OLED can lead to a very low power display.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We’ve written more about the advantages of using an OLED<\/a>, so check out these great displays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If low power is the end-all-be-all for your project, an ePaper display could be a good choice. Epaper displays are bistable meaning that once an image has been written to the display, no additional power is needed to retain the image. A huge drawback with ePapers is the refresh time. Epapers require at least a few seconds between updates, and some of them need a few minutes. Read more about the benefits and drawbacks of ePaper displays<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, if your project only needs to update the display occasionally, look into ePapers! Ideal uses for ePapers include electronic shelf labels, name tags, forecast or daily stats display.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Contact Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want help finding the perfect display for your project email us at support@crystalfontz.com. We also provide chat and telephone support<\/a> Monday through Friday during our open hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We love to hear about your projects! Find us around the web (YouTube<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>,  Twitter<\/a>, Forum<\/a>) and let us know what you’re working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n