For several years now, digital photo frames have struggled to win over art and interior design enthusiasts. Too bright, too gadgety, they don’t blend in well with the interior. Galari, a digital photo frame using E-paper technology, could well change all that. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway on Kickstarter.
Based in Kyoto, the Galari team has already raised over 40 million yen (approx. $275,000) in just a few weeks for this project, far exceeding its initial target. With its minimalist approach and backlight-free display, the Galari frame promises a visual experience akin to a photo frame with a paper print, while offering unprecedented flexibility.
A digital frame… without a luminous screen
Galari offers a photo frame measuring 30 x 36.8 cm (with an image size of 20 x 26.8 cm), but the key innovation lies in its e-ink screen. Unlike conventional digital picture frames that use LCD or LED panels, this device exploits the same technology as e-readers.
The result? A visual rendering similar to paper, without direct light, offering a more natural texture and better integration into an interior, especially alongside other more traditional photo frames.
Electronic ink also means ultra-low power consumption: the screen only consumes power when changing images, so it consumes just 3mW (compared with 10W for an LCD-type digital photo frame). Note that it’s not really black and white, but 16 levels of gray and a definition of 1600 x 1200 px (150 ppi).
Galari’s challenge is to blend in with interior design without disrupting the mood of a room. Where a screen inevitably catches the eye, this frame blends into the space, playing the role of a veritable evolving work of art.
Galari is not alone in this market, as Belgian start-up Ionnyk has also been developing its “paperlike ” photo frames for several years, but in a much more elitist range of finishes and prices (from €1,790 for the Jane 50×40 cm model).
In terms of durability, Galari reports that the E-paper panel allows over a million refreshes, which, at a rate of once an hour, ensures operation for over 114 years. The frame is supplied with a USB cable, but a 5000 mAh battery (sold separately) will last over 6 months on a single charge.
An ever-evolving digital art gallery
Galari’s other strength is its open artistic ecosystem. Via a dedicated application, users can select photos from thousands of works in an online library, define an image change rhythm (daily, weekly, random…) and create artistic playlists to vary the mood.
The frame can also be used to display other elements, such as the day’s weather forecast each morning, quotes or drawings to get the day off to a good start.
So, and this is the strength of the e-ink board, you can dynamically change the photo on the wall to reflect your current mood.
For the record, the name Galari of course brings to mind an art gallery, but it also comes from the Japanese “Ga-Ra-Ri” meaning “to change quickly”.
Like other modern frames, Galari relies on an online platform that allows you to store your photos via an Internet connection, but also, as some competitors such as Aura Frames do, to send images to other Galari frames. The project’s designers say they are working on an API to enable advanced interaction with the frame via web services.
Also, the Galari framework is not entirely dependent on a cloud storage service. Following numerous requests, the Galari team decided to integrate an offline mode with an SD memory card slot, allowing you to store and load your photos directly locally. This feature could prove crucial if – you never know – the company behind Galari were to disappear after this first Kickstarter project.
Galari photo frame prices and availability
Launched at the end of February 2025, the Kickstarter campaign quickly attracted the attention of art and technology enthusiasts. As part of the Kickstarter campaign, the Galari frame is priced from ¥66,000 (approx. $445), a 36% saving on the post-campaign price of $699.
The frame is available in three types of wood (Beech, Mahogany or Walnut), with a black or white background. The campaign ends on March 26, 2025.
Our first opinion
The E-paper Galari digital photo frame is part of an ongoing trend: that of “quiet” technologies, which seek to enrich our daily lives without overloading them. Far from incessant notifications and omnipresent screens, this digital frame takes a minimalist, attention-friendly approach. A real turning point in the design of connected objects for the home.
It will be interesting to follow the project’s progress, particularly with a view to marketing it on a larger scale.
As always, participatory financing via platforms like Kickstarter involves risks that you need to be aware of. These are not pre-orders, but a commitment to finance the design of a new product. As a result, you may face projects that don’t come to fruition, production delays or differences between the product presented in the campaign and the final product received.
