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E-ink music widget
An e-ink music widget shows the song that is playing with play, pause and skip controls. Grey paper-like screens with crisp black text and no color. This page gives the exact colors, type settings and layers, with a preview drawn from the same values.
What an e-ink music widget shows
A now-playing widget shows cover art, the track and artist, a progress line and three controls. It works with whichever app is playing, not one particular service.
Reading the current track needs Android's notification access and a media connection, which is a Pro feature in WidgetCraft. The controls send play, pause and skip to the app that is playing.
How the e-ink style shapes it
E-ink widgets imitate an e-reader display: a light grey background, sharp black text, no color and no effects. Popular for low-distraction home screens.
- Photos: Use high-contrast greyscale photos.
- Text: Use a book-style serif in black.
- Bars and rings: Use black segments or a simple outlined bar.
E-ink music widget recipe
| Layer | Settings |
|---|---|
| Canvas | 360 × 180, background #E6E4DF, corner radius 6, outline 2 pt #151515 |
| Image | cover art 140 × 140, radius 0, connected to media artwork |
| Text | track title, built-in Serif, size 20, color #151515, one line |
| Text | artist, size 14, color #6A6862 |
| Progress | ten short segments, 156 wide, progress #151515 |
| Shapes | previous, play/pause and next; play in #151515, others in #151515, each with a tap action |
| Font | built-in Serif |
| Home screen size | 4 × 2 cells |
E-ink color palette
- Paper grey
#E6E4DFBackground - Shade
#D7D4CESurface and tracks - Ink
#151515Text - Pencil
#6A6862Labels - Ink
#151515Accent
How to make an e-ink music widget in WidgetCraft
- Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #E6E4DF and the corner radius to 6. Add a 2-point outline.
- Open Data and set up the media connection; Android will ask for notification access.
- Add an Image layer, 140 × 140 with radius 0, and connect it to the cover art.
- Add two Text layers connected to the track title (size 20, #151515) and the artist (size 14, #6A6862).
- Add a Progress layer as ten short segments in #151515, then three shapes for the controls. In Tap, assign previous, play/pause and next.
- Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.
The layout and styling are free. The live data connection for this widget needs WidgetCraft Pro, a one-time purchase.
Tips for e-ink music widgets
- Use only black and two greys.
- Add a thin black outline.
- Long titles must truncate on one line; never let them wrap into the controls.
- Make each control at least 48 dp wide so it is easy to hit.
- The widget only shows a track while a media app has an active session.
- Do not use color or gradients.
- Do not use shadows.
Questions about the e-ink music widget
What size is an e-ink music widget?
It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 180 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.
Which colors does it use?
Paper grey (#E6E4DF) for the background, Ink (#151515) for the main text, Pencil (#6A6862) for labels and Ink (#151515) as the accent.
Is it free to make?
The e-ink design is free to build. Showing live track details needs the one-time Pro upgrade.
What else is this style called?
People also search for e-reader style music widget, paper display music widget, low distraction music widget. They describe the same look as this e-ink music widget.
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