DIY E-Paper Retro Picture Frame
A retro-styled digital picture frame using LILYGO T5 4.7" e-paper that cycles through grayscale images converted from PNG files, with a 3D-printed vintage frame enclosure.
Overview
This project transforms the LILYGO T5 4.7-inch e-paper display into a charming retro-style digital picture frame. Images are prepared by resizing PNG files to 960x540 pixels and converting them to C header files using a Python script (with the Pillow library). The firmware then cycles through the embedded images at a configurable interval, creating a battery-friendly photo display.
The 16 grayscale levels of the e-paper display give photos a distinctive vintage look — perfect for black-and-white photography, line art, or illustrations. The project includes 3D-printable STL files for a custom frame enclosure with separate parts for the front, back, buttons, and battery holder. The e-paper retains the displayed image without any power, making it extremely efficient for a photo frame that changes pictures only occasionally.
