Micro Journal Rev. 7 is a DIY E Ink Typewriter That Lets You Focus on Your Craft

Micro Journal Rev. 7 is a DIY E Ink Typewriter That Lets You Focus on Your CraftWith how cheap some laptops have become, finding an affordable, low-power computer just for writing your award-winning novel is no longer the problem that it...

Mar 26, 2025 - 12:02

With how cheap some laptops have become, finding an affordable, low-power computer just for writing your award-winning novel is no longer the problem that it was a decade or so ago. That’s not even considering how tablets can become portable writing devices as well with the right accessories, notably, a good keyboard and a comfortable stand.

But while these modern devices bring flexibility and power, they also carry with them unnecessary distractions, temptations, and complications. It’s no surprise that there is a growing number of devices these days that are limited to just typing words and nothing else. If you’re the type to make your own tools, this distraction-free typewriter might be your cup of tea, especially if you tend to go for retro designs from decades past.

Designer: Un Kyu Lee

There seem to be two kinds of E Ink typewriters today. One is the commercial or crowdfunded designs that have more polished aesthetics, portable sizes, and high price tags. And then there are the DIY solutions that definitely look like experimental projects and require more effort than money to make. The Micro Journal Rev. 7 is part of the latter, but you’d definitely not think of it that way considering how stylish it looks, at least for a retro design.

Inspired by typewriters from the 60s and 70s, this latest iteration of the Micro Journal E Ink typewriter embraces a softer and more curved aesthetic. It’s basically a pill-shaped object extruded forward, with its front chopped off at an angle to provide an inclined plane for the keyboard. A cutout in the middle serves as a nook for the 4.7-inch E Ink display that can be flipped down when not in use.

The biggest difference in this seventh revision is that it uses a more conventional staggered keyboard layout rather than a compact yet unfamiliar ortholinear design. Not only does this make the device easier to learn to use but also gives it that old-school typewriter vibe, especially with the chunky keycaps and mechanical switches. To complete the image of a retro typewriter, there are two dials on each end, though they don’t seem to have a functional purpose.

Of course, the key feature of this device is its E-Paper Display, or EPD, which provides a power-efficient screen that will make batteries last for months. This is perfectly paired with very basic software that does one thing and one thing only: letting you type text and save it to a microSD card or sync to a cloud service. It offers a distraction-free typing environment where you focus only on the words that spring from your mind and appear on the monochrome screen.

That said, the E Ink display doesn’t have its own lighting, so you’ll have to either clip a book light or only use it under well-lit environments. The Micro Journal Rev. 7 doesn’t look that portable either because of its size and shape, so you might need to forget about bringing this outside to coffee shops to flaunt your wordsmithing prowess.

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