E-inks do not require a glass screen; it's there for durability. See https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2022/is-an-e-ink-display-right-for-your-next-project

E-inks do not require a glass screen; it's there for durability. See https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2022/is-an-e-ink-display-right-for-your-next-project#:~:text=E%2Dink%20screens%20are%20typically,not%20rely%20on%20a%20backlight https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2022/is-an-e-ink-disp.... Thus, the see-through layer is not a fundamental property of the technology; it is a property of the specific use cases of the device in which durability is required or expected.