<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-02-17</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000726514</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ESIO</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001435872</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Wong Bing-Fai</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>13900 NW SCIENCE PARK DR.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PORTLAND</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>97229</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>VP, Customer Operations</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-02-17</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>833</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>6.78</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>113051.4803</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 479 shares acquired on August 14, 2016, 500 shares acquired on November 14, 2016 and 500 shares acquired on February 14, 2017 under the ESI employee stock purchase plan.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Aric McKinnis, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-04-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2017-02-17
0
0000726514
ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES INC
ESIO
0001435872
Wong Bing-Fai
13900 NW SCIENCE PARK DR.
PORTLAND
OR
97229
0
1
0
0
VP, Customer Operations
Common Stock
2017-02-17
4
F
0
833
6.78
D
113051.4803
D
Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.
The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 479 shares acquired on August 14, 2016, 500 shares acquired on November 14, 2016 and 500 shares acquired on February 14, 2017 under the ESI employee stock purchase plan.
By: Aric McKinnis, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong
2017-04-10