What a Printer Can Do Today vs Ten Years Ago

The development of computer printers began in 1938. Early printers served big computer applications in big business. It was all a question of size. The development after the 1980s has focused mostly on serving the home desktop, a problem of size, ink cartridges, price, and customer demand.

Laser Printers
The original Xerox printers included a xerographic imaging process. But, modern laser printing peripherals use a scanning laser beam that adheres the ink to the paper. For color printing, each process requires separate passes through four primary color toners. Laser printers remain popular for high-quality color and black/white images, but size and cost discourage purchase by the average home user.

Inkjet Printers
Liquid inkjet printers dominate the home market and a good share of business needs. Inkjet technology depends on the propulsion of different-sized droplets from ink cartridges onto paper. In recent years, inkjet printers have increased in quality and speed - at increasingly low prices. 

Inside the Technology

We take a lot of the latest technologies for granted, being wowed by the initial innovations within our new gadgets and the ones about to hit the production line; only to turn on them a few months down the line when something new comes out and we start wishing that they had this or that in order to make them even better.

You only have to look at the camera on the iPhone for evidence of an amazing device that receives negative comments for one factor that, if we’re honest, we could do without by purchasing a digital camera! But what isn’t taken into consideration is the sheer commitment and ingenuity put into practice in the development and manufacturing of the latest and greatest technologies, which got me thinking about some of the “behind the scenes” stars of various industries, if you like. Some of the key components without which, our “essentials” just wouldn’t function.