| Depending upon how you define "personal printer," | | | | characters had a resolution of 96 dots per inch |
| probably the first small-scale, personal printing | | | | (DPI). The printer debuted at a retail price of |
| process was electrophotography. In 1938, Chester | | | | $495, considered insanely expensive now but a |
| Carlson tried to sell his invention to several large | | | | real bargain compared to its more expensive |
| companies like RCA, Remington, General Electric, | | | | counterparts at the time. |
| IBM and Eastman Kodak. Many people thought | | | | On it goes into the future |
| Carlson was insane, since there were | | | | As technology kept maturing, Canon introduced |
| mimeographs, typewriters and carbon paper | | | | their LPB-CX laser printer in 1983 with a resolution |
| already available, which seemed to work just fine. | | | | of 300 DPI. This printer also included a special |
| Ongoing research eventually changed the | | | | feature that was not available to any other |
| electrophotography process into a dry copying | | | | printer at the time -- a disposable cartridge |
| process, which was given the name of | | | | accessible to the end user. It also had the laser |
| "xerography" -Greek for "dry writing" - and led to | | | | diodes, the lens mirror system, the toner |
| the success of the Xerox Corporation. | | | | cartridge, paper handlers and photosensitive roller |
| In 1954, the Uniprinter was developed to | | | | that became standard in the category. The |
| complement the room-sized Univac computer. It | | | | fast-growing computer companies like Apple and |
| was about twice the size of a large typewriter | | | | Hewlett-Packard were very impressed with the |
| with a paper-tape drive attached, and was | | | | functionality of this unit, so they put their own |
| capable of printing a then-astonishing 600 words | | | | labels on the LPB-CX. Hewlett Packard named |
| per minute with 130 characters per line. Research | | | | their model the LaserJet, as it is still known today. |
| for the xerography machine continued even as | | | | It was sold for a whopping $2,500. Apple also put |
| the new computer technology began to bear fruit, | | | | out its own laser printer called the LaserWriter, |
| until 1971 saw the first laser printer created at | | | | which sold for $6,000. |
| the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. In 1978 the | | | | Some 25 years down the line, the inkjet and laser |
| Xerox 9700 was introduced to the U.S. and the | | | | technologies have been perfected and upgraded, |
| entire world, the very first of its kind to be | | | | and color has taken over the inkjet market |
| available commerciallydebut, it was massive in size | | | | completely. There are color laser printers, too, but |
| and in price. It started a decade of incredibly rapid | | | | the "monochrome" (black toner) models are still |
| development in personal printers. | | | | quite popular because their cost of use has |
| Lasers, inkjets and bubbles | | | | decreased from over a dollar per page to a less |
| Many firms, including IBM, began competing for | | | | than a penny with some models. Consumers can |
| top billing in the "office and personal printing" part | | | | purchase either type of printer for a very |
| of the industry, including Epson, a subsidiary of | | | | reasonable price depending on the model and the |
| Seiko, and a number of other Japanese (and later | | | | features that they need -- in fact, some inkjet |
| Korean) firms. Epson/Seiko developed the first | | | | printers sell below cost because the companies |
| low-cost dot matrix printer technology, and the | | | | make their money on replacement ink cartridges. |
| TX-80 that they introduced in the late 1970s was | | | | The future for printers continues to be bright |
| an instant success. They went on to create the | | | | (because research and development continues, as |
| MX series that was a popular commodity for IBM | | | | well). The latest frontier for personal printing is |
| and were sold with IBM personal computers under | | | | 3-D printing where you can actually get |
| an OEM agreement. The late 1970s and early | | | | three-dimensional items from your printer. |
| 1980s also saw Canon develop a new concept for | | | | Personal printers have come a long way since |
| the personal printer, which they called "bubble jet" | | | | they were first developed. Without a doubt, new |
| technology. | | | | technologies will continue to impress and help to |
| At the same time, Hewlett-Packard introduced | | | | make working from the office and home a whole |
| the thermal "drop-on-demand," or inkjet, printing | | | | lot easier.John Pickering is the owner of |
| concept. Their early ThinkJet printer had a | | | | EezyTrade.co.uk, an online retailer of new and |
| disposable print head with 12 individual control | | | | refilled printer cartridges for Brother, HP, Canon, |
| chambers that would release drops of ink from | | | | Epson, Lexmark and Xerox printers. Visit us online |
| the nozzles. The printer could hit a speed of 150 | | | | today for hp ink cartridges and more and begin |
| characters per second (CPS) and its 11x12-dot | | | | saving. |