Technology is improving at an alarming rate–from high-tech computers and mobile phones to smaller, more advanced entertainment systems and even ultra-fast inkjet printers. It wasn’t that long ago when we all used to print out documents using slow and noisy, black and white dot matrix printers. Now, we’re able to print twice as much documents in less time in full-color inkjet printers; and it won’t be long before we see an evolution in inkjet printers and experience all sorts of technological advancements we once thought were impossible.
There are already signs of what the future technology of printers holds–from inkless printers to those that can do 3D print outs. Here are just some of the advancements that are already in development that herald in the new age of printers.
INKLESS PRINTERS. Various brands such as Dell and Polaroid have launched printers that don’t use normal printer ink cartridges to print on paper. The Dell Wasabi Ultramobile printer can print high-quality, borderless full-color images using Zink (Zero Ink) technology. Heat from the printer activates dye crystals that are embedded in a special kind of photo paper to create colored print outs in less than a minute.
3D PRINTERS. Why stick to a flat, two-dimensional print out when you can have your own image printed on 3D? There are a few 3D printers available now that can print out high-quality and well-defined three-dimensional models that even include real mechanical parts in them. It’s like having your own small factory at home! Although this piece of future technology is already available, a 3D printer would set you back about ,000. So, unless you plan to create 3D models and sell them as a business, it’s best to stick with your trusty 2D inkjet printers for now.
WAX PRINTERS. You used to color your drawings with crayons when you were a child, and Xerox has picked up on this by creating a printer that uses colored wax sticks instead of regular ink cartridges. The sticks are made of nontoxic polymer wax with colorants that act as the printer ink. Heat from the printer melts the wax stick to release the colorants for printing. The result is high-gloss, high-definition print outs. The company has been trying to refine this technology for about three years now; although there have been issues regarding the longevity of the print outs since wax tends to scratch easily.
ULTRA-FAST PRINTERS. Superman can run at the speed of sound, and although it will take about 100 more years before you see a printer that prints 100 documents that fast, there are inkjet printers in development now that can print high-quality, full-color images at a page per second continuously. With that technology around, it won’t be long before inkjet printers come close to printing at the speed of sound.
It’s amazing what the future holds for the printing industry. You’ve already seen a bit of the bright future of inkjet printers and ink cartridges and it won’t be that long before you finally see these future printers at work right in your own home.
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