New Details on Xerox Inkless Printer

Iddo Genuth writes "Xerox is developing a new printing technology which does not require ink of any kind. The new technology includes reusable paper which can be printed and erased dozens of times and has the potential to revolutionize printing. New details on this upcoming technology, which was first reported in September 2006, are now revealed."

Good news, bad news

[edwardpickman]

Doesn't need ink but it does cost $1 a sheet for the paper. Only half joking. If they keep the cost down to 2X or 3X the cost of standard paper it'd be extremely interesting. The problem has been they virtually give away printers then soak you for the ink. I find it hard to believe the printers would be a compriable price and the paper will be even cost to the price of even expensive paper. No more clogged ink jets would be a huge improvement on it's own. I've blown through $30 in ink trying to clear the a clogged ink cartridge.

Better idea

[zymano]

If there were an OPEN SOURCE type printer without all constricting licensing crap.

We could use cheap ink. It would be AMAZING. You could print out photographic posters for cents.

You could redecorate your house with your own designs or photos like wallpaper.

A lucrative idea out there. Just remember you heard it here.

and who will employ the squid?

[abes]

I think this is a great idea. Except for the fact that I almost only print things out so I can write on them. If I didn't need to write on the paper, I probably would just read it from the screen. Occasionally I'll print out a map or a list to take with me, but then it gets put in my pocket and ultimately ends up torn, scrunched, and not so reusable.

So while I'm sure the Earth applauds this invention, I'm not quite sure for whom or understand what circumstances its useful. I also wonder how resusability is there. They claim 50 reprints, but I wonder if the image quality is as good by the 20th time as the first. Also, it apparently fades within a day.

It's not that I think the technology is useless, just limited.

Re:Fantastic

[dbolger]

One major reason is that out mail server (over which I have no control), can take a long time to deliver mail, even internally. If I need to show a manager a report with information they need, I print it out so that I can go to them with it in my hand, rather than sending it to them, then walking over to wait an indeterminate length of time until they get it. In other cases, I would be dealing with people who were not even at a computer, but would still need the information. I don't think its wise to call things retarded just because you can't immediately see how they work.

Re:won't happen.

[mabhatter654]

the newspaper idea is kind of cool.... you only need a newspaper for 1 day anyway 90% end up in the recycle bin. If it didn't require ink to print (or minimal ink) then you could really beef up recycling by having newspaper "vending" machines. Put your old newspaper in + a quarter or fifty cents and get the latest copy. You could of course sell the paper for several dollars on a "new" page. The thing to do as well to change culture is to make the pages more resistant to wear than regular paper.. maybe have 45 degree corners or something (BSG reference!) also develop folios and tubes to store the paper in when not in use so it stays neat and fresh... back to a little old school engineering tubes and such. Actually scrolls would work really well. They would allow long prints of dozens of pages and have a built in storage device to keep the paper fresh.. that could be why we have 3000 year old scrolls but stacked paper books don't last nearly as long.

I'm curious if this new paper can be copied or scanned without damage. The next remaining question is if we can get notebooks made of this stuff and a special pen for writing on it... there's already 2 types of tech for reading handwriting either the logitech/penfly "dot" paper and magic pen, or the magic notebook that follows your writing. The failure of both of those models is that you spend all your time writing on ACTUAL paper, put the data into digital, then have to buy more special paper... you gain nothing over a regular notebook... unless you had magic erasing paper... now it's a really cool idea!!!!

Toys!

[Diordna]

One could make a killing selling this paper with a sort of light pen and light eraser. Just like a pencil, but without the erasor shreddings.

Re:Fantastic

[__aaclcg7560]

When I was working in the video game industry, Microsoft would release the new standards for the Xbox. Everyone who worked on an Xbox title would print the damn thing out. It wouldn't be unusual to go through three or four cases per printing cycle. It got less of a problem when the standards got updated less frequently. Re-usuable paper would work great in this environment.

Re:It'll just be simple, 2 sheet of...

[DragonTHC]

anyone ever use a thermal printer?

half tone or continuous tone?

[P3NIS_CLEAVER]

The really significant thing would be if laser printers could create continuous tone images with this paper. This would be a huge breakthrough.

Re:Fantastic

[rolfwind]

This will probably be the minority opinion, but I find the whole idea dead on arrival because, while the concept is cool, just isn't practical in the less organized offices.

Namely, after one printing, how will you regather the paper in a nice stack, not crumpled, creased, or otherwise used looking besides the printing in an economical manner? I wouldn't count on people being nice and turning the paper back in pristine condition.

This stuff seems to be only for inner office use, and for very organized ones at that.

Me? I couldn't keep track of all that - too much hassle.

I still see e-paper being a much more efficient and exciting solution. Now that readers come out that have excellent storage (no problem with flash memory these days) in a portable format (.pdf, etc) at a good size (8.5x11 inches please) with wireless, at under $100 please. Except for the size perhaps and the price, all of these requirements are easily solved now, and the other two will be coming.

Color would be nice, but optional for now.

I don't see how e-paper won't dominate. In one thing the size of a thin legal pad, you could have all your papers, be able to search them and back them up to other media, and not have to go look for it and gather it up, hope it is in perfect condition, and put it in a printer like this stuff.

If I were really reaching, I would ask this, why can't it be laminated somehow, put in a legal pad size enclosure that contains a miniature "print head" (scanner type light) and have it become the next epaper, but alas in color? That seems feasible, skips the entire idea of a blocky printer somewhere (the ink is only light right? no need for a huge printer, I think) and has the all benefits of e-paper without the drawbacks of a printed sheet.

paper copyprotection

[sven_eee]

looks like DRM and copy protection can make there way to paper now