Laser Printers Information: The History of Laser Printers
Rated: 
In our first article, we discussed the basic characteristics and technology of laser printers and computer printers in general. When were these ubiquitous devices born, and where? Who are the geniuses behind their inception?
It might surprise you, but computer printers have technically been around since the 19th century! The first computer printer in history, according to Wikipedia, was a 19th-century mechanically driven apparatus invented by Charles Babbage for his Difference Engine. The Difference Engine is a mechanical digital calculator designed to solve polynomial functions, and is technically a "computer". Thus, any peripheral device of the machine that can produce hard copies of what the computer processes is a "computer printer".
In 1938, Charles Carlson developed the photocopying technique called xerography (or electrophotography); Carlson patented his invention in October 1942. This technology forms the foundation of laser printers.
The first laser printer (named "EARS") was developed by Gary Starkweather, a researcher and engineer at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, starting in 1969 and finished in 1971. Starkweather arrived at the printer’s design by modifying a Xerox photocopier – he added a laser beam to existing copier technology.
In 1976, IBM produced the IBM 3800, the first commercial implementation of a laser printer and the industry’s first high-speed laser printer. According to IBM, the model 3800 was the first printer to combine laser technology and xerography.
The first true laser printer designed to be used with an individual computer was the Xerox Star 8010's printer, released in 1977. Fifteen years later, the first 600x600 DPI (dots per inch) resolution laser printer came out, Hewlett-Packard’s LaserJet 4.
Today, laser printers are a vital cog in the world of desktop publishing. Laser printers allow users to produce documents that would otherwise require professional typesetting, as well as high quality photo images, for a relatively low cost and great versatility. In fact, many professional print shops employ laser printers, partly removing the need to go to large-scale publishing and printing houses.
Print Article
Send to a friend
Save as PDF