The multifunction printer may be the new office go-to for increasing efficiency and saving money, but this office workhorse hasn't been around all that long. Prior to 2000, printers and copiers were not only separate, they didn't have the ability to store information or communicate with each other. With strictly analog technology, they relied on basic optical imaging techniques.
How We Got Here
To find out where xerographic copying got its start, we'll need to go as far back as 1938. Attorney and avid inventor Chester Carlson produced the first fuzzy copy on wax paper in his New York laboratory. His methods involved the ingenious use of zinc plates, sulfur, lycopodium paper, and a cotton-induced static charge. Oh, and incandescent light. The results may have been rudimentary, but we have Chester to thank for the very first dry copy.
From Typewriter to Dot Matrix
Prior to the advent of the computer and DOS operating systems, businesses mainly relied on old standards like the pencil, the ledger, and later, the typewriter and carbon paper for document production. With the invention of the dot matrix printer, business owners began to see potential for producing spreadsheets and capitalizing on data in new ways. Office workflows became simplified, while producing more.
We Go Digital
It wasn't until the digital revolution that the copier and printer merged. Network technology made it possible. Laser printing soon became the preferred choice for high-volume, fast printing both in the office and for home printing. LaserJet was the next innovation, and businesses responded. These offered easy-to-use support materials and documentation and easy connectivity to existing computers.
Enter the Multifunction Printer
Today's multifunction printers offer features we could only imagine twenty years ago. While combining copy, print, fax, and scan capabilities in one efficient device, we've also come to rely on their superior wireless technologies, professional finishing capabilities, and more ways to digitize documents and streamline office workflows.
To discover more ways a multifunction printer can improve your office procedures, contact Standard Office Systems today!
LinkedIn