As a global market leader in the supply of top quality refurbished printing presses, BBR Graphics has a wide-ranging product knowledge of all types of printers. It is interesting that while the expertise within BBR stretches back more than 30 years, the history of digital printing is relatively recent.
While the history of printing dates back to Germany in 1439 when Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press that would print books, to make mass production possible, the history of digital print is more recent.
When Was Digital Printing Invented?
In 1977 Benny Landa developed the world’s fastest photocopier, which he named Indigo, later discovering that the ink for the photocopier, ElectroInk, could also be used in printers. ElectroInk has tiny particles suspended in imaging oil, called Isopar. The particles form a thin plastic layer on the paper surface. Using this ink, in 1993 Landa launched the world’s first digital colour printers, also called Indigo.
Digital printers assemble each image using numbers and mathematical formulae. The images are then digitised, by capturing them from a matrix of dots, or pixels. The digitised images control the ink, toner or exposure to electromagnetic energy, to reproduce the data.
In 2000, the Hewlett Packard Company made a large investment into Benny Landa’s company, amounting to 13% of the business, purchasing the remaining shares the following year. Landa said, “Our vision has always been to lead the printing industry into the digital era and to see Indigo technology pervade the commercial market.”
The arrival of digital printers heralded a completely new age of printing. Customers were now able to commission short-run, personalised, high quality print online. Chris Baker, vice-president at Hewlett Packard and Indigo for five years, predicted that “Digital print will be everywhere in the future. Digital printing will not just be used for commercial printing; it will be used for publishing and packaging … the personalisation of packaging will be huge in the future.”
BBR Graphics are experts in sourcing and refurbishing used printing presses all over the world. Please get in touch for more information.
