tk102 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Source article A company called Zink Imaging, a Poloroid spinoff, invented a new photo-imaging technique that doesn't use ink. Instead, the paper itself contains dye-forming crystals that respond to specific temperatures. The imager itself applies a specific temperature for yellow (hottest), magenta, and cyan (coolest). Because no ink cartridge or ribbon is required, imagers that use this technique can be made quite small, suitable perhaps for camera phones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavlos Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Hey, that's nifty... Thanks for the link, tk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentScope001 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 The printer is expected to cost $200 while 100 sheets of paper will cost $20 Printer cost I'm somewhat okay with. But, $5 for a piece of paper?! Anyway, it's a pretty good invention. Hope the price for paper will come down and this could be used for other applications, like desktop computers. EDIT: Er...I miscauclated the cost of paper. I think it's $0.20 per paper. Not $5. My bad. Still, it's kinda expensive, when I can purchase 200 papers for $1 over at the bookstore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Sweetness. Thanks for the link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk102 Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 EDIT: Er...I miscauclated the cost of paper. I think it's $0.20 per paper. Not $5. My bad. Still, it's kinda expensive, when I can purchase 200 papers for $1 over at the bookstore.$0.20/print is actually pretty reasonable. Source It turns out that printing your photos at home can be more expensive per-print than using an online digital-photo printing service or printing in a store (which both cost about 19¢ per print). Photo printers average 30¢ per photo, not including the cost of the printer itself. But manufacturers are now under the gun to bring down costs to better compete with online and in-store digital printing options. At about 23¢ per photo, the Epson PictureMate Pal (*est. $150) and PictureMate Snap (*est. $200) compete with Canon for the lowest cost per print (*est. 22¢ per 4 x 6 photo). Prints from HP's photo printers cost about 29¢, by comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentScope001 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 $0.20/print is actually pretty reasonable. Ah, didn't know that. I dont take photos much, so I'm just waiting for it to go for PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martmeister Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Is this paper reusable or is it like regular printer? If it IS reusable, it'd be very useful in my line of work. I'm always carrying around my work orders so having reusable paper would save me paper/ink costs as well as helping to reduce waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctrl Alt Del Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 A more echological tool, for more echologic times... Creation of the year, right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTV2 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 then you have to buy special paper or else it wouldn't work. the paper is gunna be like $1 per page or some ridiculous price. then if something screws up you don't know if its the paper or the printer. still a good idea though >.< [EDIT] oops, didn't see that it was $.20 >.< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Char Ell Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 I experienced déjà vu as I read this article and thread. I have the feeling I've already stated something along the lines of what I'm about to state (apparently again). Sounds like a product with a lot of potential. The article says the paper isn't light sensitive but I wonder how it does in the heat. I'm thinking I probably shouldn't leave any pictures printed on this paper in my Jeep during the Arizona summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Pretty neat stuff! Thanks for the link tk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathdisco Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Kinda like thermal label printers, except with color. Nifty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Cool stuff, my mobile already is a phone/mp3-player/2MP camera in one, Imagine what else they'll be able to stuff in it in the next few years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 What happens if the paper is exposed to a heat source after the printing? How stable are the images over time? Just curious, and I have to run to work before I can read the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbieZ Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Cool stuff, my mobile already is a phone/mp3-player/2MP camera in one, Imagine what else they'll be able to stuff in it in the next few years... Jetpacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk102 Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 What happens if the paper is exposed to a heat source after the printing? How stable are the images over time? Just curious, and I have to run to work before I can read the article. According to the company's website:(Link) ZINK paper is designed to resist fading from exposure to light, heat and humidity. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement (too late I suppose)... The advantages they list: (Link) Design Versatility By removing the space required for ink cartridges or ribbons, ZINK printers can be extremely small ZINK printers are not affected by gravity ZINK printers can be embedded into other consumer electronics devices transforming virtually anything into a printer Durable Prints ZINK paper is made from a resilient composite structure that protects and preserves the printed image for a long life. ZINK paper is always dry and is not light sensitive like yesterday's film. No Hidden Costs - ZINK paper is the only supply you need to print. There is no ink or other hidden costs. Speed - ZINK prints in a single pass at a consistent speed and quality and regardless of the print width. Radical Simplicity - Just add paper and you're ready to print. Sustainability - The ZINK printing process leaves no waste stream. The photo itself is the only artifact of the printing process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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