Saturday, January 7, 2012

Zink - Zero Ink Science At Work

By John Pickering


Imagine what it might be like to have a printer that didn't require the replacement of ink cartridges. Or what about a printer that didn't need ribbons? Think of the money that you could save month after month just by skipping the ink cartridges? Especially today with color printers that require separate color cartridges. Sure, now you can use every color down to the last drop, but instead of one cartridge, you have to buy three.

The United States spends a collective $24 billion on ink cartridges every year. That's a lot of money. That's also a lot of materials needed to make the cartridges. That's also a lot of waste in the case that those cartridges don't get recycled (and many times, they don't). But what alternative do we have? There is no other choice until newer technology comes out, right? Well, you may be surprised to learn that technology is here, now, and with more effort, may be found within homes and offices across the country sometime in the future.

Enter Zink paper. Zink stands for "zero ink" and that is exactly how this technology functions. Zink paper forgoes ink entirely and uses brand new breakthrough technology to provide you with excellent images in full color with nothing more than the power of heat. If you were to take a sheet of white photo paper and a sheet of Zink paper, you wouldn't know there was a difference. Zink paper has the same glossy look (and that's if you want glossy!) and the same thickness as you need for your images. In fact, Zink paper can be made to be thicker, glossier, thinner, or even with an adhesive on the back.

But how does Zink paper work? Where does the color come from? The color is, in fact, already in the paper! Zink scientists have discovered entirely new molecule class. These crystals, named Amorphochromic crystals, begin as colorless sheets pressed between a base layer and a protective top coat that is also water-resistant and keeps away UV rays. There is a sheet of cyan, yellow, and magenta. You'll never see a hint of color until the paper goes through a machine made to provide micro pulses of heat to specific areas in order to melt down the crystals and reveal their true colors. Then the melted crystals go back into a stable state and you have your picture!

At the moment, Zink paper works best for printing photos and other color images. It is a relatively new technology, so finding it is difficult and the costs are a bit pricey. However, the same can be said for any new technology in its initial stages.

Currently, Zink paper is being used primarily for photos. However, this isn't to say that someday you won't see Zink paper showing up in offices across the country. Zink is still in its infancy, but growing fast, both in popularity and demand. Zink paper can even be adjusted, such as the base thickness, the level of gloss, and it can even include adhesive-backing. Future prospects for Zink are good, especially if they can match the speed of some of the best printers out there and eventually move into black ink with even thinner paper like what many people today use for everyday document printing.

But because Zink can offer a printer that throws ink out entirely, it's very possible that people will soon be looking at Zink more and more. The United States spends around $24 billion each year on ink and paper. Presently, a package of 30 sheets of Zink paper costs around $20. But most companies with new technology can't offer cheap prices right away. When Zink has time to increase their customer base, improve their product even more, and build upon their already amazing technology, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Zink eventually take over our cartridge-filled world.




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