Considering how far computer printing technology has come since the old dot matrix days, it might seem as if marking technology has gone about as far as it needs to go. In reality, however, printer manufacturers are constantly making improvements to the writing systems used in their products. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is competitive positioning. Basically, the writing system is one area where a printer company can claim competitive advantages, by producing a product that offers faster speed or better print quality, for example. Customer need, however, is the primary factor that drives the further advancement of marking technology. We live in a digital world, and today we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. Many have speculated that the influx of digital content combined with high-resolution display technology would eventually lead to the paperless office. In reality, the increase in digital content has led to the production of more pages, not less.

As a result, customers are faced with mountains of information that they need to view, process, and print. In short, customers want to produce better looking documents, they want to be more productive, and they want to lower their printing costs. To address these customer needs, printer manufacturers continue to improve the marking technology used in their products. In a recent survey, InfoTrends asked various business users to rank the importance of certain features relative to their next printer or MFP purchase. Not surprisingly, speed, image quality, and paper handling ranked highest as the most important features among all respondents.

Source: Opportunities for Ink-Based Marking Technologies