Printing today

Hong Kong Printing Allusions Consultant: (in no particular order) Peng Jinhui, Lin Guangru, Li Zuze, Xu Hanxing, Ye Yubin, Pan Jiangwei, Liu Jiliang, Liang Guangquan, Shen Benxi, Xie Dewen, Chen Zhenrong, Ouyang Haoming

preface:

This column is the second episode of "The Hong Kong Print Allusions". It is funded and edited by the "Printing Publications and Education Fund". It is curated and written by Honorary Chairman Yu Hongjian. After the first "Printing Industry Law," it will be One after another in this journal is published to allow readers to learn from the precious records.

Photocopying developed in the kitchen

Electrostatic printing began in 1938 when the inventor was a patent trademark attorney Carlson (Chester Carlson) who worked in Queens, New York, USA. At that time, he found that when he used a typewriter to print a patent trademark, he had to print many copies of the document. The copy was Put the carbon paper on the white paper and print it together when printing the original copy. This overwriting method cannot print more than three copies at the same time, because the typewriter's paper limit and keystrokes are hard, and the bottom copy is usually It is not clear enough. To add a copy, the original must be photographed or a new one must be made. Carlson wondered if it would be possible to print a copy of the document with a copy press. Although there is such an idea, it is not easy to implement this idea. At first, he removed the photographic method, because many companies that hold photographic patents may already have conducted research in this area. He must create a completely new image processing method. Although he has a regular income, he is still not enough to support full-time employment. Researchers to assist in research. So he took half a year to go to the New York Public Library after work to borrow books on image processing. His intuition told him that he should study some unpopular image processing technology when a Hungarian scientist Xue Liner (Paul Selenyi) discovered that electromagnetic can transmit images, but did not pay attention, so he tried to start preliminary experiments in the corner of the home kitchen, where he gradually implemented the principles of electrostatic printing “photocopying” as applied products.

Carlson's invention was certainly not easy. He was busy in making money and raising a family. He often worked overtime. He also had to suffer the pain of arthritis. With a little perseverance, he would give up this research from faith. In the end he still wanted to use others to complete his experiments. He hired a refugee from Germany, Otto Kornei, to assist the lab. On October 22nd, 1938, with a piece of glass, Indian ink was used by Cornell to write the words “10-22-38 ASTORIA”. He used a handkerchief to rub the surface of the zinc sulphide board and expose the glass sheet to the zinc plate. After removing the glass piece, spraying the loose powder on the zinc plate, and then gently blowing away the powder, the glass sentence was successfully overwritten.

Carlson is a patent attorney who, of course, is familiar with how to register every invention carefully. At this point he realized that no similar research was in progress at that time. He was the only one who developed this far-reaching influence with confidence. Electrostatic imaging "photocopying" method. In the following five years, he had contacted many instrument manufacturers. Although no company had expressed interest in seeing the market potential of this invention, after many rejections, Carlson almost took the invention to the fore. In 1944, Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit organization, was interested in Carlson's invention, signed a patent agreement with Carlson and began to participate in product development. In 1947, he authorized a photographic company, Haloid, to produce the first product. On behalf of the photocopier, Harold later changed its name to Xerox and photocopying was also known as Xerography.

Photocopying process:

(a) The cylinder is rotated through a charging wire to positively charge the surface alloy coating.

(b) The original is exposed downwards, and the image is focused on the cylinder through the lens. The positive part of the light part disappears, and the positive part of the cathode part remains static.

(C) Drums are loaded on a cylinder with a load of carbon powder, and negative electricity carbon powder is attached to the positive image portion.

(d) The paper is positively charged and passes through the cylinder so that the negatively charged charcoal is attached to the paper.

(e) The paper is heated to 400 by a fixed roller. F, the carbon powder thus melts and sticks to the paper.

Carlson invented the first copying machine in 1959, one year after electrostatic printing, in 1959. Today, the copying machine is an essential document for every company. Digital image files can output black and white and color documents at high speed, and personalize them. On-demand printing has increased business opportunities for the printing industry. With the latest laser digital imaging technology, electrostatic printing has gradually transitioned to digital printing. Manufacturers have not taken the lead in Xerox.

In the earliest 1960s, the promotion of copying machines in Hong Kong was Rank Xerox. At that time, the company only leased out copiers and provided photocopying services in the store, and provided tenants with comprehensive maintenance services. Monthly rental fees were paid and photocopying fees were read as fees. Standards have pioneered the earliest method of machine leasing. At the time, Wenyi Retail did not have financial arrangements for instalments. Xerox’s leasing method is a disguised installment payment. When the lease expires, Xerox can renew the lease or replace the new machine, because it does not need to pay a large purchase fee, and large and small companies, schools, public agencies, government departments are willing to rent. The collection of maintenance fees by photocopying, including the provision of toner, is also a brand-new business approach and business concept. It has proved to be successful under the monopoly market.

After the patent rights of photocopiers were opened, many companies joined the competition. In particular, many Japanese photo equipment companies such as Ricoh, Canon, Milota, Oce, National and others were very aggressive and gradually invaded some of the copier market, although these companies did not provide leasing services. , But it succeeded in reducing the price of the machine, adding additional functions, improving the printing quality, and the machine performance is good, reducing the number of maintenance, to obtain customer acceptance, the recent new model copiers can also be used for fax sending and receiving, computer network link printout, photocopying effect It also changed from monochrome to black and white.

Photocopying vs Infringement

Photocopying is a quick printing method that is the easiest operation of all printing methods. After 1970, many bookshops and stationery stores had one or more copying machines to provide fast photocopying services. Their income was considerable, and a type of printing was developed. In the emerging printing industry, with the production of tools such as copiers and AB Dick's small-scale ink-jet offset printing, it provides quick and small batches of printing services. Most of these fast-printing shops are opened in crowded ground shops and gradually develop into markets. According to statistics from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, there were only 1,064 printing companies in Hong Kong in 1970. However, in 1980, the number had increased by a factor of two to 2,589. However, the number of employees in the printing industry increased from 18,397 to 26,447 in the same period. Each additional printing company only employs approximately 5.28 persons. It is estimated that most of the additional companies are small-scale ground shop companies engaged in photocopying and rapid printing. Some photocopying shops were opened near schools. The biggest customer was not the school authorities. Many students did not copy class notes, answers and homework, but later they borrowed all the textbooks and borrowed them from the library.

Book photocopy. Originally the publisher thought that it was only an individual incident. Later, it became more and more serious that it affected the sale of textbooks and homework. It has issued public warnings. Photocopying books is a copyright infringement and it is a criminal offence. In the early 1980s, the Customs and Excise Department stipulated that it would conduct a raid on various quick-print shops in the Wanchai District, prosecute multiple store owners and confiscated multiple copiers. Although many searches were subsequently launched, the infringement cannot be completely stopped.

Since the late 1980s, Japan's Canon Corporation has pioneered the introduction of color copiers, which can be used to drive the printing of color documents and pictures by the DTP system. This has become a precedent for color printing. With the advancement of desktop scanners, the printing technology has developed rapidly, and even some unscrupulous elements have become colorful. The counterfeit banknotes were printed on the copier, and the counterfeit banknotes seized during the year were described as having been made in real terms by commercial crime investigation teams. The seized equipment included the above mentioned equipment.

Reprinted from: Graphic Arts Issue 271