Makerbot’s Replicator Mini
Marlin Equipment Finance outlines how office printing has changed in both physical and paper forms.
The article by Marlin noted that the rise of the computer has led to printing technology being “one of the most consistent mainstays of the average office building”, with new technologies constantly developed to improve efficiency and effectiveness of workers.
Among the new technologies highlighted by Marlin is reusable paper or waterjet printers, which allow letters to be printed on the surface of paper using water instead of ink, thus saving costs. It added that “while the printer can only use one colour at a time” the technology allows “pieces of paper to be erased and re-printed without losing colour quality”; and although the print is likely to fade away in less than 24 hours “the potential savings are more than enough to get many interested in the technology” due to the replacing of ink with water and the ability to reuse paper “up to more than a dozen” times.
3D printing is another area in which office printing could develop, with a new model by Makerbot, Replicator Mini, designed for use in small spaces such as an office at a cost of £1,375 ($2,285/€1,675), available later this year. This technology, according to Marlin, “can be very beneficial” in hands-on fields like engineering and construction as it would allow users to “see the effectiveness of a piece’s design before it’s adopted in a larger and more expensive situation”.