PRINT.IT
31
Opinion
This year, Dell celebrates its
30th birthday. No one can
deny how far technology has
developed in the last three
decades and printing has
been a big part of this – from
the launch of the first desktop
printers in the 1980s, which
allowed the public to print in
the home or office for the first
time, to wireless printing from
a smartphone or tablet today.
1980s:
The birth of desktop printing
The 1980s was an exciting
decade for printing and laid
the foundations for future
innovation. The first laser and
inkjet printers for the desktop
were released in 1981, but
if we go back exactly 30
years, 1984 was the year the
first mass market printers
were launched, reflecting
the growth of personal
computing. Although laser
and inkjet printing had been
in development since the
1970s, the technology had
only previously been available
through large format and
industrial machines.
The advent of desktop
printing brought about a
wealth of new possibilities for
businesses, particularly those
in the creative industries, such
as design and advertising.
Between 1985 and 1990
various graphics software
packages became available,
helping to spark the popularity
of desktop publishing at home
and in the office.
1990s:
Invention and innovation
As the market grew,
advancements in technology
brought about improvements
in the quality of desktop
printing and reductions in
the cost per print. With these
changes, printers became a
regular fixture in public places
such as libraries and schools.
During the early 1990s, small
shops offering digital printing
services rose up and competed
with traditional printers and
photo labs, making high quality
printing more accessible.
3D printing was invented
during the 1980s and
development continued
throughout the 1990s.
The technology influenced
various sectors, including
the automotive, aerospace,
architectural and industrial
production industries, and
was favoured for its ability
to produce high end, one-off
parts. It allowed businesses to
test prototypes and produce
functional models without
having to invest in extensive
tooling.
2000s:
The rise of digital printing
During the early 2000s, digital
printing came to the fore. The
first printer-and-camera dock
combination was introduced in
2003, enabling images to be
printed straight from a camera.
In the same year, wireless
printers came onto the market,
making printing in the home
or office more convenient.
Towards the end of the decade,
technology advanced even
further and perhaps most
notably smartphones and
tablets became available.
Communication stepped up
a gear as the mobile internet
enabled people to send emails,
search for information or send
messages via social media while
on the go. Business apps helped
to make mobile devices more
functional, with 2010 seeing
the release of the first app that
allowed email attachments to
be printed directly from a mobile
phone to a linked printer. This
new found connectivity and
flexibility created a further shift
in business practices as workers
were able to work anytime,
anywhere.
Today:
The age of the smartphone
The popularity of smartphones
and tablets continues to
expand. According to Gartner,
968 million smartphones
and 198.4 million tablets
were shipped to end users in
2013, an annual increase of
42.3% and 68% respectively.
Trends such as BYOD and
the ability to print straight
from a smartphone or tablet
have security implications for
businesses and companies
must consider how to
safeguard sensitive data in
the office. The introduction of
follow me print provides one
solution to this challenge. The
software gives organisations
the ability to control the
printing environment, ensuring
efficiency by enforcing security
policies and eliminating
wastage and cost.
Printing straight from a
mobile phone has become
even easier. Tap and print
technology uses Near Field
Communication (NFC) to allow
the user to print images or
documents simply by tapping
their mobile phone against a
printer. In addition, Windows
8.1 gives an option to print
straight from a mobile or tablet,
removing the need to download
files to another device first.
The future:
Continued evolution
Printing is still evolving. 3D
printing use is on the rise,
30 years of printing
Dave McNally traces the evolution of printing since 1984, the year that
Dell was founded and the first mass market printers were launched
with IDC predicting a 29%
increase in compound annual
revenue growth from 2012-
2017. Improvements in desktop
machines and price reductions
will help make 3D printing a
staple of industries such as
fashion and healthcare and
possibly in the home as well.
Managed print services
will continue to improve and
make the act of printing more
efficient, driving out cost and
wastage.
The cloud will become more
important as a means of storing
and accessing documents, with
cloud management services
such as the Dell Document
Hub giving users access to
all common cloud providers
simultaneously, enabling
them to share files quickly and
easily. Smartphone and tablet
users can scan documents
to produce an editable digital
version, which can be stored in
the cloud, accessed and printed
anywhere thanks to modern
printers’ direct connection to
the cloud.
Although the process of
printing hasn’t developed
significantly over the years,
what has changed and will
continue to change are
advancements centred around
the out-of-box experience,
making it easier to ‘set up’,
‘manage’ and ‘use’ a device.
One way or another, there
will always be a need for
printing, whether to create
a hard copy of an important
document or a photograph that
holds sentimental value or for
the production of consumer
products or prototypes in
3D. The next 30 years will
see technology advance even
further, but one thing is for
certain, printing will remain a
fixture of everyday life.
Dave McNally is product
marketing director for Dell
Imaging, EMEA.
