ANTenna Blog -- Hardware & Software

Last week I wrote that inkjets are actually cheaper per page than lasers when printing color materials. Now I find that there's actually a third way -- no, I'm not talking about not dot-matrix -- solid ink technology.

I was afraid this was going to happen.

As soon as I posted Things I Didn't Know About Printing last week, my inbox started to fill up with urgent messages from printer companies telling me all about their latest offerings.

That's cool, but the last thing I wanted was to become a de facto printer expert. For me -- and for most of you, I suspect -- printing is just a function of creating things, not an end in itself.

But then I got an email that actually told me something else I didn't already know about printing. It turns out that inkjets and laser printers aren't the only options for midsize companies.

According to Xerox’s PR team, there's also something called solid ink technology (also called phase change ink or hot melt ink), which Xerox describes as "clean, green, easy and affordable." Developed by Tektronix back in the '80s, it uses waxed-based ink formed into cubes that can be fed through the printer. The printer melts the solid ink, applies it to the page, and then instantly cools it.

Xerox acuired Tektronix in 2000, and claims solid ink offers much lower costs per page (along with speed and volume advantages). At the top of the line, Xerox claims color prints are as cheap as black and white. But with solid ink printer prices starting at about $700, you don't see the benefit unless you print a lot of pages.

And not surprisingly, HP and other printer vendors dispute claims of solid ink's advantages.

Thankfully, I'm no expert, but I'm always interested in learning about alternate technologies. And if I was printing high volumes of color materials, I might even care a bit more.