ZINK = print without ink

Zink, a spin off of Polaroid, presented during a conference for start-ups in Palm Desert a new technology to print without ink. They developed a paper with crystals which change colour when heated. With this innovation they claim to have the solution to make printers as small as the human hand. This makes it possible ti integrate printers in all sort and kind of devices like mobile phones. The paper will cost between 20 - 25 dollarcent and the biggest advantage for consumers is that they don't have to worry about their ink.

It's the first new printing technology for digital printing that's come along in more than a decade," Steve Herchen, CTO ZINK

What can we expect this year from Zink?

  two products by the end of the year: a stand-alone portable printer and a printer integrated into a digital camera, both producing two-by-three-inch pictures. While the printer can be designed into tiny gadgets, it can also be integrated into larger electronics, and Herchen expects that within the next few years the printing technology could also show up in computer towers, laptop computers, and even home television sets.

More information: Technology Review