Xerox has increased the size of its portfolio of wide-format printers with the release of the Xerox 7142 color wide-format printer that delivers high-speed and cost-effective printing, and the 6050A wide-format black-and-white printer for producing construction plans and engineering renderings.

Specifically designed for the computer-aided design (CAD) and geographic information systems (GIS) markets, the Xerox 7142 color wide-format printer is a high-speed, cost-effective option for the engineering, architectural and construction sectors.

The Xerox 7142 has printing resolutions from 360 to 2880dpi and a maximum print speed of 40 sq/metres hour, making it a standout in the industry.

The device uses the latest inkjet printing-head technology that allows control over each individual droplet size, giving finer lines and contours even at lower resolutions. The variable droplet technology allows low-cost uncoated media to be used for check plots at lower resolutions and at higher resolutions with coated media it produces high-quality output for presentation and artist impression applications.

In addition, the inkjet heads are permanent, so they never need replacing and improve reliability and drive down running costs.

Printing up to nine 594mm x 841mm (A1) images per minute and equipped with the Xerox FreeFlow Accxes Print Server, the new system enables users to keep up with the growing demand for printed architectural and engineering renderings, electrical diagrams, GIS/mapping and construction plans and drawings.

The 6050A printer offers 600 x 1200dpi print resolution and is available in four configurations – a two- or four-roll printer only, or a two- or four-roll multifunction device with an optional wide-format color scan system.

Onece upon a time we reported a discovery of mysterious dot markings found on pages printed with color leaser printer.

A European Union commissioner issued an official statement about the legality of printer tracking dot systems last month in response to a query from a member of the European Parliament. The commissioner states that no laws presently address the issue, but notes that it could possibly constitute a violation of the right to privacy guaranteed by the European Union’s Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Privacy advocates have been aware for years that many color printers and photocopiers sold in the United States use patterns of nearly-invisible yellow dots to encode identifying information about the originating printer in every printed page. Although few details are available regarding the ultimate function of the watermark or the manner in which the information is used, it is generally characterized as a means through which law enforcement agencies can identify counterfeiters. There is no way to know, however, whether the government’s use of the watermarks extends beyond that function.

The watermark could easily be used by the government to perform identification without any kind of judicial oversight. Some believe that the information could be potentially be used to identify and harass political dissidents. Critics argue that the system threatens to undermine the practice of anonymous pamphleteering—a time-honored vehicle for political dissent that has been used in America since before the Revolutionary War.

“The Commission is not aware of any specific laws either at national or at Community level governing tracking mechanisms in colour laser printers and photocopiers,” wrote Commissioner Franco Frattini in an official statement. “To the extent that individuals may be identified through material printed or copied using certain equipment, such processing may give rise to the violation of fundamental human rights, namely the right to privacy and private life. It also might violate the right to protection of personal data.”

In the United States, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is leading a campaign to increase awareness of potential abuses associated with the watermarking. The organization hopes to eventually amass enough information about it to be able to challenge the practice in court. If the European Union decides to pursue the matter itself, it could potentially pressure U.S. printer manufacturers into providing more specific details that illuminate the extent to which watermarking threatens individual privacy.

via Ars Technica

Don’t take it directly, it’s merely a figure of speech. Nonetheless, Ford is indeed an unexpected name to hear in printer news, isn’t it? What the company actually did was adding some functionallity to some of its cars.

This high-tech add-on to its F-Series pickup trucks designed to help construction workers and other contractors manage tool inventories and work more efficiently from job sites.

Named “Ford Work Solutions,” the system allows orginize into computer database and keep track of used tools. Another feature allows the driver to select a job to complete and watch the computer instruct which tools are necessary.

The in-dash screen can also access the Internet and track locations of work crews so a company manager can get a worker to an emergency job faster. The system can also access office computers remotely, allowing workers to access files, blueprints or manuals from a job site that may have been left behind. The computer boasts broadband capability, two gigs of memory and a USB port.

Now the main part of this news: optional accessories include a wireless mouse, keyboard and – ta-da! – a printer. Some say it’s going to be a laser, other say it’s an inkjet printer.

What company do you think is going to supply printers for Ford trucks? I bet on Lexmark.

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Size matters. Sometimes the smaller is the better, when it comes to space on your desktop.

Taking up about the same area as a 15.4-inch notebook, the printer claims to be able to push out its first copy in under 8.5 seconds (from the PowerSave mode) with an average speed of 14 pages per minute. It uses a special ink developed by HP-formed from perfectly spherical particles–which it says should give better image quality over other inks.

To this day, it is the smallest printer made by HP on the laser category. It can print a piece of paper in approximately 8 seconds, while the rate per minute is 14 pages.

The new printer has a number of features and benefits:

• HP’s smallest and most compact laser printing system features a sleek, ultra-compact design and easily fits on a desktop.
• Patented spherically-shaped toner and a redesigned cartridge allows for a smaller print cartridge and HP’s smallest laser printer.
• New monochrome toner produces bold, crisp text, and sharper images every time you print.
• Reliable and easy-to-use, the all-in-one toner cartridge means less supply management.

The HP LaserJet P1005 printer uses CB435A toner cartridge.

The HP P1005 costs $138 in the Asian market, and each cartridge is priced at $63. Hopefully the rest of the world will be able to purchase the printer in local stores too, maybe in 3-6 months