Xerox Corporation scientists have invented a way to make prints whose images last only a day, so that the paper can be used again and again. The technology, which is still in a preliminary state, blurs the line between paper documents and digital displays and could ultimately lead to a significant reduction in paper use.The experimental printing technology, a collaboration between the Xerox Research Centre of Canada and PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Inc.), could someday replace printed pages that are used for just a brief time before being discarded. Xerox estimates that as many as two out of every five pages printed in the office are for what it calls “daily” use, like e-mails, Web pages and reference materials that have been printed for a single viewing.

As the owner of a successfull printing company, at first glance this would appear to be scary stuff. Makes all of us in the printing business wonder about – WHAT THE HELL ELSE ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING TO COME UP WITH TO RUN PRINTERS OUT OF BUSINESS ???

But then again a recent analogy would go something like ‘The Internet is going to drive all Brick & Mortar Stores out of Business’. Has not happened yet and probably never will. By the same token this kind of fancy technology should not have us printers think about doing crazy stuff like stop marketing our printed products and services

BTW I can think of one great application for this new paper from Xerox, if you are not sure your print customer gave you good check then print his stuff on the erasable paper and when the printing disappears a day later the joke is on him…. TO BE CONTINUED