As Print & Scan experts, our team here at Exertis know a thing or two about how far we’ve come in the world of print innovation. Print is a technology that’s seen significant evolution, starting with some traditional methods, all the way into advanced digital solutions. In this blog, we’ll take you in a deep-dive of the journey through print tech, highlighting some of the best innovations, the benefits of digital printing, and future trends to look out for.
  

From humble beginnings

We’re not going to get into the nitty-gritty of when print first popped up on the scene – after all, this isn’t a history lesson, and since the first printing tech can be traced back to the 4th millennium BCE, we’d be here for a while. Instead, we’ll pull things forward a little and look at when the first printing presses started showing up, which was in the 1400s. Before this point, printing was done by hand-and-pen, which made the printing press a welcome addition to those in this early form of publishing. The printing press worked by using ink to transfer text and images to paper, marking the end of hand-copying text.

With this innovation, society soon saw an increased demand, partially due to an uptick in literacy. This led to further refining of the printing process, such as lithography, in the 1700s.
In a relatively short amount of time, print had gone from non-existent, to a clear must-have for people of all trades. From this initial burst of tech advancement, print became a focus for innovators everywhere, leading to a massive upgrade in the 20th century.


Print as we know it

The concept of ‘print’ as we know it today was introduced with inkjet printing in 1951 – an invention which had printing occur through the use of tiny droplets of ink to create image or text on a surface. This is where print as we know it was born – but the innovation didn’t stop there. In 1968, dot matrix printing arrived, bringing technology that uses a fixed number of pins or wires and a print head that uses specific up-and-down motions to create an image. From this point, it was innovation after innovation – the first digital print in 1989, and the first digital colour printing press in the 1990s. New inventions hit the world of print constantly, leading us to what we know and understand as print now – a range of modern, digital print devices that can handle any task quickly, sustainably, and with incredible quality. Brands in the Exertis portfolio, such as Brother, Epson, Kyocera, OKI, Lexmark, and more, are spearheading the world of print and bringing new and ever-more exciting tech advancements to the forefront. 


Endless innovation

For the last 25 years or so, we’ve managed to get the print thing down to a fine art – now it’s time for something new. Within the Exertis Print & Scan portfolio, we have some of the latest and greatest print innovations ready to add to your offering; including high-speed inkjet printing from brands like Brother and Epson, amongst many others. These modern devices offer exceptional speed and quality, making them your customers’ go-to for high-volume jobs. We also offer a range of toner-based printers, a type of digital printing solution that is often found in multifunction devices (such as those offered by Kyocera, Lexmark, and more) that applies toner electrostatically to create sharp, ultra-precise images. When it comes to staying ahead of the ever-growing curve of print innovation, we at Exertis Print & Scan are your best partner for taking smart tech in your stride.


What's next for print?

Since it’s early beginnings, print has been a landscape of tech that’s not slowed down – and there’s no signs of it starting to now. Here at Exertis Print & Scan, we’ve got our eyes on the latest and greatest advancements in print tech – from cloud-based printing solutions that allow printing from anywhere with an internet connection, to AI-powered printers that leverage AI algorithms to optimise print quality and efficiency.

The world of print has always been one filled with new advancements, and a constant push to find the best and most efficient solutions. At Exertis Print & Scan, we’re your best partner for harnessing all the possibilities for this tech, making sure you’re well-equipped with any solution – from tried-and-true inkjet, to MFPs and beyond – to meet any customer need, no matter how niche.


To discuss how Exertis Print & Scan can help you leverage the brilliant opportunities found in print innovation, contact a member of the team today.