

While the word "Xerox" has appeared in some dictionaries as a synonym for photocopying, Xerox has actively fought to prevent "Xerox" from becoming a genericized trademark. Seeing off computing-leader IBM in the office-copying market, Xerox became so successful that, in North America, photocopying came to be popularly known as "xeroxing". In 1949, Xerox Corporation introduced the first xerographic copier, called the Model A. Haloid eventually became Xerox Corporation in 1961.

After consulting a professor of classical language at Ohio State University, Haloid and Carlson changed the name of the process to " xerography", a term, coined from Greek roots, that meant "dry writing." Haloid called the new copier machines "Xerox Machines" and, in 1948, the term "Xerox" was trademarked. Haloid felt that the word "electrophotography" was too complicated and did not have good recall value.
#Photocopy meaning license
In 1947, Haloid Corporation (a small Rochester, New York-based manufacturer and seller of photographic paper) approached Battelle to obtain a license to develop and market a copying machine based on this technology. Over the next five years, the institute conducted experiments to improve the process of electrophotography. In 1944, the Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit organization in Columbus, Ohio, contracted with Carlson to refine his new process. Between 19, Carlson was turned down by over 20 companies, including IBM and General Electric-neither of which believed there was a significant market for copiers. People did not see the need for an electronic copier.
#Photocopy meaning manual
At the time, multiple copies were most commonly made at the point of document origination, using carbon paper or manual duplicating machines. Carlson tried to sell his invention to some companies but failed because the process was still underdeveloped. After the slide was removed, a mirror image of the words remained. The words "10-22-38 Astoria" were written on a microscope slide, which was placed on top of more sulfur and under a bright light. He made the first photocopy using a zinc plate covered with sulfur. Carlson used his kitchen for his " electrophotography" experiments, and, in 1938, he applied for a patent for the process. This motivated him to conduct experiments with photoconductivity. Carlson, who was arthritic, found this a painful and tedious process. His job at the patent office in New York required him to make a large number of copies of important papers. High-end color photocopiers capable of heavy-duty handling cycles and large-format printing remain a costly option found primarily in print and design shops.Ĭhester Carlson (1906-1968), the inventor of photocopying, was originally a patent attorney, as well as a part-time researcher and inventor. Low-end machines that can copy and print in color have increasingly dominated the home-office market as their prices fell steadily during the 1990s. During the 1980s, a convergence began in some high-end machines towards what came to be called a multi-function printer: a device that combined the roles of a photocopier, a fax machine, a scanner, and a computer network-connected printer. While there have been predictions that photocopiers will eventually become obsolete as information workers increase their use of digital document creation, storage, and distribution and rely less on distributing actual pieces of paper, as of 2015, photocopiers continue to be widely used. Photocopying is widely used in the business, education, and government sectors. Copiers can also use other technologies, such as inkjet, but xerography is standard for office copying.Ĭommercial xerographic office photocopying and it gradually replaced copies made by Verifax, Photostat, carbon paper, mimeograph machines, and other duplicating machines. The toner is then fused onto the paper using heat, pressure, or a combination of both. Most modern photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process that uses electrostatic charges on a light-sensitive photoreceptor to first attract and then transfer toner particles (a powder) onto paper in the form of an image. A Xerox digital photocopier in 2010Ī photocopier (also called copier or copy machine, and formerly Xerox machine, the generic trademark) is a machine that makes copies of documents and other visual images onto paper or plastic film quickly and cheaply. For other uses, see Copier (disambiguation).
