Figuring out how to recycle TPS reports and office printouts appears to have become a passion for Japanese engineers, as DigInfo News has discovered in recent days. If the "White Goat" machine that converts paper sheets into toilet paper failed to appeal, consider this supposedly eco-friendly printer that can erase old documents and reuse them up to 1,000 times per special page.
The "PrePeat" printer uses a special thermal head and heat-sensitive plastic sheets to print whatever documents are required. Users won't have to buy ink or other consumables ever again, but there's a catch -- each printer comes with a price tag of about $5,517 (500,000 yen), and the plastic sheets come in lots of 1,000 at the price of $3,300.
Such a hefty price tag means that only large paper-users might consider PrePeat. Smaller offices and individual consumers will likely stick with their old-fashioned printer and paper combos for now, and keep the folks at Dunder Mifflin in business for a while longer.
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Reprint document with white ink???
@rlingenf No read the article, it doesn't use any ink. But at 33 dollars a sheet I wouldn't be handing them out to just any one.
@blackspike, that would be $3.30 a sheet, if it was only used 100 times (1/10th of lifetime) that would be 3cents each, still pricey, but price would come down with volume.
You wouldn't want to be punching holes or putting staples in it tho
I was just thinking about this the other day. I was wondering if they could make a regular notebook reusable, especially with the help of nano-ink. iNote ;)
My computer and monitor refreshes more pages and cost $800. So does the new iPad... LOL. Paper will be a thing of the past soon. Esp after that article I jsut read about being able to make a legal verbal contract.
So, more plastic? Couldn't come up with something more original?
Duct tape is like the Force - it has a Light side, a Dark side, and it holds the universe together. -- Carl Zweiberg
As for me old-fashioned printer is much more practical than those which is too modern. But still its price allows us to think that it is really good.
I have just finished reading about this paperless printer. The cost of the investment and maintenance will prohibited the own user and in today's office e environment we really do print as we require a hard copy. This is a fantastic concept and sincerely hope it finds its market.
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This printer is incredible. This would be so cool to have in a design class right at your fingertips. I assume it takes a few hours to make one, but you could either have the design put in during the morning and have it by the afternoon, or start it at closing time and have it ready upon arrival in the a.m. Very cool.
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