Computer History - Inkjet Printers

IBM invented the first inkjet-based printer in 1976. It took nearly twenty years of research and incremental developments including Siemens' "drop-on-demand" inkjet technology, HP's "thermal" technology, and Epson's "piezo-electric" technology to overcome the challenges of producing a practical and affordable commercial inkjet product. Hewlett Packard released the first personal printer based on thermal inkjet technology, the HP Thinkjet, in 1984. Less than four years later, HP introduced the first mass-marketed personal inkjet printer, the HP Deskjet, in 1988.