Submitted by:

Ranjini
Ballal (08PG339)

Zero Ink Printing

Zero Ink Printing:

Zero ink (Zink) printing technology does not use the printer ink for
printing; it uses special ink instead. A company called Zink has designed
such a device. (Video 1)

How Zink works:

Zink system involves embedding minute dye crystals in an extraordinary

type of paper and activating them using a special printer head. These tiny
ink particles embedded in sheets of paper are melted by the printer head
that sends out small heat pulses. Depending on the pulses sent, different
crystals will melt resulting in different visible colours on the page.

(Video 2) & (Video 3)

Advantages:

 Smart portable printing has a significant advantage over ink

cartridge using competitors mainly because of its size and
portability.
 The prints got from Zink printers can produce million colours with
accuracy.
 It is known to give out vibrant and clean prints that are water proof,
heat proof and durable.
  It is eco friendly since the paper used is recyclable and contains no
toxic substances.

Challenges:

The Zero ink technology is highly complex.

The system’s existence is in question; it may be a short lived overly
complex solution.
The cost of zink papers as compared to the standard paper is
costlier.

Applications of ZINK in business:

✔ Zink shifts the printing paradigm from an ink cartridge or ink ribbon
to a totally ink-less system.
✔ It will revolutionise the photo printing business for quick and
portable prints.
✔ It has developed a one button printer which can easily connect to a
camera phone, which can fit into a shirt pocket.

✔ Costing less than $100, the printer will prove advantageous to any
business.
✔ Poloroid’s PoGo and Dell’d Wasabi use the zero ink printing
technology.