Business copies sure have come a long way in the past half-century. What was once an ink-stained nightmare to operate has now become a sleekly integrated part of your company's internal networking system. But it hasn't always been like that. The copy machine has gone through some radical changes over the years - transforming into something more advanced with each passing year. Here's a quick look at some of the more notable moments in copy machine history. Say Goodbye to the Mimeograph Machine Ask anyone who went to high school or middle school in the 1960's and 1970's about copier and they will tell you about the mimeograph machine. The mimeograph was an ink-filled machine that used a rotating drum to reproduce images. Patented by Thomas Edison in 1887, it would remain the primary means of duplication until the rise of off-set printing, and of course, the modern photocopier machine. A Smarter Way to Add Toner Back in the day, adding toner to a copier was a sometimes-baffling, always-messy ordeal. It was easy to spot the person in the office who was in charge of this thankless task, as they looked like a chimneysweep by lunch time. In the past 40 years, companies like Xerox and Canon have created easy-to-use toner cartridges that allow individuals to switch out new toner without getting their hands dirty. There are also much "smarter" ways for determining whether or not the unit is low on toner. Internal technology now warns users if toner is about to get low - as opposed to the old days, when you only knew it because your documents looked washed out and incomplete. Collate and Staple Remember the first time you saw a copier collate a document - taking a 40 page report and organize it perfectly in multiple sets? Heck, it's almost 2010 and that's still a pretty cool looking function! Automatic stapling and document collation were considered highly advanced features about 25 years ago, but they were much more than just "show" - they helped businesses create clean, presentable documents for clients and customers in a matter of seconds. Color for the Masses As hard as it may be to believe now, there was a time not too long ago when color copies were only possible through commercial printing services. And even when the first wave of color business copiers began to make their way into offices around the country, the cost of printing in color was still incredibly high. Then about 10 years ago, Canon and Xerox began to introduce more cost effective ways to print in color, and the industry has never been the same since. Network Integration Once a gathering place for people from all over the office, the business copier is now just another point on the network. Advanced business copiers can now be controlled from PC desktops and even store scanned versions of the documents they copy for future use. The ability to print, scan and copy from the central copier in the office has helped transcend the industry, and keep copiers relevant into today's more paperless corporate world.
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