| Milestones in inkjet technology |
| 1979 |
- Thermal inkjet technology is invented at HP laboratories.
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| 1984 |
- HP ThinkJet printer is developed.
- The disposable cartridge is introduced.
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| 1986 |
- New HP QuietJet/QuietJet+ printers offer 192 dpi resolution through near letter quality (NLQ) printing.
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| 1987 |
- First color printer, the HP PaintJet, provides full-color graphic printing and quickly becomes the market leader.
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| 1988 |
- The HP DeskJet printer is created, offering laser quality on plain paper.
- Modular Ink Delivery System is introduced in the new HP 2000C Professional Series printer.
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| 1989 |
- HP rolls out the DeskJet+, DeskWriter, and PaintJet XL (B-size) printers.
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| 1990 |
- HP PaintWriter XL and DeskJet 500 printers hit the market.
- Waterfast black ink is developed.
- HP introduces scalable fonts (DeskJet 500/DeskJet Plus).
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| 1992 |
- Inception of plain-paper color and 5 kHz print speed.
- 600x300 dpi pigmented black resolution is developed.
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| 1993 |
- HP expands printer capabilities to 600x300 dpi resolution.
- Increased media independence is made possible through pigment-based black inks.
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| 1994 |
- Print quality is increased dramatically for new HP DeskJet printers.
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| 1995 |
- Increased speed and resolution to 600x600 dpi at 12 kHz.
- New range of cartridges is offered for all new products.
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| 1996 |
- First photo printer and print cartridge are introduced.
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| 1997 |
- HP DesignJet 2500 series with new large-capacity ink system is created.
- The HP OfficeJet: the first $1,000 color copier/printer/scanner offers a complete inkjet solution.
- HP PhotoSmart PC Photography System makes it possible to reproduce photographs at home.
- HP 1100C A3-capable inkjet printer is released.
- Printers with PhotoREt II begin to hit the shelves: HP DeskJet 720C, followed by HP 1120C A3 and HP OfficeJet 1170C/1175C.
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| 1998 |
- New HP DesignJet 3500 series allows users to print pieces up to 54 inches wide.
- HP 2500C A3-capable Professional Series printer is released.
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| 1999 |
- HP develops the DesignJet 1050 series with a Modular Ink Delivery System for large-format printing. HP 2000C represents the world's fastest office color printer.
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| 2001 |
- HP introduces Versatile Black Ink, a revolutionary black ink that prints on coated or uncoated surfaces without compromising speed or quality.
- HP introduces the HP LaserJet 9000 printer series, which can print 50 pages per minute by directing two laser beams onto the OPC at the same time.
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| 2002 |
- HP introduces HP DesignJet Copier cc800ps that enables color copying, printing and scanning of wide, large format documents.
- Featured up to 4,800 optimized dpi or up to six and seven-ink color printing, the 7550 featured an LCD for previewing and editing photos and front USB ports for digital camera owners to print without computers.
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| 2003 |
- HP shipped its 75 millionth LaserJet printer.
- “Big Bang 2”—HP launched its largest product introduction to date—158 consumer product offerings.
- HP enters the $24 billion copier market with a copier-based line of high-volume multi-function printers.
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| 2004 |
- The 3700 featured HP Image Ret2400, 16 ppm, two-sided printing capability, up to 850 sheets of paper input, and 6,000-page print cartridges.
- HP introduces the Designjet 30/130 printing systems—wide-format, professional-level home photo printers that offered state-of-the-art dye-based ink formulations, color stability and consistency, and color management tools.
- The development and commercialization of thermal inkjet technology earned HP the Corporate Innovation Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
- HP celebrated the 20th anniversary of the original LaserJet and ThinkJet printers.
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