June 29, 2009

Xerox WorkCentre 3220 Multifunction Laser Is Fast and Cheap

By Databazaar Blog

Printer News: Xerox WorkCentre 3220 Multifunction Laser Doesn't Print in Color But Offers Everything Else

You can now buy an iPhone for $99. The catch is that the two years of service will cost you at least $1,700, probably more. But such pricing works because most people think in the present tense. Inkjet manufacturers have long used this trick. With the new WorkCentre 3220 multifunction laser printer, Xerox has jumped into the game as well.

Priced at just $549, this handsome-looking printer offers speeds of 30 pages per minute, Adobe PostScript 3 for printing complex graphics, Ethernet networking, duplex printing, and support for USB memory drives. It can also copy, scan, and fax.

So what's the catch? It's a monochrome printer. It'll also cost you more per page in toner than Xerox's pricier laser printers. Nonetheless, we would like to see more printers with Postscript and consider the WorkCentre 3220 worth a look for that reason alone. Also, kudos to Xerox for listing cost per page.

Summary

Monochrome multifunction laser printer best for small businesses that primarily print documents at relatively low volume

MSRP: $549

Manufacturer

Press Release

Xerox Delivers 'Big Budget' Features to Small Businesses with New Low-Cost Multifunction Printers

Product Page

WorkCentre™ 3220

Supplies

Toner

106R01485 (Standard capacity toner cartridge), 106R01486 (High capacity toner cartridge)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	June 16, 2009
Notable Features:	Duplex printing, Adobe Postscript 3, Ethernet, fast print speed, print from or scan to USB drives, copy, scan, fax
Green Features:	Energy Star, high-yield toner cartridges, duplex printing uses less paper, Xerox Green World Alliance Program recycles toner cartridges
Pages Per Minute:	30
Resolution:	1200 x 1200
Paper Trays:	1 (with optional additional tray available)
Paper Capacity:	250 (500 with additional tray)
Interface:	Ethernet, USB 2.0, USB Flash Drive
Compatibility:	Windows, Macintosh, Linux
Dimensions:	17.5 x 16.2 x 15.6 inches
Weight:	30.73 pounds
Recommended Monthly Print Volume:	Up to 4,000 pages
Warranty:	1 Year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 24, 2009

The Media Reacts to HP's Web-Savvy Printer

By Databazaar Blog

Forbes and Others Cover HP's Biggest Printer Announcement of 2009

Earlier this week we reported on HP's biggest printer announcement of the year — the HP Photosmart Premium With TouchSmart Web. Slated to ship in September 2009, the printer can print directly from the Web via specialized apps.

HP printer boss Vyomesh Joshi has long discussed the importance of Web printing so this printer comes as no surprise. What did surprise us is the coverage in Forbes, a mainstream business magazine. Therefore, we decided to round up some of the best coverage of the HP Photosmart Premium With TouchSmart Web from around the, well, Web. Know of any other articles? Post them in the comments.

Print, Please
"Think of it, suggest HP executives, as a hardware version of Apple's wildly successful App Store market for its iPhone. At least, that's how HP wants to think of it."

Hands-On: HP Photosmart Premium With TouchSmart Web
"The software is all very much still in development, but the home screen and surface level feature of many of the widgets were polished enough to get an idea of how this thing will work. And it's nice. The screen responds to your finger about as well as any capacitive-touch smartphone."

HP Touchscreen Printer Will Connect to the Web
"[Keith Kmetz] was guardedly optimistic on whether the technology would take off. Printers are still the mainstay in homes to print large documents from PCs. It may also take time to break consumers from their habit of booking tickets online at home but printing them out at the theater or of printing digital photographs at local print stores.

HP Reveals! Web-enabled Inkjet All-in-One Sets New Industry Direction
"The attempt to define a new Web-connect printing platform is a bold move from the industry leader, and is to be commended. The glass-half-full-or-empty argument may continue, with the market casting the final vote in the coming months and years."

HP Unveils Photosmart Premium With Touchsmart Web: "World's First Web-Connected Printer"
"We just had a chance to try the printer / Touchsmart for ourselves. First off, surprise, the screen is capacitive touch, and it works well.… The widgets are created with a combination of HTML5 and Java, and much to our surprise, video streaming has been implemented."

HP Introduces Web-Connected Touchscreen Printer
"Bringing maps, news and coupons functionality to a printer makes it more likely that the average user will get more value from their printer. But unless HP can bring that $400 price tag down significantly, this could end up as a niche product."

HP Teams With Google, Fandango for Web-connected Touch-Screen Printer
"There's also a "get more" button on the screen that brings you to HP's Web store — home to future apps, I assume; my helpful tour guide even mentioned the release of an SDK that would let developers create their own customized apps for the printer based on their own usage model … pending HP's approval, of course."

HP's TouchSmart Printers Print Web Content, No PC Required
"I fear that the ink and paper costs might quickly outweigh some of the conveniences (or, for example, the parallel cost of ordering a local paper). The idea of not having to handle newsprint is enticing, and this could be a viable means of delivering news content to homes; but, will it pay to print that 25 cent coupon on a page that might cost a third of that to print?"

5 Reasons Why HP Web-Connected Printer Will Be a Hit
"Speaking of new markets, while HP is the pioneer here, it won't take long for competitors to follow in its virtual footsteps."

HP's Plan To Primp The Printer
"For example, an app delivers content from USA Today. Newspapers could charge for this service as they struggle to find a new business model. HP VP Vyomesh Joshi believes this product turns the computer printer into a household appliance."

About Databazaar Blog
Virtually everyone who uses a computer uses a printer. But computers get all the glory. So we launched this blog to give printers their due. We hope you find our coverage enjoyable and useful, and encourage you to subscribe and participate.

June 23, 2009

HP Photosmart Premium With TouchSmart Web Brings the Internet to Your Inkjet Printer

By Databazaar Blog

Printer News: HP Sees the Future of Printing in Online Apps Built Into its New Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web

We've long covered printers with PC-free features such as printing from memory cards or via PictBridge. But with the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, which we recently saw firsthand in New York City, HP has upped the ante.

The HP Photosmart Premium looks like a multifunction inkjet printer with an iPhone for a control panel. It's not really an iPhone of course, but a 4.33 inch touch screen from which you can run special Web-enabled apps.

For example, do you like Sudoku puzzles? You can print one anytime you want using the Sudoku app. Need directions? Enter your "here" and "there" and print a Google Map. Going shopping? Print some coupons. You get the idea. Other apps include Fandango for movie tickets, Snapfish for photos, weather reports, and various projects for kids from DreamWorks and Nickelodeon. HP promises more apps, all of which are free to use.

Will people want to print directly from the Web? We can certainly think of some use cases but only time will tell. HP is leaving nothing to chance. Its printer boss, Vyomesh Joshi, helped announce the Photosmart Premium, and HP has even launched a Twitter stream. HP often ships printers without even a press release.

The HP Photosmart Premium also handles old-fashioned PC printing with speeds up to 33 pages per minute. It copies, scans, and faxes. And like a few other HP printers, the Photosmart Premium can print screenshots from your Playstation PS3. Who wants to frame their college diploma when you can instead frame your score in Killzone 2.

Summary

Color multifunction inkjet best for people who want the world's first Web-enabled printer

MSRP: $399.99

Manufacturer

Press Release

HP Introduces World's First Web-connected Home Printer

Product Page

HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web

Supplies

Ink Cartridges

HP 564 (Black), HP 564 (Photo Black), HP 564 (Yellow), HP 564 (Cyan), HP 564 (Magenta); High-yield: HP 564XL (Black), HP 564XL (Photo Black), HP 564XL (Yellow), HP 564XL (Cyan), HP 564XL (Magenta)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	September 2009
Notable Features:	Web apps optimized for printing, Memory card printing, large touchscreen, automatic duplex printing, borderless photo printing, automatic paper-type sensor to prevent wasted ink and paper, Ethernet and WiFi
Green Features:	Energy Star, HP Planet Partners cartridge recycling program, high-yield ink cartridges reduce waste, duplex printing saves paper
Pages Per Minute:	33 (b/w), 32 (color)
Seconds Per Photo:	18
Resolution:	Not Yet Available
Paper Trays:	1
Interface:	Pictbridge, USB 2.0, WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth
Compatibility:	Windows and Macintosh
Dimensions:	17.99 x 19.33 x 7.76 inches
Weight:	16.53 pounds
Warranty:	1 year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 22, 2009

Laser Printer Particle Emissions: The New Second-Hand Smoke?

By Kara Hiltz

Australian Scholars Believe Heat Generated by Laser Printers May Cause Harmful Levels of Toner Particles

Many of us spend one-third of our lives or more in office space surrounded by copiers and laser printers, both of which use toner — the new second-hand smoke. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration but Lidia Morawska and her colleagues at the Queensland University of Technology continue to investigate a danger that may lurk in the average office — laser printer particle emissions.

Morawska Ups the Ante With a Follow-Up Study

Morawska's initial 2007 study Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers, created some bad blood with HP because it reported that HP LaserJet printers had among the worst emission levels.

In our 2007 interview, Morawska told us that further research was needed. She has since followed up on that promise with a new study. Her findings show that a laser printer's temperature might correlate with the amount of particles the printer emits.

In a nutshell, the researchers looked at two popular printers — an HP 2200, a "low-level" emitter, and an HP 1320n, a "high-level" emitter. The study sought to answer what comprises these particles, under what conditions do they form, and why some printers emit more particles than others.

Morawska found that high-level emitters suffer from temperature spikes between the time that paper has exited the printer and the time when a new sheet of paper enters the printer. While the paper comes in contact with the fuser during printer, it absorbs surplus heat to keep the temperature even. "Unless the printer can pre-empt this process, by reducing the power delivered to the heater before the paper is removed, the temperature must rise rapidly until a new sheet arrives to absorb the excess heat," the report explains. Otherwise, these temperature instabilities cause spikes in the amount of particle emissions.

Environmental Science & Technology published the report, An Investigation into the Characteristics and Formation Mechanisms of Particles Originating from the Operation of Laser Printers, in issue vol. 43, no. 4, 2009. (You can purchase the full report for a $30 fee.)

Similarities to Cigarette Smoke?

In some ways, the particles that laser printers emit resemble those from cigarette smoke, household appliances, or car pollution. But they also differ in very important ways.

"The indoor concentration of the particles from printer operations can reach similar levels as indoor concentration of second hand cigarette smoke or outdoor concentrations near busy roads," Morawska explains.

But laser printer particles are secondary in nature, whereas cigarette smoke and other pollutants are primary and "comprised of solid carbonaceous material." The chemistry of cigarette smoke and car pollution differs completely from laser printer particle emissions.

That's nice but what does it mean? Should we all dump our trusty laser printers?

Morawska anticipated this question and offers some practical advice. She suggests that you keep laser printers in well-ventilated areas away from where office workers sit. If your office space uses mechanical means of ventilation, like air conditioning, make sure it works at all times.

And remember, the particle emissions only occur when the printers are actually printing. If you have a home office in which you occasionally print a document, your emissions will stay low. But if you're printing one document after another in an enclosed space, you should employ adequate ventilation before your particle levels reach dangerous levels.

Too bad ventilation doesn't work as well for trans fats.

About Databazaar Blog
Virtually everyone who uses a computer uses a printer. But computers get all the glory. So we launched this blog to give printers their due. We hope you find our coverage enjoyable and useful, and encourage you to subscribe and participate.

June 19, 2009

How to Print Your Own Postage (Legally)

By Kara Hiltz

PrinTip: Postage printing Options for Businesses and Consumers

Email, SMS, Facebook, and the Internet in general have taken a bite out of the US Postal Service's revenues. But the Post Office is among the most entrepreneurial government agencies. No bailout needed thank you very much. Thanks to the vision of its leadership, many options exist for printing your own postage.

Consumer Postage Printing Options

The USPS offers immediate shipping label printing through its online Click-n-Ship program. Once you download the software and weigh your packages, you just need to follow the steps to print a shipping label for domestic or international packages.

But not all of the USPS services give you instant gratification. When it comes to garden variety postage stamps, you'll need to order them from the Web site and have them mailed to your home or office.

Endicia's PictureItPostage consists of software for Mac and PC that enables you to design your own stamps. But, just like many other custom postage stamp services, you can't print these stamps from your own computer. The USPS approves the image you upload (you can imagine how some people might abuse this kind of customization unless the USPS screened the images) and then ships you the number of stamps you requested.

Zazzle offers thousands of postage stamp designs that suit any occasion — from baby announcements to birthdays to bridal showers. Or, show off your hobbies and personal preferences with animal postage, Star Wars postage, sports postage, etc. Browse Zazzle's postage by category, and then select the stamp you like. As with Endicia, you have to wait for your custom stamps to arrive in the mail.

Anyone can create Zazzle postage, including you. When you buy a contributor's stamp design, the contributor earns royalties from the sale. If you think you can design a postage stamp that people will buy, you can upload your design and receive your own royalty check.

Business Postage Printing Options

With Stamps.com, you can print your own stamps in any price denomination. You can also upload an image or marketing message to personalize your postage stamps.

But Stamps.com is not without its downsides. You have to print the stamps on Stamps.com's specific NetStamps labels (which cost money, of course). And you need to register with Stamps.com, which will cost you $15.99 a month. On top of the costs involved, Stamps.com's software only works with Windows, so Mac users are out of luck.

While your subscription also gives you access to discounted mailing rates, you might want to try Stamps.com's 4-week free trial to determine whether printing your own stamps — along with their other services — make the monthly fee worthwhile.

Stamps.com doesn't hold a monopoly on online postage services. PitneyBowes' Shipstream Manager work with your PC, your office printer, and a USB-integrated scale. Shipstream Manager offers more business-oriented features, like postage tracking and address verification. You can also hide the shipping amount from recipients. And, like Stamps.com, the Shipstream Manager service offers discounts on your postage. But you won't find much in the way of customization for your postage's appearance. You can try out Shipstream Manager free for 60 days, after which it costs $18.99 per month.

eBay also offers its own online postage service for small businesses. Unlike some of the other online services, eBay's service is compatible with several label printers in addition to standard office printers. Another stand-out feature for eBay is its Carrier Pickup service. And eBay also offers features similar to other online postage services, such as package insurance, hidden shipping costs, and even international shipping.

About PrinTips
Sometimes useful, sometimes fun, and always interesting, PrinTips enable you to get more out of your ink jet or laser printer. That said, we don't profess to have a monopoly on printer tips so if you have anything to add, please do so below.

June 16, 2009

Lexmark T652n and T654n Offer Speedy and Quiet Laser Printing

By Kara Hiltz

Printer News: Lexmark T652n and Lexmark T654n Reduce Cost Per Page With High-Yield Toner Cartridges

If the Lexmark T652n and the Lexmark T654n were roleplaying characters, they'd belong to the Thief class, with high speed stats and the ability to stay quiet. Lexmark designed these monochrome laser printers for high speeds and heavy work volumes.

The T652n and T654n models come network-ready as evidenced by the "n" in the model name. Lexmark also sells the T652dn/T654dn, which adds duplex printing and the T652tn/T654dtn, which adds a paper tray.

Jeff Roberts, Lexmark's Manager of Channel Marketing, seemed particularly excited about the extra high-yield cartridges for the T654n when we spoke with him. He says that you'll print 36,000 pages from an extra high-yield toner cartridge, which means you'll throw fewer cartridges into landfills. In the role-playing world, your alignment increase a few points for that, but in the real world you'll have to settle for a lower cost per page.

Summary

Monochrome laser printer best for law firms and other businesses that print high volumes of documents

MSRP: $799 (T652n); $1,099 (T654n)

Manufacturer

Press Release

Print less, save more with powerful new family of Lexmark monochrome laser printers, MFPs

Product Page

Lexmark T652n; Lexmark T654n

Supplies

Toner

Standard: Lexmark #T650A11A (Return Program Black Toner), Lexmark #T650A21A (Black Toner); High-yield: Lexmark #T650H11A (Return Program Black Toner), Lexmark #T650H21A (Black Toner), Lexmark #T650H04A (Return Program Black Toner for Label Applications); Extra High-yield (T654n only): Lexmark #T654X11A (Return Program Black Toner), Lexmark #T654X21A (Black Toner), Lexmark #T654X04A (Return Program Black Toner for Label Applications)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	October 20, 2008
Notable Features:	First page out in as little as 7.5 seconds, network connectivity, high paper capacity (4,300 max), automatically adjusts toner level for consistent printouts, Job Waiting feature prints next job in queue while putting current job on hold when a problem occurs, print directly from USB flash drive, secure PIN release for print jobs, staple finisher (optional)
Green Features:	Eco mode saves energy, Quiet mode reduces noise pollution, high-yield toner cartridges (extra high-yield on T654n) reduce packaging waste, Lexmark cartridge recycling program
Pages Per Minute:	50 (T652n); 55 (T654n)
Resolution:	1200 x 1200 dpi
Paper Trays:	2 (up to 4 with optional trays)
Paper Capacity:	650 standard (4,300 maximum)
Interface:	USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wireless (optional), USB flash drives
Compatibility:	Windows, Macintosh, Citrix, Linux, Novell
Dimensions:	16.8 x 16.7 x 20.1 inches (T652n); 17.2 x 16.7 x 20.1 inches (T654n)
Weight:	50.7 pounds (T652n); 51.6 pounds (T654n)
Warranty:	1 year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 15, 2009

HP Photosmart Plus Offers Photo Printing Plus MFP Functionality

By Databazaar Blog

Printer News: HP Offers New Ways to Use Up Your Ink With Photosmart Plus

Former HP executive Jim Lyons recently reported sliding printer and supplies revenue at HP. We suspect HP is more concerned about supplies than printers because that's where the big money lies.

To this end, the new HP Photosmart Plus All-in-One offers a glimpse of an interesting strategy — embedded software designed to persuade people to print more pages. For example, from the Photosmart Plus' TouchSmart control panel, you can print notebook paper, Sudoku games, calendars, and more. You can also use HP's bundled software, HP Photo Print Gadget and HP Smart Web Printing. And of course HP touts its iPrint Photo app for the iPhone.

As for the hardware, HP claims the HP Photosmart Plus "strikes a balance between everyday and photo printing." It prints in color at 23 pages per minute, offers a dual-use tray that switches between document and photo paper, connects to your network via WiFi, and will cost $149 when it ships in August 2009. How long until we see a PC embedded into a printer?

Summary

Photo multifunction inkjet best for students and others who want to print lab-quality photos and documents

MSRP: $149

Manufacturer

Press Release

HP Gives Students a Head Start with Sleek, Affordable PCs and Printers

Product Page

HP Photosmart Plus All-in-One

Supplies

Ink Cartridges

HP 564 (Black), HP 564 (Photo Black), HP 564 (Yellow), HP 564 (Cyan), HP 564 (Magenta); High-yield: HP 564XL (Black), HP 564XL (Photo Black), HP 564XL (Yellow), HP 564XL (Cyan), HP 564XL (Magenta)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	August 2009
Notable Features:	WiFi, PC-free printing, TouchSmart control panel with embedded printing projects, copying and scanning, auto-engaging photo tray, manual duplex printing
Green Features:	Energy Star, HP Planet Partners cartridge recycling program, high-yield ink cartridges reduce waste
Pages Per Minute:	29 (b/w), 23 (color)
Resolution:	1200 x 2400 dpi (scanning)
Paper Trays:	1
Interface:	USB 2.0, WiFi
Compatibility:	Windows and Macintosh
Dimensions:	17.39 x 16.59 x 6.69 inches
Weight:	10.13 pounds
Warranty:	1 year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 15, 2009

HP Photosmart C4700 Series Good for Your Conscience and Wallet

By Databazaar Blog

Printer News: HP Caters to Environmentally-Conscious Consumers With the Photosmart C4700 All-in-One Series

In the old days (i.e., 2-3 years ago), companies like HP improved their printers by making them faster, better cheaper. Nowadays, they improve them by making them greener. The new HP Photosmart C4700 All-in-One Series uses 30% less energy than its predecessor. It also features duplex printing, which saves paper.

Green features aside, HP's competitors will find an inconvenient truth beneath the hood as the Photosmart C4700 offers WiFi printing (including via iPhone), lab-quality photos, 23 pages per minute in color, and copying and scanning — all for just $129 when it ships in July 2009. In fact, they might become green with envy (except perhaps for the manual duplex printing, which we view as pointless).

Summary

Photo multifunction inkjet best for students and others who want to print lab-quality photos and documents

MSRP: $129

Manufacturer

Press Release

HP Gives Students a Head Start with Sleek, Affordable PCs and Printers

Product Page

Photosmart C4700 Series

Supplies

Ink Cartridges

HP 60 (Black), HP 60 (Tri-Color); High-yield: HP 60XL (Black), HP 60XL (Tri-Color)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	July 2009
Notable Features:	WiFi, PC-free printing, manual duplex printing, copying and scanning, TouchSmart control panel with embedded printing projects
Green Features:	Energy Star, HP Planet Partners cartridge recycling program, high-yield ink cartridges reduce waste, duplex printing saves paper
Pages Per Minute:	29 (b/w), 23 (color)
Resolution:	4800 x 1200 dpi
Paper Trays:	1
Interface:	USB 2.0, Memory Cards, WiFi
Compatibility:	Windows and Macintosh
Dimensions:	17.39 x 16.59 x 6.69 inches
Weight:	10.13 pounds
Warranty:	1 year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 09, 2009

HP Deskjet D1600 Series Launches Today at Low Price Point

By Databazaar Blog

Printer News: HP Deskjet D1600 Series Offers Inkjet Printing in an Eco- and Recession-Friendly Package

HP's "Deskjet" brand introduced the world to inkjet printing, and it keeps on ticking after all these years. We saw the latest model at an HP event in New York city last week — the D1600 series (announced today and in stores this August).

Talk about good timing. With people feeling too poor these days to buy much of anything, the D1600 offers inkjet printing for just $39 at speeds that would make its ancestors jealous (16 ppm for color documents). It also features manual duplex printing, and a relatively compact design with dorm rooms in mind.

Look, no $39 printer will have a ton of features, but HP needs something to talk about so it spent considerable energy on the D1600's environmental impact or lack thereof. HP builds the D1600 using 25% recycled plastic and the printer ships in 100% recyclable packaging. That's great and we commend HP, but we suggest you focus primarily on the low price point, relatively fast speeds, and presumably quality output.

Summary

Color inkjet printer best for students and penny pinchers who don't need an MFP.

MSRP: $39

Manufacturer

Press Release

HP Gives Students a Head Start with Sleek, Affordable PCs and Printers

Product Page

HP Deskjet D1600

Supplies

Ink Cartridges

HP 60 (Black), HP 60 (Tri-Color); High-yield: HP 60XL (Black), HP 60XL (Tri-Color)

Specs that matter

Release Date:	August 2009
Notable Features:	Low price, fast print speeds for its price point, compact design, black case, eco-friendly (see below)
Green Features:	Energy Star, HP Planet Partners cartridge recycling program, high-yield ink cartridges reduce waste, duplex printing saves paper, 25% of printer made from recycled material, packaging 100% recyclable
Pages Per Minute:	20 (b/w), 16 (color)
Paper Trays:	1
Interface:	USB 2.0
Compatibility:	Windows and Macintosh
Dimensions:	17.01 x 7.8 x 6.22 inches
Weight:	4.85 pounds
Warranty:	1 year

About Printer News
Your one stop source for information about new business- and consumer-class printers, Printer News covers everything you need to know. Well, almost everything. If you have anything to add to our report, please post it below.

June 08, 2009

How Fragrance Printing Works

By Kara Hiltz

DoubleSided: Follow Your Nose to More Sales

Most print media suffers from sensory limitations. After all, it only appeals to one of your senses: sight. However, an increasing number of publishers now offer scented advertisements. How do they achieve this feat?

Sniffing Out Fragrance Printing's Mysteries

You probably remember the old Scratch 'n Sniff dots you'd inhale as a child, viciously scraping for as much of that sweet cotton candy smell as you could possibly get. And now, as an adult, you can't ignore the heady perfume scents pouring out of most fashion magazines. So how do advertisers package that smell?

The scent comes from tiny microcapsules that companies like Scentisphere and Whiff Solutions mix into a clear varnish. These companies sell the varnish to printers, who then apply the clear coating over any print product without affecting the product's print or color quality. When you rub the area, the friction releases scented oil from the varnish's microcapsules. The scent wears off after a short time until you rub the area again to re-activate the microcapsules.

Smelling is Believing: Successful Fragrance Marketing

Scent-based advertising seems logical for products like perfumes or food, but it doesn't stop there. You can take advantage of fragrance printing to solicit a specific response from customers. And studies show that adding a little scent to your marketing can work wonders.

Whiff Solutions claims that 75% of our emotions come from what we smell. For example, Nike found that people in scented room were 84% more likely to purchase Nike sneakers than those in an odor-free room. And they were also willing to pay $10.33 more.

Even more dramatic is Mitsubishi's marketing campaign for the Lancer Evo X. Mitsubishi's ad agency, OMD, placed a fragrance ad in two major newspapers that simulated the leather smell that so many consumers associate with a brand new car. As a result, the Lancer Evo X sold out in two weeks and Mitsubishi's annual sales increased 16% in a market that averaged a 20% decline. By giving prospective buyers an interactive, scent-inducing experience, Mitsubishi caused consumers to relive the emotions attached to a new car — and saw impressive results.

While it seems that a scent varnish might easily work with personal inkjet or laser printers, no consumer solution currently exists to our knowledge (correct us in the comments if we're wrong). But maybe someday I can make my business cards smell like money

About DoubleSided
We all have our idiosyncrasies. So do printers as it turns out. In our DoubleSided feature, we explore the lighter side of printers as well as the esoteric and bizarre. We also peer into the future of printing. From fabbers to printing on toast, you'll find it all here.