- ZINK
Infobox_Company | company_name = ZINK Imaging
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = Digital printing, now magically simple, ZINK for everyone
foundation =2005
location = flagicon|U.S.Bedford, Massachusetts
industry =Digital Imaging
products = ZINK Paper| homepage = [http://www.zink.com/ www.zink.com]ZINK Imaging (short for Zero-Ink Imaging) is a privately held, Massachusetts-based company, that is the inventor of the ink-free printing technology platform, ZINK Zero Ink, and is the manufacturer of ZINK paper. ZINK Imaging has invented a new way for consumers to print and experience full color digital images without the need for ink cartridges or ribbons.
ZINK Imaging markets the versatility of its technology by envisioning a world where ZINK printers are integrated into consumer electronics like GPS devices, laptops, mobile phones, digital picture frames, and digital cameras. ZINK Imaging hopes that printers using the ZINK technology will change the way the world thinks about printing and image making. [cite web | title=Inkless Printer to be Built Into Digital Cameras | url=http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn11196?DCMP=Matt_Sparkes& | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008] [cite web | title=Zink Debuts Inkless Printing at CES | url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/01/07/zink-debuts-inkless-printing-at-ces-the-technology-that-might-have-saved-polaroid/3/ | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008] [cite web | title=In a ZINK World | url=http://www.zink.com/in-a-ZINK-world | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008] ZINK's emphasis of the simplicity of the technology is reflected in the company's mantra, "A new and simpler approach to printing" and the focus on wide-spread integration is seen in the company's haiku, "Digital printing, magically simple, ZINK for everyone" and that with ZINK, "almost anything can become a printer, making printing an anytime, anywhere experience." [cite web | title=Our Vision | url=http://www.zink.com/our-vision | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008]
The first product using the ZINK Technology is available now in Europe and the US — a pocket-sized mobile printer, the Polaroid PoGo. Additional companies are readying the launch of many other ZINK-enabled devices.cite web | title=ZINK's Homepage | url=http://www.ZINK.com | accessdaymonth = October | accessyear=2007]
ZINK Imaging’s headquarters and research and development labs are in Massachusetts, with a state of the art manufacturing facility in Whitsett, North Carolina.
History
In October of 2005, current ZINK management, in conjunction with private investors, purchased from Polaroid Corporation the technology and physical assets and hired the innovation team that now make-up ZINK Imaging. [cite web | title=Polaroid's Entrepreneurial Legacy| url=http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/03 16/polaroids_entrepreneurial_legacy | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008] [cite web | title=Zink’s Mobile Photo Printer Hits Stores This Weekend | url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/07/02/zinks-mobile-photo-printer-hits-stores-this-weekend| accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008] In 2007, ZINK Imaging purchased a Whitsett, North Carolina factory from Konica Minolta Manufacturing in order to manufacture its ZINK Paper. [cite web | title=Konica Minolta Manufacturing U S A, Inc | url=http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_jst3bg | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008]
Technology
The ZINK Technology encompasses both the ZINK paper and the intelligence embedded in every ZINK-enabled device. ZINK printers create a photo print without the use of
ink ,toner , or ribbons, making the technology unique to the printing industry. [cite web | title=ZINK at DEMO 2007| url=http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demo2007/91378.php| accessdaymonth = October | accessyear=2007] The technology includes over 100 patents and patents pending.cite web | title=Patent holders Picture More Efficient Printing Methods | url=http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2007/02/19/newscolumn3-Patent-holders-picture-more-efficient-printing-methods.html | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008]Paper
ZINK's printing media is designed, exclusively, to work with the company's thermal printing technology. ZINK Paper is an advanced composite material with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals embedded inside and a protective polymer overcoat layer outside. The patented crystals embedded in the paper are called amorphochromic dye crystals. Initially the crystal dyes inside the ZINK paper are colorless, giving the paper a blank, white, appearance that is not unlike traditional photo paper. When heat is applied in just the right way, full color images appear like "magic" on the paper - hence ZINK's term, "magic paper". [cite web | title=ZINK Paper | url=http://www.zink.com/ZINK-paper | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008]
According to ZINK, the advantages of ZINK printing media over traditional photo paper are the media's durability (to light, water, handling, heat and humidity), recyclability due to non-toxic chemicals, low cost, high print quality and resolution, and that sheets can be made of arbitrary dimensions to fit any project. The current 2"x3" ZINK photo paper features an adhesive back. Because of the self contained nature of ZINK photo paper, ZINK has adopted the slogan, "Just add ZINK Paper".
Amorphochromic Dye Crystals
The proprietary dye crystals that give ZINK prints their color are called Amorphochromic crystals. The crystals, an entirely new class of molecules, were invented by ZINK Imaging Scientists through a lengthy discovery process. The properties of each dye crystal are finely tuned by the scientists to achieve the color palette and image stability required for full-color digital prints consistent with traditional ink photo prints. ZINK scientists invented a way to activate each of the crystals independently using heat pulses of precisely determined duration and temperature to achieve the desired color. [cite web | title=Inkless Printer to be Built Into Digital Cameras | url=http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn11196?DCMP=Matt_Sparkes& | accessdaymonth = September | accessyear=2008] Exposure to specific temperatures causes the crystals to transform into either cyan, magenta, or yellow, depending on the type of crystal.cite web | title=How ZINK Works | url=http://www.zink.com/how-ZINK-works | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008]
Printer
Because ZINK's printing technology eliminates the need for ink cartridges, and consequently the need for refills, the printers can be made compact and discrete. ZINK's printing technology utilizes thermal printing techniques to apply specific amounts of heat onto chemically coated sheets of paper. ZINK's thermal printer is designed to move the media underneath thermal print-heads at a consistent speed while also applying the necessary amount of heat for the necessary amount of time. A ZINK thermal printer takes the paper and uses a particular heating process to develop each color (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) and, so, produce an image. [cite web | title=Computer World's Top 10 Cutting-Edge Technologies| url=http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleTOC&specialReportId=9000382&articleId=297646 | accessdaymonth = October | accessyear=2007]
Partner Products
ZINK Imaging is the technology inventor and manufacturer of ZINK Paper. ZINK is building a network of innovative global companies to bring ZINK-enabled products to market under their brand name. ZINK Imaging's partner network leverages the ZINK brand to communicate that their products and customer experience are enabled by ZINK technology.
PoGo Printer
ZINK partnered with Polaroid to bring the first ZINK-enabled device, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, to market. [cite web | title=ZINK Imaging and Polaroid Corporation Announce Partnership | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS105660+07-Jan-2008+BW20080107 | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008] The Polaroid PoGo hit store shelves on July 6, 2008. cite web | title=ZINK's Partner Product Page | url=http://www.zink.com/partner-products | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008] The Polaroid PoGo uses integrated
bluetooth to connect to a mobile device and print pictures. A built in mini USB port allows any camera withPictBridge support to print to the device. cite web | title=Polaroid PoGo - How It Works | url=http://polaroid.com/pogo/gb/how.html | accessdaymonth = August | accessyear=2008]Manufacturing
ZINK™ Technology was designed to be manufactured using existing photographic manufacturing processes and facilities. Manufacturing is a critical element to the ZINK Technology. In fact, many of the fundamental innovations on which ZINK is based stem from the manufacturing development team.
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