Selection of Paper Printing

         Obviously, in order to correct redundancy, one word in this term must be removed. Unless the school refuses to teach students how to read and write on the podium, writing will inevitably always be an important part of human civilization.Selection of Paper Printing

         So it is easy to choose: printing must be retained, and press is the word that has to be removed. Is it possible that today’s heavy printing press made of steel is as outdated as the steam locomotive once loved by people? Yes, it may eventually disappear together with paper made of wood fiber in 100 years.Selection of Paper Printing

Selection of Paper Printing

         Making paper from wood pulp was a 19th century technology. Nowadays, considering the need to protect forests, people spend a lot of effort to find a plant material that can replace wood pulp to make paper. Selection of Paper Printing

         Developers are studying some fast-growing plants with high fiber, such as bamboo, hemp and Kenaf; Waste products of crops, such as the stems of grains, corn, bananas and sugarcane. But all these materials only replace wood pulp, but none of them can produce high-quality paper.Selection of Paper Printing

        On the other hand, synthetic paper made of man-made fiber improves some properties of the paper, such as toughness, tear resistance, water resistance and high opacity. At present, paper made of synthetic fiber is mostly used for banknotes and Tyvek tear resistant envelopes.Selection of Paper Printing

        Synthetic paper made of polyolefin fiber is porous and absorbs ink as easily as paper made of wood pulp. The paper made of polypropylene fiber has a porous layer, while the other layers have a non porous surface, so it can only be printed with solid and low solubility ink, such as hot wax ink.Selection of Paper Printing

       Non porous surfaces offer unique benefits. Because the ink cannot penetrate into the fiber, the ink on the paper can be wiped off and used for many times. Initially, reusable paper attracted computer users, who used it to print temporary pages, especially color pages. Selection of Paper Printing

        The properties of synthetic paper can be comparable to the best coated wood pulp paper. They can be made into non smooth or polished surfaces, tear and water resistant.Selection of Paper Printing

        Even though the cost of producing synthetic paper is 5-10 times that of wood pulp paper, synthetic paper is more economical and practical in general because of their durability and reusability.Selection of Paper Printing

             Some companies are using known technology to develop a printing press that can recycle materials. One rumor is to remove toner from paper. In the MIT Media Lab, Professor Joseph Jacobson has built a prototype of a desktop printer.Selection of Paper Printing

       which can erase and regenerate images on paper coated with a special layer of electronic ink. The paper can be erased and rewritten multiple times without using any consumable material, such as toner or chemical reagent.Selection of Paper Printing

         Recently, Professor Jacobson won some honors for announcing the birth of electronic ink. The ink consists of particles loaded into microcapsules, one side of which is white and the other side is black. Selection of Paper Printing

        “This incredible material can be coated on the surface of any material,” Professor Jacobson said. “Unlike ordinary ink, it can be imaged by electronic instruments.Selection of Paper Printing

         It can be changed, erased and re imaged at any time. Ink itself is a polymer material, very cheap, and does not need electricity to maintain the image.”Selection of Paper Printing

            A thin layer of electronic ink is coated on the surface of paper or synthetic paper, and a transparent layer containing microcircuit technology is used to turn the particles so that the black side is upward or the white side is upward. Selection of Paper Printing

            The radio transmitted data signal forms an image on the page. Electronic paper needs some small current to reposition the particles, but it does not need any current to maintain the image. Very cheap, very thin solar cells, such as those used in calculators, can provide all the energy needed for a page of electronic paper.Selection of Paper Printing

             Professor Jacobson nailed a piece of electronic paper to the wall of the media laboratory. The paper can be rolled up or bent, but it cannot be folded because folding will destroy microcircuits. Selection of Paper Printing

        Professor Jacobson believes that the wireless transmission of printed information to lightweight, portable readers will revolutionize books, magazines and newspapers. Selection of Paper Printing

              However, his perspective does not stay on printable products. His research and development team has begun to study the potential of color layer and electronic ink for flat panel displays of computers, as well as its application in high-resolution, panchromatic information boards, whiteboards, wallpapers and canvases.Selection of Paper Printing

          Professor Jacobson pointed out that LCD, led and plasma flat panel displays are very expensive and require a lot of electric energy. Selection of Paper Printing

         “Electronic ink makes it possible to combine publishing on traditional paper with the display of electronic information.” He said.Selection of Paper Printing

               In the printing industry, because there is no substitute for the convenience of printing on paper pages, printing will still exist for a long time, which is a wise saying. But although printing will exist, will it still be printed on paper?Selection of Paper Printing