*NEWS*XEROX EXPANDING COLOR PALETTE

[Anonymous]

Xerox Expanding Color Palette
May 
2007Scientists at Xerox Corporation have solved a problem that brings
new meaning to highlight color. Since the introduction of the first
highlight color printer in 1991, scientists have explored ways to
expand the color palette available in the “highlight” part of the
printers.

Even a kindergartner knows that when you mix red and
green you get brown. In fact, when you mix the primary colors, the
palette is almost endless. But not for highlight color printers. That’s
because of the composition of the colored mixing ingredients, according
to the scientists. But recently they have found a way to expand the
palette so they can blend a rainbow of custom colors. These colors are
available on the Xerox DocuTech 128, 155 and 180 Highlight Color
Systems.The image in a xerographic print is made from toner — a
plastic resin with colorants and other ingredients — that has
precisely controlled properties such as electrical charge and melting
characteristics. Toner, with particles so small that it takes about 50
to make the period at the end of this sentence, is available in primary
colors like red, green, blue, black, cyan, magenta and yellow.To make a
xerographic print or copy, an electrostatic charge “paints” an image,
toner is attracted to it, and then the image is transferred to paper
and fused onto it. Each particle of a pure primary color like red has
the same properties, so the toner spreads evenly on the image. However,
the properties of different primary colors could vary slightly. That’s
what has made it complicated to blend colors.For instance, copper is
used to make green pigment that makes toner green. Its physical,
chemical and electrical properties are different from those of barium,
which is the basis for the red pigment in red toner, according to John
Ianni, supplies product delivery manager for the highlight color
program. In the past, these differences have made it difficult to mix
the two uniformly to make brown, and image quality defects associated
with separation of toners could result.Now Xerox scientists have
discovered a way to “passivate” the properties in different pigments in
order to mix them. While the technology is being applied first with
conventional toner in the DocuTech Highlight Color Systems, Ianni said,
it is planned for other toner technology in additional Xerox
products.The custom-blended colors are being rolled out in phases on
the DocuTech Highlight Color Systems. When the final phase is reached
later this year, eight colors- red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow,
black and clear – will be available for mixing.With them, Xerox will be
able to match more than 1,000 individual colors – 88 percent of all the
standard colors commonly specified to print providers. The variety will
allow Xerox to match colors in corporate logos and in other situations
where colors are rigidly specified and controlled.Xerox scientists and
engineers conduct work in color science, computing, digital imaging,
work practices, electromechanical systems, novel materials and other
disciplines connected to Xerox’s expertise in printing and document
management. The company was named the Product Development &
Management Association’s Outstanding Corporate Innovator in 2006, and
it received the 2003 IEEE Corporate Innovation Recognition award for
the DocuTech product line.

[Author]

May 15, 2007 at 1:52 PM