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History of Photocopiers Timeline

(1938–Present)

This timeline traces the development of photocopiers from early copying experiments and xerography to modern digital office systems. Less

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Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Origins and invention

Chester Carlson is born

1906

Chester Carlson, who would later invent photocopying, was born in 1906.

Carlson becomes a patent attorney

1930 - 1939

Before developing photocopying, Chester Carlson worked as a patent attorney and pursued research and invention part time.

Image source: Chester Carlson

Carlson becomes a patent attorney

Carlson begins kitchen experiments

1930 - 1939

Carlson used his kitchen as a laboratory for experiments with a process he called electrophotography.

Carlson applies for an electrophotography patent

1938

In 1938, Carlson applied for a patent covering his electrophotography process, an important foundation of modern xerography.

Battelle Memorial Institute supports Carlson

1944

Battelle, a nonprofit research organization, became Carlson's development partner and helped move his invention toward practical use.

Battelle begins refining electrophotography

1944

In 1944, the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, contracted with Carlson to refine his electrophotographic process.

Image source: Battelle Memorial Institute

Battelle begins refining electrophotography

The process is renamed xerography

1948

After consulting a classical-language professor at Ohio State University, Haloid and Carlson renamed the process xerography, from Greek roots meaning dry writing.

Image source: Xerography

The process is renamed xerography

Commercial development

General Electric rejects Carlson's process

1939 - 1944

General Electric also rejected Carlson's proposal between 1939 and 1944, reflecting the industry's early skepticism about photocopiers.

Carlson faces early commercial rejection

1939 - 1944

Between 1939 and 1944, more than 20 companies rejected Carlson's proposal, including IBM and General Electric, because they did not believe there was a significant market for copiers.

IBM rejects Carlson's copying process

1939 - 1944

IBM was among the companies that declined to develop Carlson's process during the period when the commercial market for office copying remained uncertain.

Haloid seeks a copying-machine license

1947

In 1947, Haloid Corporation approached Battelle to obtain a license to develop and market a copying machine based on Carlson's technology.

Image source: Xerox

Haloid seeks a copying-machine license

Haloid enters the copying market

1947

Haloid, a manufacturer of photographic paper, became the first major company to pursue commercial development of Carlson's process.

Xerox becomes a trademark

1948

The term Xerox was trademarked in 1948 as Haloid prepared to commercialize machines using xerography.

Xerox Machines receive their name

1948

Haloid called the new copier machines Xerox Machines, establishing the brand name that would become closely associated with photocopying.

The first xerographic copier is introduced

1949

Xerox Corporation introduced the Model A in 1949, identified as the first xerographic copier.

Xerox Model A reaches offices

1949

The Model A brought Carlson's dry-copying method into the office market and established Xerox as a major copier manufacturer.

Xerox overtakes IBM in office copying

1949

Xerox's commercial success in office copying saw it outcompete IBM, despite IBM's leadership in computing.

Pre-xerographic supplies remain expensive

1969

A major obstacle for pre-xerographic systems was the high cost of supplies. In 1969, a Verifax print required supplies costing 15 cents.

Xerographic copies become cheaper

1969

By 1969, a Xerox print could be produced for about three cents including paper and labor, far below the cost of a Verifax print.

Image source: Photocopier

Xerographic copies become cheaper

Technology and applications

Colored toner becomes available

1940 - 1949

Colored toner became available during the 1940s, expanding the possibilities of copier output beyond conventional black-and-white copies.

Kodak Verifax is based on a patent

1947

Kodak's Verifax system was based on a 1947 patent and represented an important pre-xerographic copying technology.

Verifax photo-direct copies are used

1947

Before xerographic copiers became widespread, photo-direct copying machines such as Kodak's Verifax were used.

Liquid-developer photocopying is developed

1952

Ken Metcalfe and Bob Wright of the Defence Standards Laboratory in Adelaide developed photocopying using liquid developer in 1952.

Liquid-developer photocopying is used

1967

Photocopying with liquid developer was in use by 1967, demonstrating an alternative to the more familiar dry electrostatic process.

Full-color copying becomes commercially available

1968

Full-color copiers were not commercially available until 1968, when 3M released the Color-in-Color copier.

3M releases the Color-in-Color copier

1968

3M's Color-in-Color copier, released in 1968, used dye sublimation rather than conventional electrostatic technology.

Xerox introduces the 6500 color copier

1973

Xerox introduced the 6500 in 1973 as the company's first electrostatic color copier.

Cultural and modern use

Photocopying becomes known as xeroxing

1950 - 1959

As Xerox became dominant in North America, photocopying became popularly known as xeroxing.

Paul Orfalea founds Kinko's

1970

Paul Orfalea founded the Kinko's retail chain in Isla Vista, California, in 1970.

Copy machines support punk and DIY culture

1970 - 1999

During the 1970s through the 1990s, copy machines played a notable role in punk, street art, and do-it-yourself movements.

FedEx purchases Kinko's

2004

FedEx purchased the Kinko's chain in 2004, bringing the retail copying business into the FedEx organization.

Image source: FedEx

FedEx purchases Kinko's

Kinko's services become FedEx Office

2008

In 2008, Kinko's services were incorporated into the name FedEx Office.

Photocopiers remain widely used

2015

Although digital document creation, storage, and distribution led to predictions that photocopiers would become obsolete, photocopiers continued to be widely used as of 2015.

Digital documents challenge photocopiers

2015

The increasing use of digital documents and reduced reliance on distributing physical paper created long-term pressure on the traditional photocopier market.

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Key Facts

  1. Chester Carlson invented xerography, the dry-copying process behind modern photocopiers, in 1938.
  2. Carlson produced the first successful xerographic image on October 22, 1938, in Astoria, Queens.
  3. The Haloid Company introduced the first commercial plain-paper photocopier, the Xerox 914, in 1959.
  4. The Xerox 914 made rapid, high-quality document duplication practical for businesses and helped popularize the name Xerox.
  5. Modern photocopiers commonly combine copying, printing, scanning, and faxing in digital multifunction devices.

Source

This History of Photocopiers timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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