A Greener Printer

A few months back a group of engineers came up with the idea of using pencils and crayons in printers rather than using ink cartridges. The Pencil Printer, as it was then touted, was an invention supposed to cut down on the costs and environmental damage of the high usage levels of ink and reduce the need for paper as the prints could be corrected easily with a simple eraser.

The same people that originally championed the idea have been busy at work and have polished the concept since it’s last public appearance on February of last year and came up with the current model. Being developed alongside designers, the decide looks very stylish and thematic; it certainly beats almost any personal or professional printer on the looks department. As mentioned before, the Pencil Printer also manages to save on both ink and paper (although it will certainly put a dent on your pencil collection.) Like the video demonstrates, the print is put on the paper using only regular slate pencil so it can be easily corrected and modified with a regular run-of-the-mill eraser.

The question of actual usability, though, still remains open. As far as it goes, the printer serves as a wonderful gadget and perhaps a very functional tool for your personal projects but seems to be ill-fitted to handle the requirements of professional work. While this solution does not and will not change the way we use printers in our every day lives (and will certainly not be adopted for those who want to start printing and selling tickets) it’s certainly a step in the right direction and foretells the road towards a greener style of working.