After nearly five years in development, the revamped sticks have been designed to last longer than ever before. The non-toxic ink is resin-based, similar to a crayon, making it safe for anyone to handle.

Each stick can print up to 2,300 pages depending on the equipment used. The ink is also claimed to prevent the problem of paper curling that can occur with inkjet printing.  

“Xerox has redefined colour printing with the advancements made in solid ink,” says Jim Rise, vice-president and general manger of Xerox’s solid ink business unit.

“Solid ink was initially the preferred technology for graphic artists. Now we’ve taken it to a level where the products are affordable and easy to use for businesses.”

To serve growing demand for its solid inks and accompanying printers, Xerox opened an automated ink manufacturing plant, costing £11.7m ($24m), in December. The US-based factory is expected to boost the production of solid ink by up to 10 times.

In October, the firm also launched two new solid ink multifunctional printers, the Phaser 8860 and
Phaser 8860MPF, in the UK. Printing at speeds of 30 pages per minute, the machines are aimed at any firm producing between 1,000 and 10,000 sheets per month.

Xerox plans to continue introducing a steady stream of solid ink products, and is currently working on opportunities to roll out the brand across other segments of its product lines.

---

Specifications
• Description: solid ink sticks
• Colours: CMYK
• Capacity: sticks print up to 2,300 sheets
• Features: cartridge-free
• Price: black ink costs £144, colours cost £48
Contact: www.xerox.com