Disappearing ink appealed to every kid who really wanted to be a spy or a prankster. Some of them have grown up to work in offices and those people will have more adult reasons to appreciate the printer/copier Toshiba is touting as the first that lets users print and erase images and text, then re-use the paper.
It’s a combination of a multifunction printer/copier and the RD30 device that uses heat to erase the text and images.
Toshiba says the printer paper can then be re-used up to five times. The erasable toner is blue, to let the user know it’s erasable, and before erasing the ink the document can be scanned to the company network or to a USB stick.
The copier can erase 30 documents per minute and sort damaged paper to stop it being re-used. The printer was first released in Japan this month and the New Zealand launch date is March 18.
Toshiba expects it will cost $7,000 locally and has already been bought sight unseen by some businesses. It is pushing the offering for companies with high volume printing, such as educational organisations, law firms, the finance sector and government.