DeskJet

DeskJet. The DeskJet is a pioneering series of inkjet printers first introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 1988, marking a significant shift in affordable, high-quality personal printing. These devices utilized thermal drop-on-demand technology to produce text and graphics on plain paper, directly competing with dot matrix printers and early laser printers. The line's success established HP as a dominant force in the consumer and small office printing market, evolving through decades to incorporate advanced features like network connectivity and all-in-one functionality.

History

The original HP DeskJet printer was launched in March 1988, emerging from HP's research into thermal inkjet technology which had previously been used in the ThinkJet printer. This release came during a period of intense competition in the personal computer peripheral market, where companies like Canon Inc. and Epson were advancing their own printing systems. A key development arrived in 1994 with the DeskJet 500C, one of the first widely affordable color inkjet printers for the Windows and MS-DOS platform, significantly expanding the product's appeal. Subsequent decades saw the brand diversify under leaders like Carly Fiorina, with the DeskJet name eventually being succeeded by series like the HP Envy and HP Smart Tank in the 2010s, though its foundational technology remains integral to HP's printing division.

Technology and operation

Core DeskJet operation is based on HP's thermal inkjet, or TIJ, technology, where tiny resistors rapidly heat ink to create a vapor bubble that propels a droplet through a nozzle onto the paper. This drop-on-demand system contrasts with the continuous stream technology used by early competitors like IBM or the piezoelectric method later employed by Epson. The printers typically used a two-cartridge system—one for black ink and a tri-color CMYK cartridge—though later high-end models employed individual ink tanks. Key to its performance was the development of specialized HP Ink formulations and printhead designs, which worked in concert with printer driver software from Microsoft and Apple Inc. to optimize output quality and speed.

Product lines and models

The DeskJet series proliferated into numerous sub-series targeting specific market segments. The budget-oriented "DeskJet 300" and "500" series were ubiquitous in homes and schools, while the "DeskJet 900" and later "DeskJet 1000" series offered enhanced speed. The business-focused "DeskJet 1600" series introduced higher-volume printing, and the "DeskJet 6000" series catered to large-format needs. A major evolution was the "DeskJet F" series, such as the F4200, which integrated scanner and copier functions, competing directly with PIXMA and Expression all-in-ones. Specialized models like the "DeskJet 450" were marketed as mobile printers, compatible with devices from Palm, Inc. and early Windows Mobile platforms.

Market impact and reception

The DeskJet series is widely credited with democratizing high-quality personal and small office printing, directly challenging the noisy dot matrix printer and the expensive HP LaserJet. Its affordability and improving output quality fueled the desktop publishing revolution alongside software from Adobe Systems and Quark, Inc., and it became a standard bundle with PC clones from companies like Compaq and Dell. The brand received numerous awards from publications like PC Magazine and CNET, and its manufacturing scale at HP facilities worldwide made it one of the best-selling printer lines in history. However, it also drew criticism and legal scrutiny over the long-term cost of printer ink and issues of planned obsolescence, topics investigated by organizations like the Consumer Reports.

Comparison with other printing technologies

Compared to contemporary dot matrix printers from Epson and IBM, the DeskJet offered significantly quieter operation and superior print quality, especially for graphics, though initially at a higher per-page cost and slower speed for text. Against laser printers like the HP LaserJet or models from Brother Industries, inkjet models like the DeskJet maintained an advantage in color printing cost and quality for photographs, while lasers excelled at fast, low-cost monochrome text. Later competition emerged from solid ink printers from Tektronix and Xerox, and from sublimation printers from Kodak and Dye-sub, each with distinct trade-offs in media compatibility, durability, and consumable costs. The rise of multifunction printers from Canon and Samsung further blurred traditional technology boundaries.

Category:Inkjet printers Category:Hewlett-Packard printers Category:Computer peripherals introduced in 1988