Photocopier facts for kids
A photocopier (also called a copier or copy machine) is a special machine. It makes copies of documents, like papers with words or pictures on them. It's super useful in offices, schools, and libraries. Imagine needing many copies of a drawing or a school project – a photocopier does it fast!
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How a Photocopier Works
Photocopiers use a clever process called xerography. This word comes from Greek words meaning "dry writing." It's a dry process because it doesn't use liquid ink like a printer.
The Xerography Process
Here's a simple way to understand how a photocopier makes a copy:
- Charging the Drum: Inside the copier is a special drum. This drum gets an electric charge.
- Light and Image: Bright light shines on the original document. The white parts of the paper reflect light onto the drum. The dark parts (like text or pictures) absorb the light.
- Creating the Image: Where light hits the drum, the electric charge disappears. Where it's dark (the image), the charge stays. This creates an invisible electrical image of your document on the drum.
- Applying Toner: Tiny, black powder called toner is attracted to the charged parts of the drum. This makes the invisible image visible with toner.
- Transferring to Paper: A new piece of paper rolls past the drum. The toner image is then transferred from the drum onto the paper.
- Fusing the Toner: The paper with the toner goes through hot rollers. The heat melts the toner, making it stick permanently to the paper. Now you have your copy!
Who Invented the Photocopier?
The photocopier was invented by an American named Chester Carlson. He was a physicist and inventor. Carlson worked in an office and found it very slow to make copies by hand. He wanted a faster way.
The First Copy
Chester Carlson made the very first xerographic copy in 1938. He used a zinc plate covered with sulfur. He wrote "10-22-38 Astoria" on a glass slide. Then he pressed the slide against the sulfur-covered plate. He then sprinkled powder on it. The powder stuck to the letters, and he transferred it to wax paper. This was the start of modern copying!
Bringing it to the World
It took many years for Carlson's invention to become a real product. He tried to get companies interested, but it was hard. Finally, in 1944, a non-profit organization called the Battelle Memorial Institute helped him. They worked to improve his process.
The Rise of Xerox
In 1947, a small company called Haloid Company became interested. They saw the potential of Carlson's invention. Haloid licensed the technology from Battelle.
The First Commercial Copier
The Haloid Company released the first commercial photocopier in 1949. It was called the Haloid Xerox Copier. The name "Xerox" came from the Greek words for "dry writing." This machine was big and needed a lot of manual steps.
Making Copies Easy
The big breakthrough came in 1959 with the Xerox 914. This was the first fully automatic photocopier. You just put your original in, pressed a button, and copies came out! It was a huge success and changed how offices worked forever. The Haloid Company later changed its name to Xerox Corporation.
How Copiers Have Changed
Early copiers only made black and white copies. They were also very large.
Digital Copiers
Today, most copiers are digital copiers. They work more like a scanner and a laser printer combined. They scan the original document first, turning it into a digital image. Then, they print that digital image using the xerography process. This allows for many new features.
Multifunction Devices
Modern copiers are often part of a multifunction device (MFD). These machines can do many things:
- Copying: Making duplicates of documents.
- Printing: Printing documents sent from a computer.
- Scanning: Turning paper documents into digital files.
- Faxing: Sending documents over phone lines (less common now).
These MFDs save space and money because one machine does the job of many. They can also connect to networks, allowing many people to use them.
Why Photocopiers Are Important
Photocopiers have made a big impact on how we work and learn.
- Efficiency: They make it fast and easy to share information.
- Education: Schools use them to make handouts, worksheets, and tests.
- Business: Offices rely on them for reports, contracts, and presentations.
- Libraries: People can copy pages from books or articles.
Even with computers and digital documents, photocopiers are still a very important tool in many places around the world.
Images for kids
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DADF or Duplex Automatic Document feeder - Canon IR6000
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