Editing Xerox (section)

===Digital printing===
The laser printer was invented in 1969 by Xerox researcher [[Gary Starkweather]] by modifying a Xerox 7000 copier.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gladwell |first=Malcolm |date=2011-05-09 |title=Creation Myth |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/16/creation-myth |access-date=2024-07-24 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> Xerox management was afraid the product version of Starkweather's invention, which became the 9700, would negatively impact their copier business so the innovation sat in limbo until IBM launched the [[IBM 3800|3800]] laser printer in 1976.
[[File:Xerox 1200.jpg|thumb|Xerox 1200 Computer Printing System]]

The first commercial non-impact printer was the [[Xerox 1200]], introduced in 1973,<ref>{{cite web|last=Vullo|first=Christina|title=Flashback Friday: The Xerox 1200 Computer Printing System|url=http://digitalprinting.blogs.xerox.com/2012/09/flashback-friday-the-xerox-1200-computer-printing-system/#.UnOevlPRe3Q|work=Xerox Blogs|date=September 28, 2012|access-date=November 1, 2013|archive-date=November 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105014630/http://digitalprinting.blogs.xerox.com/2012/09/flashback-friday-the-xerox-1200-computer-printing-system/#.UnOevlPRe3Q|url-status=live}}</ref> based on the 3600 copier. It had an optical character generator designed by optical engineer Phil Chen.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Jason |title=Printer Manuals: Xerox |url=https://archive.org/details/printer-manuals-xerox?tab=about |website=Internet Archive |access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref> It was used in [[mainframe computer]] environments for large-volume printing for business applications.<ref name="cw-1984"/>

In 1977, after IBM had produced the first laser printer, the [[Xerox 9700]] was introduced. It was also used in mainframe environments and could handle even larger amounts of paper and printing.<ref name="cw-1984">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVhEPmU8Z6IC&dq=Xerox+1200+to+9700+printer+conversion&pg=PA53 | title=Supplier boosts output with electronic printer | newspaper=Computerworld | date=November 26, 1984 | page=53}}</ref> Laser printing eventually became a multibillion-dollar business{{when|date=May 2021}} for Xerox.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DigiBarn Printers: The Story of the Xerox 9700 Electronic Printing System |url=https://www.digibarn.com/collections/printers/xerox-9700/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.digibarn.com}}</ref>

In the late 1970s, Xerox introduced the Xerox 350 color slide machine. This product allowed the customer to create digital word and graphic 35-millimetre slides. Many of the concepts used in today's photo editing programs were pioneered with this technology.

In 1980, Xerox announced the 5700 laser printer, a much smaller version of their 9700, but with touch-screen capabilities and multiple media input (word processing disks, IBM magcards, etc.) and printer 'finishing' options. This product was allegedly never intended to make the commercial markets due to its development cost, but rather to show the innovation of Xerox. It took off with many customers, but was soon replaced with the smaller and lower cost [[Xerox 2700]] Distributed Electronic Printer offering in 1982.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://simson.net/ref/Xerox/1987.Xerox.FactBook.odd.pdf |title=Xerox 1987 Fact Book |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009163322/https://simson.net/page/Main_Page |archive-date=October 9, 2020 }}</ref>