Introduction to Topical Issue on Non-Impact Printing Technologies

In this paper, we present an overview of the technologies of importance in computer output printing, providing a background for the succeeding papers in this issue. IBM workers have played a key role in the evolution of computer printers from a few marginally reliable complex mechanisms to an industry which today counts annual sales of over ten billion dollars worldwide. Thus, in this necessarily brief description of the different technologies we mention those in which the IBM role was particularly noteworthy, with specific mention of machines which brought the technologies to the marketplace.