How often has it happened to you that you need to print something, but your printer says it is out of ink? The startup company Inkless, founded by Venkatesh Chandrasekar and Arnaud van der Veen, has developed a worldwide patented technology which allows you to print in black-white without the use of ink cartridges, toners or other consumables.

A lot of energy is required for the production of cartridges and ink. This production produces waste and results in harmful emissions. Less than 30% of all the cartridges are recycled. The rest ends up in the garbage dump where it takes more than 450 years before a toner cartridge is completely decomposed.

Inkless printing carbonises the paper where the letters or pictures should go. This technique is already possible, but normally, when you try this with thin material such as paper, you burn through it quickly. The print would also not be permanent. To solve these problems, Inkless has developed a technique that has better control over the carbonisation, makes the print ‘black enough’ and makes sure the print is permanent.

There are inkless printing techniques already in existence, like for receipts in stores, but they are bad for the environment and the quality leaves to be desired. The company claims to have the same quality as conventional printing techniques, both in resolution and speed.

The technology is both suitable for the use at home or at the office in printers, as well as for industrial use. Printing can be done on paper, labels and packaging surfaces. There are no additional costs after purchasing the printer, as you do not need to buy new cartridges. In addition, inkless printing makes sure that you never run out of ink at inopportune times.

Inkless is a spin-off of the Delft University of Technology and part of the incubator YES!Delft (NL).

Photos courtesy of Inkless