The ubiquitous printer hardly elicits exhilaration among tech enthusiasts or even design aficionados. Thankfully, enterprising industrial designers have time and time again come up with some stunning printer concepts, that stand apart from the rest of the clique.
Seen often as just a utilitarian object, the printer really needs a dynamic reinvention and the printer concepts listed below communicates both the purpose and presence of the device.
Pencil Printer by Hoyoung Lee
Believing firmly in the mantra of ‘Go Green’, the Pencil Printer recycles the led of a pencil and converts it into ink.
Stick POP Printer by Jihun Kang, Youngho Lee, Jieun Lee & Changsu Lee
Be it any gadget, portability and style is always appreciated. The Stick POP Printer connects to any USB port and is meant to print out sheets in small numbers. Perfect for the frazzled fashionista, don’t you think?
The Scan Toaster by Sung Bae Chang
This one takes the food route, as regular paper is so passe. Via this compact printer, one can print stuff on a piece of toast and then munch away with much gusto.
Hello Little Printer by Berg
This uber-cute printer lets you print out your own mini-newspaper with content from feeds collected from your subscriptions online.
The Tanning Printer by Hosung Jung, Junsang Kim, Seungin Lee
You thought only Jennifer Anniston can flaunt a sexy tan? Well, think again, as in the future even your printer can moonlight as a tanning bed. Don’t believe us? Well, then check out the solar-powered printer concept, which uses the process of sun-tanning the paper.
See What You Print by Artefact
Printers don’t always have to be a necessary evil and the SWYP reiterates this. The SWYP’s touchscreen interface lets one edit the image or document to be printed and initiates printing only when the user is happy with the final result.
Instant Cartridge Printer by Yuexun Chen and Chia-Chen Hsiao
Seeking inspiration from disposable cameras from the Days of Yore, this concept printer is eco-friendly and compact.
RITI Coffee Printer by Jeon Hwan Ju
Coffee addicts, rejoice. Now, you have another reason not to switch to green tea, as the RITI Coffee Printer converts used coffee grounds into ink.
The Hanging Printer by Jin Hee Kim, Hyung Il Kim, and Woo Seok Park
Have space issues? Then, the Hanging Printer is perfect for you, since the print head and paper feed sit on the desk’s surface to save space and also make a style statement.
Wireless Wall-Mounted Printer by Ransmeier & Floyd
Epitomizing form and function, this concept printer can be mounted on the wall or placed on the desk with a kickstand.
Samsung Circular Printer
This concept printer doesn’t adhere to the popular square route and experiments with shape and style.
Wax-on Concept Wax Printer by Faris Elmasu
We cannot help wax eloquent (pardon the pun) about this concept printer. The eco-friendly printer seeks to cut down plastic waste, as it uses wax cartridges that are soluble.
The Eco Printer by Sharsha Lee
Another printer that is eco-friendly and it also wins brownie points for its cool design. The Eco Printer uses a special ink that can be erased by exposing it to the UV light from the printer. Thus, this ensures less wastage of paper, making the printed paper reusable.
Roller Paper Printer by Jin Woo Han
Yes, we realize that it bares a striking resemblance to a roll of toilet paper, but that is where the similarity ends. The idea here is to have a printer with a built in cutter to reduce the wastage of paper.
REENK by Hyo Sun Ahn & Min Koung So
The hackneyed ballpoint pen just got cooler. This particular printer uses the last remaining drops of ballpoint ink to get its color fix.
