Researchers Share Xerox's Work in Color Printing Systems, Materials Development, Semiconductor Fabrication and More SAN DIEGO--Oct. 2, 2002-- The demands of the printing industry in the 21st century are driving dramatic new innovations in print engines, materials development, front-end software and document services - and Xerox Corporation clearly plays a lead role in building this "new business of printing," Rafik Loutfy, director of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, told attendees at the 18th annual International Congress on Digital Printing Technologies. In his keynote here today on the future of digital color printing, Loutfy highlighted some Xerox technical innovations that will help the printing industry align itself with today's fast-paced, customer-centric business model and meet the increased demands of tomorrow's businesses. For example, he noted Xerox's breakthrough work in such areas as wireless printing and document viewing, toner development, color image quality and color control, and "variable-data document" creation that allows for ever-greater and easier levels of document personalization. "About a decade ago, color was a differentiator for businesses; however, as we continue into the new century, it is a requirement," Loutfy said. "Facilitating the transition from monochrome to color, while meeting the market demand for higher quality, requires new, innovative technologies -- a new generation of printing." At the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, for example, scientists have developed new color toner technology, called EA toner, that makes toner particles smaller and more precisely shaped, producing sharper, more uniform images and lower-cost color printing. XRCC is Xerox's primary materials research center. Loutfy's keynote was one of a dozen presentations made by Xerox scientists from around the world at the conference this week. Among the other Xerox technologies discussed at the forum were the development of semiconductor fabrication using jet-printing technology, better creation of color and halftone images, digital printing in industrial applications, particle science applications, and intelligent paper-handling in a digital print system. Sponsored by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T), the international conference is one of the premier forums for researchers and leaders to discuss trends and advances in digital printing and related technologies. More information on the conference is at http://www.imaging.org/conferences/nip18/. Xerox Corporation, one of the world's top technology innovators, operates research centers in the United States, Canada and Europe that conduct work in color science, computing, digital imaging, work practices, novel materials, and other disciplines related to Xerox's expertise in printing and document management.