Robert Howard, the genius behind the dot matrix printer and the direct imaging press, among many other technologies, celebrated his 90th birthday recently. Chairman Bob, as he is called, was surrounded by his wife Kit, family and friends during a festive evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Howard founded Presstek around 1989 and introduced the first DI press in 1991. Heidelberg was a major distribution channel for the unique press.

“I saw the development of the Presstek from before it was a prototype until it became a real product. Today, thousands of printers around the world make money with DI technology. That happened because Bob Howard had a vision of the future of print,” said Frank Romano, RIT Professor Emeritus.

Howard’s autobiography is a fascinating story of a Brooklyn kid who leveraged new technologies to create 27 public companies. The book is available on amazon.com: “Connecting the Dots: My Life and Inventions, From X-rays to Death Rays” by Robert Howard (2009).