Printer that doesn't use ink or toner?

Has any company made a revolutionary printer that doesn't use ink or toner?Printer that doesn't use ink or toner?
There are (or were anyway) printers that use ';thermal transfer';. They used to sell them, but they have really dropped from popularity, primarly because they suck.





Many register reciepts still use thermal transfer. For starters you need special, expensive, paper, which is very flimsy. Secondly, if the paper is subsequently exposed to any heat, like say you set your coffee cup down on it, or leave it in sunlight, it turns brown.





Alps makes some printers that use ';dye suplimation'; (sp?), which uses a slightly different kind of ink than most ink jets, but still uses ink.Printer that doesn't use ink or toner?
Yes, they are called ZINK (pronounced zinc) printers, and Polaroid is the latest company to be selling one as a photo printer. It prints pretty good full color pictures but they have to be printed on special paper.


Also, thermal printers which print with heat were very common in the past in fax machines. Braile printers also print without ink by making bumps on paper.


Also dye sublimation technically doesn't use ink or toner, but dye, in a very interesting process, to print on paper and plastic.





The problem is, nothing looks as good or is as economical to use as ink or toner on paper, so it will stick around for quite a while.
Yes, but you can't see what it printed. How can it print without. there are faxes which use a ribbon, but these cost about 5 times the price of cartridge inks per copy.
no but that's a good one Jonathan.