Printer
Maker and role
Sinclair Research Limited, Manufacturer
Production date
1981
Object detail
Accession number
1996.9.1
Production period
Description
Printer - Sinclair ZX Printer, made in the UK. Made of black and clear plastic casing. A roll of sensitive paper sits on a feeder spool, paper is coloured silver. A multi-pin plug is attached by a short black cable to the printer. The model number and name has been embossed in red at the base of the printer.
Brief History
The Sinclair ZX Printer, produced by Sinclair Research for its ZX81 home computer, was launched in 1981 and was also compatible with other Spectrum models. Spectrum computers manufactured by Sinclair Research, particularly the ZX Spectrum, launched in 1982, were highly successful in the British home computer market in the early 1980s.
The design of the ZX Printer was heavily influenced by similar devices available at the time in the United States. It was never intended for word processing purposes, instead being aimed at users who wanted to obtain program listings for reference purposes.
The ZX Printer used special 4-inch (100 mm) wide black paper which was supplied coated with a thin layer of aluminium. To mark the paper, one of the printer's two styluses passed a current through a small area of the aluminium layer, causing the aluminium to evaporate and reveal the black under-surface.
The machine itself was not very robust. The electrostatic paper itself was also problematic in use. The aluminium surface is very delicate and skin oils rapidly degraded it, making it very easy to leave fingerprints all over a pristine printout. The print also fades over time.
The design of the ZX Printer was heavily influenced by similar devices available at the time in the United States. It was never intended for word processing purposes, instead being aimed at users who wanted to obtain program listings for reference purposes.
The ZX Printer used special 4-inch (100 mm) wide black paper which was supplied coated with a thin layer of aluminium. To mark the paper, one of the printer's two styluses passed a current through a small area of the aluminium layer, causing the aluminium to evaporate and reveal the black under-surface.
The machine itself was not very robust. The electrostatic paper itself was also problematic in use. The aluminium surface is very delicate and skin oils rapidly degraded it, making it very easy to leave fingerprints all over a pristine printout. The print also fades over time.
Marks
Sinclair ZX Printer Embossed
Sinclair ZX Printer Patent Pending Made in UK Embossed
Sinclair ZX Printer Patent Pending Made in UK Embossed
Media/Materials
Credit Line
Sinclair Research Limited. 1981. Printer, 1996.9.1. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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