Sharp Printers – True Innovation
This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Sharp entering the document business, or put another way, it’s the fiftieth birthday of the company that brought the world Sharp printers. From very modest beginnings, the company has developed into a globally recognised technology brand.
The company was established in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa. The founder’s invention of the Tokubijo snap buckle, a buckle that needed no fastening holes in a belt for size adjustment. A string of innovations followed the belt buckle, including the Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil. Initially, sales of the pencil were slow but when the name was changed to “Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil”, sales took off. The word “Sharp” in the pencil’s name became the subsequent name of the company.
In a fateful encounter at the shop of a relative which had just received two of the very first crystal radio sets from the United States, Tokuji was introduced to the radio. He promptly bought one of the two sets which he and his employees were able to replicate. The company began manufacturing and selling crystal radios at half the price of imported sets. These “Sharp” branded radios flew off the shelves and can be seen as the company’s first steps into electrical products.
The company’s list of firsts includes:
- The first company to mass produce microwave ovens
- The world’s first electronic desktop calculator using all-transistor diodes
- With the use of the North American Rockwell Corporation’s LSI chip, the first electronic calculator that could be held in the palm of one’s hand
- The first practical application of LCDs in a product brought to market
- The first picture-in-picture TV
- The world’s first 14-inch colour TFT LCD screen
The preceding list is by no means comprehensive but merely illustrative of a long history of innovation.
The Introduction of Sharp Printers
The company entered the office equipment market in 1972 with a wet-type electrostatic copier, the early forerunner of Sharp printers and other electronic office equipment. By the early 1980s, the company began offering a full range of electronic office equipment with products including copiers, computers, fax machines, and word processors. Since then, Sharp printers have continued to be the benchmark in office equipment and printer innovation.
The company’s machines, with their reputation for being robust while producing high-quality output make them the first choice for many office environments. In 2000, the company’s global copier production reached 10 million, making them only the second copier manufacturer in history to reach this milestone.
Where to Buy Sharp Printers
At Raydian, we offer a comprehensive range of Sharp printers and other office equipment for the most demanding office environments. Contact us today for anything related to office automation, printers, consumables, and multifunction devices.