Ricoh Release Innovative Gel-Based Ink Cartridge

Printer brand Ricoh has released details of an innovative gel-based ink cartridge – marketed as an economical alternative to both laser and inkjet printing. The gel-based cartridges fitted in the Ricoh Aficio GX e5550N allegedly dry instantly on paper, enabling people to print with incredible speed. This is because the gel cartridge has a viscosity similar to wine, meaning it doesn't smudge – unlike traditional inkjet technology.

Additional features of the Aficio GX e5550N include plant-based plastic components and duplex printing as standard. These environmentally-minded features ought be expected from Ricoh: last year the ink cartridge brand unveiled the pioneering biomass toner. This toner is produced using surplus plant material, greatly reducing the petroleum component present in ink cartridges.

The gel printer is aimed at small office workgroups – who print both text documents and both images. Yet the previous iteration of Ricoh's GX series received a mixed reception: the GX 3000 failed to print at the advertised speeds, and the colour images lacked the clarity of a bottom-rung inkjet printer. The new model may eliminate these flaws though, and capitalise on Ricoh's unique technology.

By Peter Lavelle