In the 1970s, a Canon engineer accidentally touched a hot soldering iron to an ink-filled pen—and watched a drop of ink shoot out cleanly onto paper. That moment sparked the idea for thermal inkjet printing, using heat to fire tiny droplets of ink through nozzles. Canon’s Bubble Jet printer was born.

Meanwhile, Epson developed a version using piezoelectric crystals to push ink with precision. By the 1980s, inkjet printers were faster, quieter, and could print in vibrant color—perfect for homes, offices, and eventually, even 3D printing.