Canon is known today for its printers, copiers, and cameras. It began in 1930 as a small company called Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, to produce cameras.
The company’s first camera was called the “Kwanon.” Its first ad campaign associated it with the I-Class submarine and the 92-Type airplane, both of which the Japanese government was promoting as proof of Japan’s technical superiority. Eventually, the company decided to change the company’s product name from “Kwanon” to “Canon,” which meant “precision” in Latin.
In 1945, part of the company’s manufacturing facilities were destroyed in Allied bombings—and the company ceased operations briefly after the end of the war. When Allied forces occupied the country, however, the company president noticed that they were interested in Japanese cameras. He decided there was plenty of opportunity for the company to succeed, and he decided to reopen the company and invite back its former workers.
Canon began with cameras and eventually expanded into personal copying machines, color copy machines, and then inkjet and laser printers. One of Canon’s important printer innovations was the bubble-jet printer. According to company legend, a technician accidentally touched the tip of a hot solder gun to a needle filled with ink. The heat caused the ink to spray out of the needle. This led to the development of the first bubble-jet printers in 1981. Canon also played an integral role in developing laser printer technology and liquid crystal displays.
Canon is a groundbreaking company, responsible for driving innovation in camera and printer technology throughout the 20th century. With its long history of invention and its reputation in the market, chances are it will continue to be influential in the 21st.
About the author
P.Warrior is MD of the online retailer http://www.inkandmedialtd.co.uk For more info on Canon ink cartridges visit http://www.inkandmedialtd.co.uk/acatalog/Canon.html
