Historical Development - Photocopier

A patent attorney in New York by the name of Chester Carlson, which he called it a ‘electrophotography’, invented the first coping machine in 1937. Getting annoyed by the difficulty and expense of copying documents led him to experiment with transferring images from one piece of paper to another using static electricity. Carlson established the basic principles of electrophotography, filing his first preliminary patent application on October 18, 1937. His patent process was later renamed ‘Xerography’, with the first photocopy which was the “10-22-38 Astoria”. During the 20^th century, the Xerography copying process became one of the most well known inventions.

However It took Carlson almost 10years to make his Xerography a popular inventions. After finding a company to help with its development, The Harold Company took up the challenge and later became the Xerox Corporation.It took a further 22 years after the first electrophotography was invented to make the first office photocopiers known as the Xerox 914, in 1958 is where the first ever-commercial push button plain paper photocopier was introduced and sold in thousands.

Development of Photocopier - Timeline

1937	Chester Carlson created first coping machine
1947	Xerography (photocopier) finally became popular
1958	First commercial push button photocopier
1959	Colour toners for office photocopiers
1968	Colour photocopiers for households – 3M company
2000’s	Multi-functional photocopiers (scanners, laser printers and Faxes)

Photocopiers contribution towards Promoting Wellbeing

The photocopier has made a major contribution towards promoting individual and family wellbeing, both physically and economically. Before the photocopier was invented, people would generally have to copy papers by hand, this would have had an effect on their physical wellbeing as sitting down and hand coping papers all day is not a easy or healthy thing to be doing. Economically, as the photocopier kept developing and so has technology, which has made it more affordable to purchase the photocopier.  Individuals and families can now afford to buy a photocopier, which can help them in maintaining their physical wellbeing, and since they are not so expensive anymore it is also means no major affect to their economical wellbeing.

Impact

Politically – PolicySome common hazards associated with photocopier operation may include noise, heat, light, ultraviolet light, odour, ozone and toner.Photocopying equipment should be installed in an adequately ventilated area to facilitate safe removal of any dusts, gases or vapours.The employer must obtain the material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for any chemical used by a photocopier or other piece of machinery, including toner and glass cleaners, and make these available to you.

Economically –
The cost of photocopiers isn’t that much expensive now in the 21^st century. However the cost may affect families financially but not significantly, for a standard photocopier for a household can be as cheap as $60. Families who are from a low or single-family income may find it a little hard to purchase this photocopier but still find the money to purchase it as it is useful for the entire family. Furthermore, buying a photocopier for the workplace maybe a bit more expensive then a standard one for households however since the photocopiers for an office is much bigger and can handle more work then it is a priceless machine that businesses can invest in.
Socially –Parents being able to afford a photocopier means that their children are able to work on school projects or even for themselves to be able to do some work while still being a home with the rest of the family. This makes a good family relationship as they can all work together at home rather then being alone in a library or being stuck at work.