Celebrating The 40th Anniversary Of Apple’s Laser Printer – Forbes

In 1983, I saw Canon’s first desktop-sized laser printer engine. Back then, the smallest laser printers were massive machines that took up a closet-sized room and cost upwards of $50,000, depending on the model and features.

Just one year before, in 1982, Steve Jobs had been shown this same Canon laser printer engine. By January 1985, Apple had integrated it into the LaserWriter, its first desktop laser printer.

In 1983, I contributed to a report on the future of printing at my company. I included a line that, looking at this smaller laser printer engine, I said, “I could see a day when we could publish laser-printed documents on our desks.” Little did I know at the time that simple statement was about to describe what would become desktop publishing.

The Apple LaserWriter, paired with the Macintosh and desktop publishing software (DTP) like Aldus PageMaker and Adobe’s PostScript software, made it possible for people to print professional-quality documents right from their desks. In 1985, the LaserWriter printer cost $6,995, the Mac $2,495, and the Aldus PageMaker $495. For under $10,000, companies could set up a complete desktop publishing solution.

On Jan 23, 1985, Apple officially introduced its desktop publishing bundle at MacWorld. This debut was a game-changer that put Apple on the map in a business world dominated mainly by IBM PCs and clones. The LaserWriter started shipping a few weeks later on Mar 1, 1985.

The Impact of Desktop Publishing

The introduction of desktop publishing revolutionized both personal computing and the publishing industry in the 1980s and beyond:

1. Market Growth: Desktop publishing drove phenomenal growth in the personal computer market in those early years, expanding from $300 million in 1976 to a projected $4 billion by 1990.
2. New User Base: DTP brought a new audience to personal computing—publishing professionals, expanding the market beyond traditional data processing customers.
3. Hardware Advancements: The demand for DTP capabilities led to rapid improvements in PC hardware, such as:
   • Larger color screens
   • Increased processing power and memory
   • Enhanced graphics capabilities
   • Better storage solutions, like SCSI interfaces and, eventually, CD-ROMs.
4. Software Innovation: Desktop publishing spurred the development of specialized software, creating new market segments, including:
5. Printer Technology: The LaserWriter set new standards in printing, offering 300 dpi resolution and significantly improving print quality over earlier technologies.
6. Cross-Platform Competition: Although the Macintosh initially dominated the DTP market, it triggered competition from IBM PCs and compatibles. This helped diversify the personal computing ecosystem and made it more competitive.
7. Industry Standards: DTP led to the adopting of important industry standards like PostScript, which transformed traditional publishing workflows and enhanced interoperability between different systems.
8. Market Expectations: DTP’s success conditioned users to expect the “next big thing,” fueling innovation in areas like desktop presentations and multimedia computing. In 1989, the advent of CD-ROMs further revolutionized computing by introducing multimedia experiences.

How Desktop Publishing Changed Apple

Desktop publishing had a profound impact on Apple, too. The Macintosh became more relevant to enterprise users, marketing departments, and dedicated publishing companies. Hollywood, in particular, embraced the Mac for designing posters, marketing materials, and promotional content for movies and TV shows.

When the Mac was introduced, the PC crowd shunned it. However, as desktop publishing gained momentum, the Mac transitioned from a niche product to a critical business tool. It helped Apple establish its position as a leader in creative industries and expanded its exposure to a broader, more professional audience.

Desktop publishing revolutionized the personal computer market, driving major hardware and software innovations. It expanded the user base and set new standards for what personal computers could achieve in both professional and home environments. Apple’s LaserWriter (discontinued in 1997) along with the Mac and DTP software, played a key role in this transformation, helping to shape the future of publishing, computing, and creative industries. The impact of this technology is still felt today, 40 years later.

Disclosure: Apple subscribes to Creative Strategies research reports along with many other high tech companies around the world.