The Rise of Printing In recent years, more and more imaging has shifting from copying to printing. Fax machines are a good example of this, in that when an image might previously have been copied and mailed, now it is scanned, transmitted, and printed by a fax machine.
Some new copiers are digital, further blurring the distinction between printing and copying.
Today, these are most common among low-speed devices, but more and more of the higher speed machines people use will have several functions. On the other hand, people may be less likely to take or make a printed copy if they know it is easy to get one later on. Improvements in electronic data management will likely mean eventual reductions in the amount of copy paper we use, but how much and when is unclear. InkJet printers, because of the way they work, work best on thicker paper than is needed for laser printers. These challenges can be overcome, but only with deliberate attention.