The birth of Sharp copiers

Testament to Sharp’s spirit of challengeSharp’s very first copier

SharpfaxSF-201

Sharp’s very first copier, the SF-201,
certified as a Copying Machine Heritage

Sharp’s very first copier, the Sharpfax SF-201, was released in 1972 and was recently certified as a Copying Machine Heritage by the Imaging Society of Japan. A wet-process copier using the indirect electrostatic charge method, the SF-201 enjoyed a reputation for offering low cost and ease of use.

Using Sharp’s proprietary drive system, the SF-201 was small, relatively inexpensive, and had a copy speed of 10 ppm, the fastest in its price class. It also offered improved usability with the control buttons, status lamp, and page counter all on the front of the machine. It made work processes dramatically more efficient for customers such as small-and-medium-size companies, retail stores, and schools.

These benefits were praised for contributing to the widespread use of copiers and earned the SF-201 certification as a Copying Machine Heritage.

Copying Machine Heritage #14
Sharp Sharpfax SF-201
Classification
Copier main unit
Year of manufacture
1972
Certification reason
A wet-process copier using the electrofax method that offers good performance and ease of use in the low-price range
Location
Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture (BS Meeting Room, Nara Site, Sharp Corporation)

The Copying Machine Heritage certificate

  • At the Copying Machine Heritage certificate award ceremony

  • Giving a presentation on the SF-201

About the Copying Machine Heritage

The Imaging Society of Japan (ISJ)* started the Copying Machine Heritage program in 2018 to cite the technological and societal achievements of the first copiers that propelled Japan’s copier industry, and to ensure that technologies on historically significant copiers are remembered by future generations. The ISJ certifies as Copying Machine Heritage those products that have made significant contributions to copying technologies and engineering.

* Imaging Society of Japan (president Masahiko Fujii; office in Nakano-ku, Tokyo)
The ISJ is an organization of engineers and researchers who strive for progress and growth of imaging technology through exchange of information concerning the basics of imaging and its applications. The ISJ provides various opportunities to study and exchange information in the field of imaging science and its relevant technologies. For more information, visit the ISJ website.

Development of the SF-201

Aiming to be a comprehensive electronics manufacturer

Sharp began development into copiers in 1969. Although at that time Sharp’s industrial equipment R&D department had been enjoying booming business in calculators, more and more Sharp office equipment retailers said they couldn’t be competitive selling only calculators amidst the advancing automation of offices and that they needed to be selling copiers as well.

Sharp therefore launched development of copiers to make its office equipment business a pillar of the company. In 1970, the company name was changed from Hayakawa Electric Industry Co., Ltd. to Sharp Corporation as it took steps to become a comprehensive electronics manufacturer.

  • Celebrating the 1 million calculator production milestone

  • Replacing the outdoor signage of the head office

  • The Sharp Nara factory at the time

The birth of Sharp’s very first copier

A brochure of the time

In 1969, Sharp gathered six employees of its industrial equipment R&D department, who in 1970 embarked on development of copiers.

Most of them were engineers with little experience, but they were fully willing to take on the challenge and embodied Sharp’s corporate culture of strong motivation to create new technologies. They forged ahead with product development, deepening their understanding of electrophotography through self-study using information gathered from academic societies and other sources.

The SF-201 hit the market on January 6, 1972.

SF-201 features

Copy speed of 10 ppm (A4-size paper), the fastest in its price class at the time

The SF-201 was a wet-process copier using the electrofax method, an electrophotography method that uses photoconductivity of a semiconductor. The SF-201 using the electrofax method was lauded for freeing users from the worries typical of the commonly used diazo copiers of the time, such as an ammonia odor, discoloration, or color mixing. Plain paper copiers were still not in common use, and wet-process copiers went on to enjoy widespread use as office machines for their simplicity, compact size, and affordable price.

Besides reducing cost with a drive method using a spring latch mechanism for the drive of the document glass, the SF-201 used a cotton roller for the drying roller. These and other proprietary developments earned this copier accolades for its copy speed of 10 ppm (A4-size paper), the fastest in its price class at the time.

In the four years after it was released, it spawned 10 more models in the series, testament to this product’s high quality.

SF-201 cross section

Innovations boost ease of use

Consolidated controls

What set the SF-201 apart was the numerous features that made it easy to use. Consolidating all the controls in one place made operation a snap. Other features included an automatic paper feed cassette. A lamp flashed when paper ran out, and a countdown lamp displayed the number of copies remaining starting at 20.

From the first to the current generation

As with the SF-201, Sharp has continued to incorporate user-friendly innovations and proprietary low-cost technologies into its subsequent copiers.

Sharp has always pursued ease of use and proprietary technologies while equipping its copiers with numerous industry-first and world-first technologies. We make products that satisfy customer needs.

  • The birth of Sharp copiers
    1972–

    See more

    1972  SF-201

    Sharp’s very first copier

  • 1974  SF-710

    • Sharp’s first plain-paper copier
    • IC control

  • Going for industry firsts
    1980–

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    1981  SF-750

    • World’s smallest and lightest copier (at the time)
    • Won the top share in the U.S. market

  • Shift from copiers to MFPs
    1990–

    See more

    1992  SF-2022

    20th anniversary model

  • High performance yet environmentally friendly
    2000–

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    2005  MX-2700

    • Balancing function and eco-friendliness
    • The foundation of today’s MFPs

  • Responding to diversifying office needs
    2010–

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    2010  MX-2610

    Large 10.1-inch colour LCD touchscreen for intuitive operation

  • Helping people work smarter
    2020–

    See more

    2022  BP-70C45 series

    The culmination of 50 years of Sharp document technologies

Today’s products

Still your business partner—always your business partnerStill your business partner—always your business partner

Reference

  • Sharpfax SF-201 brochure (January 1972)
  • Sharp Flash News 47-1-10 (January 1972)
  • Sharp Technical Journal Vol. 11, No. 1, 17th issue (May 1972)
    “Sharpfax SF-201 electronic copier”
  • Sharp Technical Journal 97th issue (May 2008)
    “My Life in Copiers”
    “The Dawn of Sharp’s Copier Development”
  • Sharp 100th Anniversary—A Century of Sincerity and Creativity (June 2012)