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)
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.
The birth of Sharp’s very first copier
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.
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.
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The birth of Sharp copiers
1972–1972 SF-201
Sharp’s very first copier
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1974 SF-710
- Sharp’s first plain-paper copier
- IC control
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Going for industry firsts
1980–1981 SF-750
- World’s smallest and lightest copier (at the time)
- Won the top share in the U.S. market
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Shift from copiers to MFPs
1990–1992 SF-2022
20th anniversary model
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High performance yet environmentally friendly
2000–2005 MX-2700
- Balancing function and eco-friendliness
- The foundation of today’s MFPs
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Responding to diversifying office needs
2010–2010 MX-2610
Large 10.1-inch colour LCD touchscreen for intuitive operation
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Helping people work smarter
2020–2022 BP-70C45 series
The culmination of 50 years of Sharp document technologies
Today’s products
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)