Gary Starkweather
Xerox engineer who invented the laser printer
- Lived
- 81 yrs
- 1938 – 2019
- Works listed
- 1
- Printer
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2012
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Gary Starkweather was an American engineer who invented the laser printer at Xerox in 1969–71 by using a laser to draw images onto a copier drum. It made high-quality printing possible for offices and later homes. He died in 2019.
Biography
Background
Starkweather studied physics at Michigan State University and optics at the University of Rochester and joined Xerox in 1964.
The laser printer
At Xerox’s Webster, New York, lab in 1969 he modified a copier to use a laser beam controlled by a computer. Managers were sceptical, so he transferred to Xerox PARC, where the first laser printer, SLOT, worked in 1971.
Xerox 9700
Xerox launched the 9700 laser printer in 1977, and laser printing became a huge business for Xerox, HP and others.
Apple and Microsoft
He worked at Apple on colour-management technology and at Microsoft Research on displays. He received an Academy technical award for film scanning and died in 2019.
Timeline
-
1938
Born in Lansing, Michigan, United States
-
1964
Joins Xerox
-
1969
First laser printing experiments
-
1971
SLOT laser printer at PARC
-
1977
Xerox 9700
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1988
Joins Apple
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1997
Joins Microsoft Research
-
2019
Dies
-
2019
Died, aged 81
Notable works
-
1971
Scanned Laser Output Terminal (SLOT) Printer
Awards and honours
-
National Inventors Hall of Fame
2012
Did you know?
-
1
His managers told him his idea would not work.
-
2
The laser printer became one of Xerox’s most profitable products.
-
3
He won an Academy technical award for colour film scanning.
Connections
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Frequently asked
Who is Gary Starkweather?
Gary Starkweather was an American engineer who invented the laser printer at Xerox in 1969–71 by using a laser to draw images onto a copier drum. It made high-quality printing possible for offices and later homes. He died in 2019.
When did Gary Starkweather die?
Gary Starkweather died on 26 December 2019 at the age of 81.
Where is Gary Starkweather from?
Gary Starkweather was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States.
What is Gary Starkweather known for?
Gary Starkweather is best known for Inventing the laser printer (1969–71); colour management at Apple.
What awards has Gary Starkweather received?
Notable honours include National Inventors Hall of Fame (2012).
References
- Gary Starkweather — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Gary Starkweather — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Gary Starkweather (Q552080) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Gary Starkweather”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Gary Starkweather.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/gary-starkweather
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