New 'rewritable paper' could hang ink printing out to dry, Chinese scientists say

A team of scientists from Jilin University has developed a "water-jet" printer that they say may make ink printing a thing of the past.

The secret lies in the paper, which is coated with invisible dyes that react with water. Words and images of a slightly lower quality than ink-jet or laser printing appear as the jet of liquid touches the paper.

The research was published in the scientific journal

"The days of rewriteable paper are coming - printers of the future will use water-jet paper," the research paper said.

The cost of water-jet printing was about 1 per cent of traditional methods as a single sheet of paper could be used about 50 times, according to the lead researcher, Sean Zhang Xiaoan.

The paper would probably be more expensive than normal, but without the need for ink cartridges the process would be cheaper, Zhang said.