During an experiment at Canon in the mid-1970s, a soldering iron came into contact with the needle of a syringe filled with ink, causing ink to suddenly spurt out. Canon's unique Bubble Jet printing technology was born out of that unexpected incident, and the company's first Bubble Jet printer was commercialized in 1985. Ongoing R&D has led to further advancements, making possible the outstanding image quality, high print speeds and exceptional usability realized by Canon inkjet printers today.