Gocco
Encyclopedia
is a self-contained compact color printing system invented in 1977 by Noboru Hayama. Gocco became immensely popular in Japan and it is estimated that one-third of Japanese households own a Print Gocco system.
Using flash bulbs
similar to those found in old cameras, an original image is thermally imprinted on a master screen.
The name "print gocco" is derived from the Japanese
word , loosely translated as make-believe play. Riso Kagaku president Noboru Hayama explained, "We [as kids] learned rules and knowledge through make-believe play. The spirit of play is an important cultural asset. I thought that I wanted to leave "play" in the product's name."
In December 2005, Gocco’s parent company, Riso Kagaku Corporation
, announced it would end production of the Gocco system due to low sales in Japan. An Internet campaign was started to find a new home for the product.
As of June 2007, Riso Kagaku Corporation had resumed production of several lines of Print Gocco units and they were available in Japan and through limited import retail stores in the United States.
On May 30, 2008, the Riso Kagaku Corporation
announced that it will stop shipping Gocco printers in June 2008. They blamed the sharp decline in demand for their printers on the increase in use of home computers and printers. They will continue producing supplies for the printers until further notice. Information provided by the Japan Corporate News Network.
"PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Use only as directed. Wash hands after use."
The chemical referred to is not explicitly called out and no additional information is provided on the unit. However, Proposition 65 warnings usually denote the presence of lead
in a product. More recent flash bulbs packets do not feature this warning.
Using flash bulbs
Flash (photography)
A flash is a device used in photography producing a flash of artificial light at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light...
similar to those found in old cameras, an original image is thermally imprinted on a master screen.
The name "print gocco" is derived from the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
word , loosely translated as make-believe play. Riso Kagaku president Noboru Hayama explained, "We [as kids] learned rules and knowledge through make-believe play. The spirit of play is an important cultural asset. I thought that I wanted to leave "play" in the product's name."
In December 2005, Gocco’s parent company, Riso Kagaku Corporation
Riso Kagaku Corporation
Riso Kagaku Corporation is the inventor, manufacturer, and distributor of the RISO Printer-Duplicator, a.k.a. Risograph.Established in Tokyo, Japan, Riso Kagaku is now a billion dollar company distributing product in over 150 countries. The Company is listed over the counter in Japan...
, announced it would end production of the Gocco system due to low sales in Japan. An Internet campaign was started to find a new home for the product.
As of June 2007, Riso Kagaku Corporation had resumed production of several lines of Print Gocco units and they were available in Japan and through limited import retail stores in the United States.
On May 30, 2008, the Riso Kagaku Corporation
Riso Kagaku Corporation
Riso Kagaku Corporation is the inventor, manufacturer, and distributor of the RISO Printer-Duplicator, a.k.a. Risograph.Established in Tokyo, Japan, Riso Kagaku is now a billion dollar company distributing product in over 150 countries. The Company is listed over the counter in Japan...
announced that it will stop shipping Gocco printers in June 2008. They blamed the sharp decline in demand for their printers on the increase in use of home computers and printers. They will continue producing supplies for the printers until further notice. Information provided by the Japan Corporate News Network.
Possible lead content
Some early "Print Gocco Lamp" flash bulbs were sold with a sticker reading:"PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Use only as directed. Wash hands after use."
The chemical referred to is not explicitly called out and no additional information is provided on the unit. However, Proposition 65 warnings usually denote the presence of lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
in a product. More recent flash bulbs packets do not feature this warning.