Gary Starkweather

Gary Keith Starkweather (January 9, 1938 – December 26, 2019)[1] was an American engineer and inventor most notable for the invention of the laser printer and color management.

Gary Starkweather
Gary Starkweather in his office at Microsoft Research in 2009
Born(1938-01-09)January 9, 1938
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
DiedDecember 26, 2019(2019-12-26) (aged 81)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Engineering career
DisciplineEngineering
InstitutionsXerox Webster Research Center
Practice nameXerox PARC
Employer(s)Xerox, Apple Computer, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Microsoft
ProjectsInvention of the laser printer and color management
AwardsDavid Richardson Medal

Starkweather received a B.S. in physics from Michigan State University in 1960 and an M.S. in optics from the University of Rochester in 1966. In 1969, Starkweather invented the laser printer at the Xerox Webster Research Center. He collaborated on the first fully functional laser printing system at Xerox PARC in 1971.[2][3][4]

At Apple Computer in the 1990s, Starkweather invented color management technology,[5] and led the development of Colorsync 1.0. In 1991 he was awarded the David Richardson Medal.[6] Starkweather joined Microsoft Research in 1997, where he worked on display technology.[7]

Starkweather also made major contributions to digital matte film techniques. He was a consultant on the digital effects team for the original Star Wars movie (1977). He won a technical Academy Award in 1994 for his pioneering work with Lucasfilm (and later, Pixar) in the field of color film scanning. [8]

In 2004, he was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering.[9] He retired in 2005. Starkweather died on December 26, 2019 at the age of 81.[10]

References
  1. Metz, Cade (2020-01-15). "Gary Starkweather, Inventor of the Laser Printer, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  2. Edwin D. Reilly (2003). Milestones in Computer Science and Information Technology. Greenwood Press. p. 152. ISBN 1-57356-521-0. starkweather laser-printer.
  3. Roy A. Allan (2001). A History of the Personal Computer: The People and the Technology. Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-9689108-0-7. starkweather laser-printer 1971 parc.
  4. Gladwell, Malcolm (May 16, 2011). "Creation Myth - Xerox PARC, Apple, and the truth about innovation". The New Yorker. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  5. Gary K. Starkweather, "Method and apparatus for calibrating and adjusting a color imaging system," U.S. Patent 5694227, Dec. 2, 1997
  6. "David Richardson Medal". OSA.org. The Optical Society. 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  7. O'Hanlon, Charlene (Nov 13, 2002). "Gary Starkweather - Laser Printer Inventor". IT Channel News by CRN. CRN. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  8. "UIST 2005 Keynote". Biography. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  9. "Mr. Gary K. Starkweather". National Academy of Engineering Membership Website. Archived from the original on 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  10. "Gary K. Starkweather". Inductees. National Inventors Hall of Fame. Retrieved 9 January 2020.


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