Haloid

Haloid refers to a historical American company whose name later became Xerox. The Haloid Company was founded in 1906 in Rochester, New York, and initially produced photographic papers and supplies. In the 1930s, the firm employed Chester Carlson, who developed the xerographic process, a dry electrophotographic copying method. Haloid acquired the rights to Carlson’s technology and began pursuing its commercial development.

In the late 1950s, Haloid established a subsidiary, Haloid Xerox, to market xerography in the United States. To reflect the centrality of the xerographic business, the parent company renamed itself Haloid Xerox in 1960, and in 1961 the company adopted the name Xerox Corporation, under which it would become widely known.

The refrigeration of Xerox’s early success came with the Xerox 914, introduced in 1959, the first widely sold plain-paper copier. The product demonstration, sales model, and practical performance helped xerography become a dominant office technology and laid the foundation for Xerox’s growth in imaging, printing, and related services.

Beyond its role in copying technology, Haloid/Xerox played a significant part in the broader history of business machines and office automation. The name Haloid today survives primarily as a historical note within the broader Xerox corporate lineage. See also xerography and Chester Carlson for related topics.