Clara, the receptionist, printed a grocery list. It came back with a single word added at the top: "Quit." She quit the next day. She said the printer had "bad energy."

The customer was a small law firm—three attorneys, one paralegal, and a receptionist named Clara who spoke to the office plants. They had bought the 178nw to replace a crusty old monochrome tank. "We need color for exhibits," the senior partner had said. "Nothing fancy."

Arjun laughed. "That's impossible. A printer is a dumb pipe. Garbage in, garbage out."

Arjun unboxed it. Set it on the IKEA lack table they’d designated as the "tech hub." Plugged it in. The little machine whirred to life, its LCD screen glowing a soft, almost organic blue.