Just another WordPress.com weblog

What is a printer?

In computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces a hard copy (permanent readable text and/or graphics) of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies.

Types of printers:

Laser printers

A computer printer that uses a laser beam to produce an image on a rotating drum before transferring it to the paper.

Advantages of laser printers:

1)     High resolution

2)     High print speed

Disadvantages of laser printers:

1)     More expensive than inkjet printers

2)     Except for high end machines, laser printers are less capable of printing vivid colors and high quality images such as photos.

3)     Warm up time needed

Impact (Dot-matrix) printers

Creates characters by striking pins against an ink ribbon. Each pin makes a dot, and combinations of dots form characters and illustrations.

Advantages of dot matrix printer:

1)     Can print on multi-part forms or carbon copies

2)     Low printing cost per page

3)     Reliable, durable

Disadvantages of dot matrix printer:

1)       Noisy

2)       Limited print quality

3)       Low printing speed

4)       Limited color printing

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers are non-impact printers which print text and images by spraying tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper.  They are the most popular printers for home use.

Advantages of inkjet printers:

1)     Low cost

2)     High quality of output, capable of printing fine and smooth details

3)     Capable of printing in vivid color, good for printing pictures

4)     Easy to use

Disadvantages of inkjet printers:

1)       Expensive replacement ink cartridges

2)       Not good for high volume printing

3)       Printing speed is not as fast as laser printers

Plotters

A device that draws pictures on paper based on commands from a computer. Plotters differ from printers in that they draw lines using a pen. As a result, they can produce continuous lines, whereas printers can only simulate lines by printing a closely spaced series of dots.

Advantage of plotters:

It can print out anything big

Disadvantage of plotters:

It’s really big so it can take up a lot of space

Printer Characteristics (What you would consider when buying a printer)

Quality of Print – How good is the output quality of text that the printer prints.

Speed – How fast does the printer print. Generally there are different qualities of print. Keep in mind the printer will print slower if set to the highest quality.

Ink / Ribbon – What type of ink and or ribbon does the printer use? How much will it cost to replace? Can it be purchased locally or does it need to ordered from the printer company?

Paper – Does the printer require special paper? How is the printer paper loaded?

Useful Websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_(computing)

http://www.cleverace.com/Printer_types.htm

http://inkjets.4reviews.net/inkjet_printers.htm

http://inkjets.4reviews.net/laser_printers.htm

http://inkjets.4reviews.net/less_popular_printers.htm

http://www.opendrivers.com/resources/c74d97b01eae257e44aa9d5bade97baf.html