A printer is an output device that is connected to the outside world. Hard copies are another term for printed matter. They’re used to make permanent paper output devices. Even though the world has moved totally soft world, there are times when you need something to grasp in your hands. That is to say, printers are still required in offices, households, and schools.
They are more permanent than the VDU output type.
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Different Types of Printers
There are many different types of printers on the market, ranging from tiny and simple to complex and advanced. Printers are classified into many groups. These are the details:
Dot-matrix printers, Daisy-wheel printers, and line printers are examples of high-impact printers.
Non-impact printers include inkjet printers and laser printers.
Dot-Matrix Printers
Dot-matrix printers are the earliest of the existing computer printers, using a pin or wire print head to press an ink ribbon onto a piece of paper. Print heads with 9 to 24 pins are used in dot-matrix printers. These pins create dot patterns on the paper to shape the individual characters. Dot-matrix printers, which are far less prevalent nowadays, are often quite durable and reliable.
The 24-pin dot-matrix printer produces more dots than the 9-pin dot-matrix printer. That resulted in significantly superior quality and crisper characters. They’re better suited to scenarios in which a large volume of printing is necessary. But quality isn’t critical. They’ve also been shown to last in harsher business conditions when other printers might fail. The user can print in color using a dot-matrix printer.
Dot-matrix printers are low-cost. They print at speeds ranging from 100 to 600 frames per second. The main rule is that the more pins on the page, the clearer the lettering. As the printing gear goes in both directions along the whole print line, the pins hit the ribbon separately.
Daisy wheel printers
The Daisy wheel printers were the first impact printers. Daisy wheel printers featured prominently but have since become obsolete. They have poor print quality. They move slowly and loudly. Typewriter quality can be achieved with a daisy-wheel impact printer. A hammer smashes the character against an ink-coated ribbon and paper as the wheel is revolved until the correct character confronts the paper
The daisy wheel is attached to a carriage that writes lines of characters.
Line Printers
An impact printer is a line printer. Line printers, also known as line-at-a-time printers. They are devices that can print one entire line at a time. despite the fact that high-speed laser printers have largely supplanted them. They are capable of printing between 1,200 and 6,000 lines per minute. They’re inexpensive. They can be printed on multi-part forms. A bar printer is another name for a line printer. Line printers print the entire page. Despite the fact that line printers’ basic printing technology dates back to the 1930s, they are still suitable for high-speed printing.
One of the benefits of line printers is their speed. They’re especially well-suited to industrial settings and factory floors, where temperature extremes, dust, and other elements could quickly destroy traditional printers. There are also drawbacks to consider. They are unable to print graphics. The print quality is generally poor.
Pros
Cons
Inkjet Printer
An inkjet printer is a computer accessory that sprays ink onto paper to create a hard copy. They were cheap. They use liquid ink that’s pretty easy to replace. A standard inkjet printer can generate copies with at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). They can print high-quality color prints or monochrome prints quickly. Inkjet printers are a great alternative. If you only print once in a while or don’t need high-quality prints.
The print head of an inkjet printer comprises numerous small injectors, often known as pistons. However, the nozzles spray ink onto the paper as it passes through the print head, producing the characters and images. The ink is ejected from the nozzle as fumes. It forms the intended letter or shape at the desired location after going through a reflecting plate.
Laser Printers
A laser printer is a common form of computer printer that uses a non-impact (keys do not strike the paper) printing method. As the name implies, laser printers employ a laser beam to create heat. a toner material that adheres to the paper.
Light, photosensitive drums, or photoreceptor belts are used in the majority of laser printers. The image is drawn onto a rotating drum or photo-receptor plate. It has a source of light generated by the laser shaft.
On average, laser printers print at a faster rate and with greater print quality than inkjet printers. While laser printers are less common at home and more common in offices, their costs have decreased in recent years, making them comparable to inkjet printers.
The laser color printer would most likely be used by individuals who only print photographs on occasion. Even though the most economical models are more expensive than budget inkjet machines, many people who frequently print feel their advantages are worth the extra cost. With a laser printer, lines are scanned line by line. Monochrome, strong ink, single-color, and four-color are the four laser printer subtypes offered.
Black and white lasers, which provide content in black font, are the most commonly used writing methods.
Pros of non-impact Printers
Cons of Non-Impact Printers
Drum Printers
Drum printers are enormous. It uses spherical drums with engraved characters in bands on their surface. The drum spins at a high rate. A print hammer is put behind the paper for each conceivable print position. As the ink ribbon passes along the drum, the hammers strike the paper.
The number of print positions on the drum equals the number of print locations on the paper. Each line requires one drum revolution to press. The number of print places usually ranges from 80 to 132.
Drum printer rates typically range from 300 to 2000 lines per minute.
LED Printers
The most similar printers are laser printers and LED printers. LED printers, while not as well-known as laser and inkjet printers. To apply colored or black toner to paper, a drum, toner, and fuser combination are employed. They were created by OKI in 1989. Toner-attracting static charges on the printing drum are created by using a strip of LEDs.
LED printers are steadily gaining popularity due to their specific advantages. Positively charged powdered printer toner is then sprayed over the drum, which LEDs have created a repulsive force. The sheet of paper is fed between two heated rollers. That fuse the toner to the printed page.
They create a static charge in a different way.
Conclusion
Printing out materials has a number of advantages, one of which is convenience.
It is simple to mark it up or write comments on it. Impact printers (those that physically strike the print medium) and non-impact printers are the two types of printers available. Dot-matrix printers have a number of pins on the print head that emerge to form a character, and most impact printers are dot-matrix printers. Small, image-heavy documents, such as images and school projects, are best suited for inkjet printers.
Yet, the laser printer, on the other hand, is the most efficient and cost-effective option if you need to print large quantities of text-based documents.
