Types of Printers

 Types of Computer Printers

A printer is a hardware output device that provides information in printed form on paper. It is used to generate hard copy and print any documents. A document may be in the form of a text file, image, or chart. It accepts input commands on a computer, or another device by users to print the documents. It is connected to a computer or laptop with a USB cable.

Types of printers

• Laser Printers
• Solid Ink Printers
• LED Printers
• Inkjet Printers
• Multi-function printers
• Dot Matrix Printers
• 3D Printers

Laser Printers

The laser printer was developed by Xerox in the 1960s when the idea of ​​using a laser to draw images on a copier drum was considered. The laser printer uses a laser beam to create an image on the drum. The light of the laser spreads on the drum then is transferred to the toner paper by a combination of heat and pressure.

Laser printers are sometimes referred to as page or page printers because the entire page is transmitted to the drum before the toner is applied. The main feature of laser printers is their resolution in dots per inch. The end of the available resolution ranges from 300 dpi to 1200 dpi at the lower end.

In addition to text, laser printers are very good at printing graphics, so to print high-resolution graphics you need a significant amount of memory in the printer. To print a full-page graphic at 300 dpi, a minimum of 1 MB (megabytes) of the printer, RAM is required. A 600 dpi graphic requires a minimum of 4 MB of RAM.

Laser printer speed can vary widely, and depends on many factors, including the graphic intensity of the job being processed. The fastest models can print over 200 monochrome pages per minute (12,000 pages per hour). The fastest color laser printers can print over 100 pages per minute (6000 pages per hour).

Laser printers are widely used in large offices as they are more efficient than inkjet printers. Their printing speed is good. The capacity to hold the paper in the paper tray is high. The use of high voltage leads to low carbon emissions.

Laser printers have a higher paper capacity and they are cheaper than inkjet printers. They have the ability to print documents at a higher speed. 

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers use solid wax inks that are melted into a liquid before using. Solid ink is a technology used in computer printers and multifunction devices. Ink or jet printers print characters from a nozzle or jet by spraying ink on paper. It prints nozzles with very fine holes, from which specially made ink is pumped out to create various letters and shapes. The ink comes out of the nozzle in the form of vapors. After passing through the reflected plate, they form letters, shapes in the desired place.

LED Printers

LED printers are similar to laser printers. It uses the drum, ink, and fuser system to print the black or colored documents. It uses light-emitting diodes instead of lasers to create images on print drums or strips. Due to their low mobile parts, LED printers are often considered more efficient and reliable than laser printers. Its printing cost is less than laser printers.

The LED printers always use a strip of LEDs to create an ink attracting static charge on the printing drum, while laser printers use a laser and mirror. LED printers are not more popular as compared to inkjet and laser printers, but they are cheaper than laser printers.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet Printers are making extensive use of inkjet technology to meet the needs of offices. They spray the ink using magnetic plates on the paper and print characters. They store the ink in cartridges and use separate cartridges to print several types of color documents.

These printers are designed to rely heavily on printed output. Inkjet printers are popular because of their reliability and durability. They have the ability to create high-quality pictures with the help of vivid colors. They are fast and easy to use, so they are used by home and business users. The cost of printing is higher than laser printers. Low-cost inkjet printers are perfect for business and home users working on a budget.

There are two types of Inkjet printing technology.

Thermal inkjet technology

A series of tiny chambers each containing a heater instructed by the digital command to eject a droplet of ink from each chamber. They use standard ink cartridge systems and do not require any bottles of inks or solvent.

Thermal inkjet printers use a drop ejection process, storing ink in a cartridge that regulates the pressure of the fluid. Inks are then delivered to the firing chamber and heated by an electric resistor. While error-free coding will maximize uptime and reduce wastage.

Piezoelectric technology (Piezo)

This technology was developed by Epson and is used in most of the inkjet printer range. Some printer manufacturers also use the most common technology for commercial and industrial machines in the market. Piezoelectric consists of an ink-filled chamber behind each nozzle instead of a heating element. 

There are several advantages to the piezo method. The process allows more control over the shape and size of ink droplet release. The tiny fluctuations in the crystal allow for smaller droplet sizes and hence higher nozzle density. Also, unlike thermal technology, the ink does not have to be heated and cooled between each cycle. This saves time, and the ink itself is tailored more for its absorption properties than its ability to withstand high temperatures.

Multifunction Printers

Multifunction printers are known as all-in-one printers. They are usually capable of printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. These printers are used to perform multiple tasks in the office or home. It is suitable for business and home users that they want to reduce costs, consolidate assets, and improve workflow.

The multifunction printers can save initial cost, as instead of purchasing many printers and fax machines, users can purchase only one large MFG for multipurpose. These types of printers are beneficial for home and office because a multifunction printer takes limited space and can perform multi-task such as printing, faxing, and scanning.

Dot Matrix Printers

The dot-matrix printers are also known as pin printers. They are the oldest printers, but they are still available in the market. They strike an ink ribbon using print heads that place thousands of little dots to form images and text. The dot-matrix printers usually have 24 pins.

The dot matrix printers are less expensive as compared to most of the printers, and they are easily available in the market. They have the ability to print carbon copies of a particular print out, unlike non-impact printers. Their printing and maintenance cost is lowest than the other printers.

The printing speeds of the dot matrix printers are slow and create high noise are their disadvantages.

3D Printers

3D printers are one of the most exciting events in the history of printing technology. 3D printers are more affordable for print business and home users. Modern 3D printers are capable of creating 3D objects by using quality resin.

There are many applications where 3D printers are used, such as archaeology, aerospace engineering, information systems, dentistry, and biotechnology.

3D printers allow users to print objects in 3D and they have the ability of full customization. They print documents with better quality, and easy to access