A printer is an output device connected with a computer system through cables that print characters and images on paper. The output of the printer is called a hard copy. Does this article contain comprehensive information about what is a printer? different types of printers, their functions, and major differences between them in tabular form.
Printers
A printer is an output device that prints characters, symbols, and graphics on paper. The written output is named text. Print resolution is usually measured in dots per in. (dpi).
Different kinds of printers are as follows:
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Impact Printer
An impact printer works sort of as a character-at-a-time printer. It prints characters or pictures by hanging a print hammer or wheel against Associate in an inked ribbon.
Types of Impact Printer
Dot Matrix Printer
A matrix printer is an impression printer. It produces written pictures once small pins on a print head strike Associate in an inked ribbon. Once the ribbon presses against the paper, it creates dots that type characters and graphics.
The print head on a matrix printer will contain 9 to twenty-four pins. This range of pins depends on the manufacturer and therefore the printer model. A better range of pins prints a lot of dots that turn out higher quality.
A cheaper matrix printer uses a hundred to a hundred and fifty DPI. Their speed is from two hundred to three hundred characters per minute. The pricey printers generally use three hundred DPI and a speed of three hundred to a thousand characters per minute.
Matrix printers generate a great deal of noise. They are doing not turning out an awfully top quality of the print, particularly once printing graphics.
Line Printer
A line printer could be a quick printer. It prints a whole line at a time. Its speed is measured in lines per minute (Lpm). Several line printers will print 3000 lines per minute.
Types of Line Printer
Band Printer
Band printer prints characters by hanging hammers on a rotating horizontal hand. A band contains the shapes of numbers, letters, and alternative characters.
Shuttle Dot Matrix Printer:
A shuttle matrix printer is comparable to a matrix printer. It prints characters and letters in several fonts and sizes.
Daisy Wheel Printer
Daisy wheel printer is comparable to a character-at-a-time printer. It uses a print wheel. Every floral leaf of a wheel contains the character.
A motor rotates the wheel. A hammer strikes a floral leaf against the ribbon once the required character reaches the position on the paper. This prints the character on the paper. Wheel printer is slower than matrix printer, however, higher in quality.
Non-Impact Printer
A non-impact printer prints characters and graphics on a bit of paper while not hanging the paper. A number of these printers use spray ink whereas others use heat and pressure to create pictures. A non-impact printer is quicker than an impact printer.
Inkjet Printer
An inkjet printer could be a style of non-impact printer. It prints characters and graphics by spraying small drops of liquid ink on paper. These printers will turn out quality text and graphics in each black and white and color. Inkjet printers are slower than optical maser printers. 
They will print one to six pages per minute. Its print quality is over the matrix printer. They’re conjointly comparatively cheap. Most inkjet printers have typically 2 print cartridges: one containing black ink and therefore the alternative containing color.
Laser Printer
The laser printer is a non-impact printer. The electrostatic printer creates an image on the paper by the laser beam. Optical laser stands for lightweight amplification by a stirred emission of radiation. Optical maser throws magnetic material powder on paper within the sort of microscopic dots. 
The density of those dots ranges from three hundred to 2000 Dots per inch(DPI). The printing speed of optical maser printers is from five to three hundred pages per minute (ppm). Another name of an optical laser printer is a printing machine.
They print a complete page at a time. Laser printers turn out terribly top-quality print. They’re quicker than inkjet and matrix printers. Color printing with optical maser printers is extremely pricey. Optical maser printers are largely utilized in the business field.
Thermal Printer
The thermal printer uses color waxes that produce photos of picture research laboratory quality. Some thermal printers print photos of 1 or 2 sizes solely. As an example, some thermal printers print photos of 3×5 inches. Some printers will print up to letter size, legal size photos, etc.
Many thermal printers have a built-in card slot. The printer will print digital photos directly from a media card. It means there’s no got to transfer the photographs from the media card to the pc to print them. Some thermal printers even have built-in LCD color screens. The user will read photos before printing them.
Portable Printer
A portable printer could be a little, lightweight weight and battery supercharged printer. It will be used by mobile users to print pictures from a personal computer, pill laptop, or personal organizer while traveling. Its size could be a bit wider than the page on that it prints.
The transportable printer fits in the case simply. The portable printer usually uses a matrix printer, thermal, wax-transfer technology. Several printers hook up with a parallel interface or USB port. Some transportable printers have a built-in wireless port to speak with a laptop wirelessly.
Label and Postage Printer
The label printer could be a little printer. It prints on Associate in Nursing adhesive sort material which will be placed on totally different things like envelopes, packages, CDs, toys, etc. several label printers conjointly print bar codes.
The postage printer is a special style of label printer. It’s an in-built digital scale. It prints postage stamps. It permits the users to shop for and print digital postage from their personal computers. Digital postage is additionally known as net postage.
Dot-Matrix Vs Laser Printer
| Dot-Matrix Printer |
Laser Printer |
| Dot-Matrix Printer is an impact printer |
The laser printer is a non-impact printer |
| It produces printed images when tiny pins on the print head strike an ink ribbon. |
It produces printed images by using a laser beam |
| Its speed is slower than a laser printer |
Its speed is faster than a dot-matrix printer |
| Printing quality is lower than a laser printer |
Printing quality is higher than dot matrix printer |
| It normally uses a continuous paper sheet |
It normally uses the individual paper sheet. |
| Its speed is measured in characters per second (cps) |
Its speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm) |
| It uses ink ribbon for printing |
It uses toner for printing |
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