A printer, a standard peripheral device, is now a common household electronic device. For printing out important documents, greeting cards, symbols, graphics, photographs, etc., printers have broad applications. The printer uses specific inks and specific methods to print the required text or photos on paper. In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the types and commonly known printers.
Types of Printers
Printers are of two types depending upon the printing process, impact printers and non-impact printers. Listed below is a brief description of both types.
1.Impact Printers
Impact printer creates an image or text by striking a metal or plastic head with pins on an inked ribbon against the page. However, striking pins creates a lot of noise-making impact printers too loud and noisy. They are relatively slow as well, as they print each text individually.
Some of the commonly used impact printers are:
Ø Dot Matrix Printer:
Dot-matrix uses a print head featuring a pin to move up and down or back and forth on the page to print text or images. The print head having pins strikes the ink-soaked ribbon against the paper. Dot-matrix can use fan-fold continuous paper with tractor holes in it. Some of the dot matrix printer advantages and disadvantages are:
Pros:
- Cheaper in cost.
- Can make carbon copies.
- Low printing cost.
- Printout fades gradually.
Cons:
- Dot-matrix printers are too noisy as they print by striking the pins.
- The printing process is too slow.
- Can generate lower-resolution graphics only
- Poor printing quality.
Ø Daisy Wheel Printer:
Daisy wheel printer features a metal or plastic disc. These metal or plastic discs have letters, numbers, and other symbols on them. The disc rotates until the desired alphabet aligned with the paper. Then a hammer strikes the disc to leave an impression of the letter/alphabet on the paper. It can print 10 to around 25 letters per second.
Pros:
- Low maintenance.
- Low printing cost.
- Can use heavy grade or fan-fold papers.
- Can generate carbon copies.
- Better printing quality than dot-matrix.
Cons:
- Lacks graphics printing abilities.
- Noisy again as it uses hammering to print texts.
- Slow printing can print 10 to 25 words per second only.
- Low-quality printing compared to non-impact printers.
2.Non Impact Printers:
Non-impact printer prints graphics and characters on the paper without contacting the page. Some non-impact printer sprays ink while some use heat and pressure to print the text on the page. They are less noisy and faster than a non-impact printer. They have better print quality and can print graphics and images conveniently.
Some commonly used non-impact printers are:
Ø Inkjet Printers:
Ink Jet printer’s print head has several tiny nozzles or jets. When the paper moves past the print head, the jets spray the ink onto it, forming characters or images. Inkjet printer usually has one black ink cartridge and one color cartridge. These printers are the most commonly used in homes and offices.
Pros:
- Inkjet printers are inexpensive.
- As it’s a non-impact printer, it has no noise.
- It can print graphics.
- Light in weight
- It offers high printing quality.
Cons:
- The print head isn’t durable. It is prone to clogging ink.
- Ink cartridges are expensive.
- Not suitable for mass printing
- A laser printer can print faster than an inkjet.
- Common ink bleeding effect on paper
Ø Laser Printer:
LASER printer is the most commonly used printer nowadays. Laser printer utilizes a beam of laser to create or print characters and images on the sheet. The beam of laser hits the drum, and it alters the electric charge on it. The drum then rolled through the toner. The toner sticks on the charge portions on the drum, which then rolls on the paper. The combination of heat and pressure makes printing text on pages possible.
Pros:
- No issue since it features no striking.
- Extremely fast.
- Features high resolution.
- Good at printing graphics.
Cons:
- Toner is more expensive than inkjet cartridges.
- Expensive maintenance, complex parts inside.
- Expensive in cost.
Difference Between Dot Matrix and Laser Printer.
Wondering what is the difference between a dot matrix printer and a laser printer? And why would you prefer laser printer over dot matrix printer? The table below explains few reasons for selecting laser jet over laser printer over Dot Matrix.
| DOT MATRIX PRINTER | LASER PRINTER |
|---|---|
| It strikes the pins against the page to print text and graphics. | It uses heat and pressure to print text and graphics on the page. |
| Striking creates a loud noise. | No noise at all |
| Low printing quality | Excellent printing quality |
| Uses continuous sheet | Uses single paper normally |
| Slow printing rate 30-550 characters per second | Fast printing rate 20 pages per minute |
| Cheaper in cost | Expensive |
Difference Between Dot Matrix and Daisy Wheel Printer.
Following are some of the differences between dot matrix and daisy wheel printer that will help you select the right one.
| DOT MATRIX PRINTER | DAISY WHEEL PRINTER |
|---|---|
| Dot-matrix printer prints text and images by striking ink-soaked pins on the paper. | Daisy wheel printer used a circular disc with character impression on it; then it’s hammered to create that character’s impression on the paper. |
| Printing quality is not that great. | Printed characters and symbols are clear. |
| It can print low-resolution graphics. | It cannot print graphics at all. |
| Slow printing | Slower but faster than dot matrix. |
| Cheaper in cost | Expensive |
Difference Between Laser Printer and Inkjet Printer.
The two most commonly used printers, a laser printer, and an inkjet printer are tremendously fast and proffer high-quality printing. Moreover, inkjet printers are ideal printers for greeting card printing as well.
| LASER PRINTER | INKJET PRINTER |
|---|---|
| It is expensive | Inkjet printers are cheaper. |
| They proffer efficient printing via heat and pressure printing methods. | An inkjet printer sprays ink to print text on paper. |
| Ink is in the form of powder, which doesn’t need frequent refilling. | The ink dries up and needs refilling frequently. |
| Better suited for efficient text-only printing. | Preferred printer if colorful you need colorful printing |
| It proffers fast printing than inkjet. | It also offers fast printing but not as much as laser printers. |
FINAL VERDICT.
In brief, non-impact printers like laser and inkjet printers are economically and quality-wise superior to impact printers. They are less noisy and can deliver more printed stuff. If you are searching for a printer to generate bulk hard copies of text and documents, we would prefer to buy a laser or inkjet printer.
