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Types of Printer
What is a printer?
A printer is an output device that
produces text and graphics on paper.
Major types of printer
Printers can be divided into two
main groups, impact printer and non-impact printer. Impact
printer produces text and images when tiny wire pins on print head strike
the ink ribbon by physically contacting the paper. Non-impact printer
produces text and graphics on paper without actually striking the paper.
Printers can also be categorized
based on the print method or print technology. The most popular ones are
inkjet printer, laser printer, dot-matrix printer and
thermal printer. Among these, only dot-matrix printer is impact
printer and the others are non-impact printers.
Some printers are named because
they are designed for specific functions, such as photo printers,
portable printers and all-in-one / multifunction printers.
Photo printers and portable printers usually use inkjet print method
whereas multifunction printers may use inkjet or laser print method.
Inkjet printers and laser printers
are the most popular printer types for home and business use. Dot matrix
printer was popular in 70’s and 80’s but has been gradually replaced by
inkjet printers for home use. However, they are still being used to print
multi-part forms and carbon copies for some businesses. The use of
thermal printers is limited to ATM, cash registers and point-of-sales
terminals. Some label printers and portable printers also use
thermal printing.
Due to the popularity of digital
camera, laptop and SoHo office (small office / home office), the demand for
photo printers, portable printers and multifunction printers has also
increased substantially in recent years.
Popular Printers:
Inkjet printers
Laser printers
Less Popular Printers:
Dot-matrix printers
Thermal printers
Specialty Printers:
Photo printers
Portable printers
Multifunction / all-in-one printers
