PRINTERS (output devices)

 What is a Printer?

A printer is a device that accepts text and graphics output from a computer, and it transfers this information to paper, sheets. Printers can print any information that has been passed to them, whether it be Text, Numbers, or Images.  

Types of printers:

INKJET PRINTER

The most popular choice for home printer needs. These printers work by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, as opposed to laser printers that use toner and are designed mostly for high-volume printing in office settings.

Inkjet printers offer the largest range of printing capabilities compared to any other type of printer. An inkjet printer can print photographs in high resolution on photo paper, pages of text on traditional paper, or labels and iron-on transfers on specialty stickers and paper.

 

ADVANTAGES OF AN INKJET PRINTER-

• Portability
   
  All the inkjet printers are light weighted and plug-and-play kinds of devices. This makes them extremely portable for home and office work environments. They can be easily moved around to the places the user wants.
   
• Quietness

   

  Inkjet printers do not cause any distractions to the work environment by producing loud noises. They are extremely quiet while in operations. Even quieter than dot matrix printers. Therefore, there are no effects on business productivity.
• Startup Time

   

  Unlike laser printers, an inkjet printer does not need a wake-up time.  This means they do not require heating the printer before starting printing. As soon as the printer is turned on, it can start printing.

Disadvantages of an inkjet printer:

 

Speed: Since inkjet printers are designed for low-volume printing, they suffer from slow speed. When printing large documents, you have to wait considerably longer. This is even worse when you are printing colored documents.

Smudges

 

A type of ink called Aqueous ink is used behind an inkjet printer. This ink is known to be highly water-sensitive meaning they need some time to dry out. If any water comes into contact with the ink before drying, it will cause smudges.

Bleeding Effect

 

An inkjet printer can cause bleeding effects on papers if the ink is carried sideways. From the capillary action, the ink will be diverted from the location it should be printed. And also, you should keep in mind that it is not possible to use a highlighter marker on this type of document.

Dot matrix printers

A printer that prints using a fixed number of prints or wires and prints multiple sheets at once, printing directly onto the white front sheet, then following on the colored carbon copies behind. Dot matrix printers are more reliable than laser or inkjet printers, especially when used in a dirty environment.

Far less common today, dot matrix printers are typically quite robust and reliable. They’re better suited for situations where there’s a significant amount of printing required, but the quality isn’t important. 

ADVANTAGES OF DOT MATRIX PRINTER-

 

Print carbon copies: Unlike non-impact printers, this is a very good way of making carbon copies of a particular printout. So if you want to have more efficient results, this is a better choice.

Indication of Ribbon Replacement:

By the time the printout will fade, it will be gradual instead of coming to a sudden halt. This will ensure that you will have ample time to replace the ribbon before the crisis comes.

Low-cost and readily available:

dot matrix printers have a lower total cost of ownership compared to other printers. The cost per page for laser printers is typically 6 times more than for dot matrix printers.

Disadvantages of a matrix printer-

Output is Not High Resolution:

The output created by dot matrix printers is not of high quality. Likewise, the color printout is limited while print speed is lesser compared to printers that are non-impact. Hence, the print quality of this device is not very impressive in general. Moreover, this can affect the printout readability of the scanner.

Pins Can Bend Easily:

Basically, the print head can be destroyed as pins can bend easily. At the same time, the printer can get noisy at times when the pins will hit the ribbon onto the paper.

Time-Consuming and Paper Jamming:

A single sheet of paper to be printed should be wounded up and aligned manually which could require a longer period to finish. At the same time, this could result in paper jamming more often compared to other printers.

laser printers-

use a laser beam to heat a toner material that embeds itself onto the paper. Toner cartridges are typically more expensive than ink, but also usually last longer. Laser printers, on average, have a faster print speed than inkjet printers, and usually have a higher print quality. They will usually give you less hassle with toner than inkjet printers do with ink. Plus they’ll print faster and produce a better-quality result.

Laser printers are ideal for higher-volume print jobs thanks to ultra-fast printing technology. Changing out toner can be trickier than swapping inkjet ink cartridges, but you won’t ever have to deal with clogged print nozzles.

ADVANTAGES OF LASER PRINTERS-

reliable and durable

A laser printer is a more durable and reliable device because it is a mechanical component. In a laser printer, toners are free of cost from drying out and evaporating. The toner is capable to print up to 1500-60,000 pages. So, a laser printer can work for many years, if it is used with proper handling and care. 

No noise: Laser printers do not generate any noise; it is totally optimized in such a manner that rarely emits noise.

Less expensive per print: this printer is able to print paper in large amounts for a lesser price. Due to the use of toner in the laser printer, it can print various papers compared to the ink cartridge of equal price. 

DISADVANTAGES OF A LASER PRINTER

Less portability:  laser printers are heavier and bulkier than inkjet printer because it contains the imaging drum and other heavy parts that make them large. Due to this, it is limited its portability and discourages carrying around.

poor graphics

A laser printer is not suitable for high-quality graphics and photographers because it has no ability to generate an accurate combination of all colors. If you want to take high-quality color print then it is getting to miss a few colors.

Need quality paper 

Ordinary papers are not used in laser printers So, so it is used specially designed papers for printing. If you try to low-quality paper then your printer can get halted as well as cause paper jams.

SOLID INK PRINTERS

A solid ink printer is a type of printer that uses ink made from melted wax. The way this printer works is by melting the ink first and then the ink will be accommodated in a certain container. Then it will be transferred to a container such as a drum and a printer will cool the ink before it is printed on paper.

ADVANTAGES OF A SOLID INK PRINTER-

cheap to run:  the high page yield of each cartridge more than makes up for this relatively high price tag. The average solid ink printer can produce hundreds of printouts from a single stick of ink, meaning you rarely find yourself having to stop printing to top up the tank.

excellent for printing photos: Ideal for printing full-color images, due to the solid ink melting down during the print process, production of accurate color when printing photographs and other graphics are guaranteed. 

eco-friendly: the xerox sticks used in each printer don't come with a package other than what they're wrapped in, and once they're used up, there are no empties to dispose of.

DISADVANTAGES OF A SOLID INK PRINTER-

 long warm-up time:  before these printers start checking out sheets, they need time to warm up and melt the solid sticks into liquid form. 

expensive to buy:  the company has free rein to charge what they like for the technology, so this means solid ink printers can be expensive to buy outright, particularly when compared with the equivalent inkjet or laser alternative.

low melting temperature:  some solid ink printer users have noted that when laminating a sheet of paper, the heat can distort and smudge the ink on the page due to its relatively low melting temperature. so if you do a lot of laminating, a solid ink printer may not be suitable for your requirements.