What is Printer, Impact and Non Impact printer, types, Advantages & Disadvantages.

 PRINTER

Printer is the most popular output device (click on the link to know about it) which helps to convert soft copy into hard copy. It converts electronic data into text, image or combination of both. This device is highly used in offices, schools, homes, banks and other organizations.

There are several printer technologies available. These technologies can be broken down into main categories. There are 2 types of the printer.

1. Impact printer
2. Non-Impact printer

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Table of content:

1. What is Impact printer.

• Dot Matrix printer and advantage and disadvantages.
• Daisy wheel printer and its disadvantages.
• Line printer and its advantages and its disadvantages.

2. What is Non-impact printer.

• Inkjet printer and its advantage, disadvantages.
• Laser printer and its advantages, disadvantages.
• Thermal printer and its advantages, disadvantages.

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Impact Printer

What is impact printer?

Impact printing is one of the oldest printing technologies. These printers have a print head that touches the paper in order to create an image of the output.

There are basically three types of a impact printers.

1. Dot-matrix Printer
2. Daisy Wheel Printer
3. Line Printer

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Dot -Matrix Printer

Dot-matrix printer is an impact printer because they print characters by hammering pins on an inked ribbon to leave ink impressions on a paper. These types of printers print one character at a time. They form characters and all kinds of images as patterns of dots. The mechanism of this printer is given below.

It produces text and graphics when tiny wire pins on the print head strike the ink ribbon. The print head moves horizontal (left to right and vice versa ) across the paper. When the ink ribbon presses on the paper, it creates dots that form text and images. Higher number of pins means that the printer prints more dots per character, thus resulting in higher print quality. The printer speeds vary from 50 to 500 cps (character per second ).

Today, dot matrix printers are only used in some places where low quality printout in bulk is required.

Advantages of dot matrix printer:

1. These printers print multi-part forms or carbon copies.

2. Low printing cost per page.

3. Can be used on continuous stationary.

4. Reliable and durable.

Disadvantages of dot matrix printer:

1. These printers are very noisy.

2. Limited print quality.

3. Printing speed is very low.

4. It has very limited color options.

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Daisy Wheel Printer

A daisy-wheel printer is also an impact printer that also prints characters by pressing the paper. It works like a typewriter. This printer is in the shape of a wheel.

It is like a manual typewriter molded metal characters like those in a typewriter are mounted on extensions attached to a rotating wheel and are printed onto the paper by means of a hammer and print ribbon. Its average speed is 10 to 75 characters per second. There are no such advantages of these printers.

Disadvantage of Daisy Wheel Printer:

1. The printing speed is very slow.

2. There is no variance of fonts or graphic capability.

3. These printers are very loud.

4. Printing quality is very low.

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Line Printer

Line printer is a special impact printer that prints the whole line at one time. It uses a long drum imprinted with raised characters. As the drum rotates, words are formed on the page. The drum moves in a horizontal direction, printing one line at a time.

Due to their special design, they require special paper with pre-punched holes on the sides that attach to the printer by raised grooves. These printers are still found for doing some special type of work basically for business purposes.

Advantages of Line Printer:

1. Easy to use or operate.

2. Reliable and durable.

3. Printers work fast.

Disadvantage of Line Printer:

1. Limited font availability.

2. These printers have no graphic capability.

3. These printers cannot print pictures or images.

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Non-Impact Printers

What is non impact printer?

Non-Impact printers work on modern printing technologies. These printers do not touch the paper in order to create images and characters.

There are three main types of the Non-Impact printer.

1. Inkjet Printer

2. Laser Printer

3. Thermal Printer

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Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers are a type of non-impact printer because they print images or characters by spraying ink on paper. Inkjet printers are color printers which either use RGB or CMYK as basic colors for printing text and images.

It uses the drop-on-demand printing technology where the printer ejects tiny ink droplets only they are needed to print on the media. The print head of the Inkjet printer contains up to 64 tiny nozzles. The printer heats up the selective nozzles in a few microseconds by an integrated circuit resistor. When the resistor heats up, the ink ejects through the nozzle making a dot on the paper placed in front of the print head.

In these printers ink drops are ejected by a pressure wave created by the mechanical motion of the piezoelectric ceramic. It produces higher quality output than a dot matrix printer and speed of this printer is 2-6 ppm (page per minute).

Advantage of Inkjet printer:

1. High quality of output, capable of printing fine and smooth details.

2. Capable of printing in vivid color, good for printing pictures.

3. It is easy to use.

4. These printers are reasonably fast.

5. These printers are much quieter than dot matrix printers.

6. No warm up time.

Disadvantage of Inkjet printer:

1. Print head is less durable, it has a higher chance of clogging and damage.

2. Expensive replacement ink cartridges.

3. Not good for high volume printing.

4. Printing speed is not as fast as laser printers.

5. Ink bleeding, ink carried sideways causing blurred effects on some papers.

6. Printer ink is sensitive to water, even a small drop of water can cause blurring.

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Laser Printer

Laser printers are non-impact printers which can print text and images in high speed and high quality resolutions. Laser printer prints one page at a time. It is the most popular type of printer which uses a toner(black or colored powder) instead of liquid ink. The mechanism of this printer is given below.

The main parts of laser printer are:-

•  Drum cartridge
•  Rotating mirror
•  Toner cartridge
• Roller

The drum cartridge rotates as the paper is fed through. The mirror focuses the laser beam on the surface of the drum. Laser beam creates charge that causes the toner (black or colored powder) to stick to the drum. As the drum rotates and presses on paper, toner is transferred from the drum to paper, creating images. Rollers then use heat and pressure to fuse toner to paper.

Advantages of laser printer

1. High resolution.

2. High print speed.

3. No smearing.

4. Low cost per page (compared to inkjet printers).

5. Printout is not sensitive to water.

6. Good for high volume printing.

Disadvantages of laser printer

1. More expensive than inkjet printers.

2. Except for high end machines, laser printers are less capable of printing vivid colors and high quality images such as photos.

3. The cost of toner replacement and drum replacement is high.

4. Warm up time needed.

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Thermal Printer

Thermal printer is a non impact printer that prints images and characters by heating elements being placed in contact with special heat sensitive paper forming darkened dots. Thermal printers use two different types of printing technologies.

1. Direct thermal

2. Thermal transfer printing

Direct thermal:- Traditional thermal printers use direct thermal methods by pushing electrically heated pins against heat-sensitive paper (thermal paper). The coating on the thermal paper turns black in the areas where it is heated, producing characters or images. Direct thermal printers have no ink, toner or ribbon.

Thermal Transfer:- In thermal transfer printing, a thermal print head applies heat to a heat-sensitive ribbon, which melts ink onto paper and a wide range of materials to form text and images. The printouts can be extremely durable and can be stored over a long period of time.

Advantages of Thermal printer

1. These printers are durable.

2. It is easy to use and operate.

3. The price of this printer is much cheaper than other printers.

Disadvantages of Thermal printer

1. The text and images may fade over time.

2. These printers are sensitive to heat, light, water and scratches.

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