What is a Printer? | A Comprehensive Guide to Printing Technology

A Printer is a computer peripheral that produces a permanent copy of the text or graphics of documents stored electronically.

It allows printing of these documents on physical media using ink cartridges or laser technology.

What is a Computer Printer, and What are its Types?

Users connect printers to computers via cable or wireless technology, as they serve as peripherals. Additionally, computer networks utilize these devices.

In the operating environment, people often refer to them as network printer devices. It allows them to print electronic documents on paper for any user on the network.

New printers can connect to different electronic devices. You can plug in CompactFlash, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, and USB Flash memory. Also, printers can connect to image-capture gadgets like digital cameras and scanners.

Also, these devices not only transfer a document copy to physical media. They can also perform multi-functional tasks such as scanners or faxes. Furthermore, a printer combined with a scanner can work as a copier.

Manufacturers generally design these devices for low-volume and repetitive work. They aim to make a copy of a specific document. However, the cost per page is relatively high. Additionally, they are usually slow devices.

To accommodate higher-volume jobs, designers create machines. These machines can handle large-scale tasks like newspaper printing. They operate using the same logic as printers.

Printers can print hundreds of pages per minute or more. It allows users to do print jobs. It improves their quality and performance.

Color Printers

A color printer produces images with many colors. It combines at least three primary colors: magenta, cyan, and yellow. The CMYK system prints these colors, including various shades and black colors.

There are also professional or semi-professional devices used by users at home. These devices are often called photo printers. They produce images by mimicking the color range and resolution. Printing a photo in color achieves this.

Printing Methods

The choice of print engine in printers plays a vital role in the intended work. It determines the technologies used, including image quality, printing speed, cost, and noise levels.

There are generally two types of printing methods: inkjet and toner systems. The headers spray coloring material or toner powder onto the paper using both printing methods based on the document’s text or graphic data. As a result, the fibers in the form absorb these inks, creating the output.

1. Toner Printing Method

Laser or thermal printers use this method to bond the toner to the physical environment, such as paper. Using the Xerography principle, the toner adheres to a photosensitive printing drum in most copiers. Heat, pressure, and static electricity transfer the toner to the attached printing environment.

Many people use laser printers due to their high-quality prints, fast print speeds, and low cost per copy. But, office applications generally use these devices more than consumers do. Consumers are less likely to use them due to their high start-up costs.

Laser printers are available in color and monochrome. Also, because laser technology is getting cheaper, more offices are using printers that work with toner.

Toner is a special ink that helps the printer print things. Another type of toner-based system is the LED printer. It uses a series of LED systems instead of a laser to adhere toner to the print drum.

Toner, also called dry ink, is a fine black powder accumulating on paper. Printing it through electrostatic attraction achieves this. Once this fine powder adheres, users fix it onto the paper with appropriate pressure or heat.

2. Inkjet Printing Method

Inkjet printers jetted minimal amounts of ink, usually a few picoliters, into the media. It makes them ideal for precise printing. Color processes rely more on inkjet systems. This is because high-quality devices are inexpensive and produce vibrant colors.

Most inkjet printers can print in color. They make colors look bright and accurate. Also, these printers have unique pigments that help create a wide range of colors for high-quality photos. You’ll notice this feature, especially in photo printers.

These devices consist of nozzles that produce tiny bubbles of ink. The coloring material droplets form dots, creating small pixels. As a result, an inkjet printer can print higher-quality text and graphics. They do so more quietly, with a more intense color pattern.

Ink Injection Methods

Thermal Method

The thermal method uses electric propulsion to create a temperature rise in a reservoir. This rise causes a small amount of ink to boil, creating a vapor bubble. So, the drop forces its exit from the nozzles.

When the vapor bubble is out, it condenses and forms a small ink drop on the paper. Afterward, the resulting vacuum draws new coloring material into the chamber. It allows continuous processing to occur.

Piezoelectric Method

In the piezoelectric method, each injector sharply increases the pressure inside the head. This increase is thanks to an electrical thrust. As a result, it causes the injection of an ink particle. Notably, the injection cycle is faster than in other methods.

An inkjet printer has a much lower initial cost than a laser system. But, the price per copy is higher due to frequent ink replenishment. Additionally, inkjet devices have the disadvantage of being slower than other printers. They also need time for pages to dry before aggressive handling.

Printer Solid Ink System

Phase-shift/solid ink printers are thermal transfer devices. They use solid CMYK coloring sticks. In this system, the solid ink stick melts. It then feeds a printhead driven by a piezoelectric crystal.

The head distributes the ink on an oiled drum. Then, the paper passes over the drum while transferring the image. It completes the printing process.

These systems work perfectly well for printing on transparencies and other non-porous media. So, they are suitable for various printing tasks. Additionally, they are often used as office color printer machines because they produce excellent results.

The disadvantages of this technology are high energy consumption and a long waiting time for the machine. Additionally, some users complain that it is difficult to write on these prints. They also find it challenging to feed paper automatically. However, manufacturers have significantly reduced these issues in the latest models.

Memory Capacity of Printers

Printers first memorize the documents they will print. They have a memory capacity of 8 KB for dot matrix devices. For laser devices, the memory capacity is at least 1 MB.

Some devices also have memory modules sold externally to expand their capabilities. These modules serve as a buffer and provide permanent and semi-permanent storage. Additionally, memory usage is necessary for processing vector graphics and designing bitmap fonts.

In this case, we use the buffer to hold active print runs. Additionally, we use persistence to store font and data. It is necessary to keep the page entirely in memory to process the printing of a document. It ensures efficient printing and accurate reproduction.

Memory performance also depends on the operating system and printer driver settings.

Printer Connection Structures

The connection of a printer device with a computer has improved over time. This improvement is evident in the enhanced printing performance and user ease of use. But, the oldest connection for these devices was a slow-speed serial port. Through this port, they transferred data piecemeal.

Later, developers incorporated connection structures into devices. These structures used RJ45 connections based on the IEEE 802.3 standard. This standard was explicitly for Ethernet networks. As a result, network printers began operating as devices with their IP address.

Since their development, printers have used USB ports. These ports provide a more updated and straightforward connection method. The advantages of the USB port include compatibility with various systems. They can operate on portable devices. They also offer high data transfer rates of 480 Mb/s and higher. Another recently developed connection point is the Wi-Fi wireless network adapter. Additionally, Bluetooth technology is another option.

Printing Speeds

Early printers measured their speed in characters per second. But, most modern printers today measure their speed in pages per minute. Furthermore, manufacturers primarily use these print speeds as a marketing tool.

Printer manufacturers typically calculate pages per minute. They do so using monochrome documents rather than documents with dense patterns.

Ink Types

Slow Drying Ink

Typically, people use this type of coloring material only for monochrome printers. It is not suitable for color printing.

Fast Drying Ink

Color printers mainly use this type of coloring material. These devices mix different color inks to produce vibrant and accurate colors. Thus, it is necessary to use this type of ink to prevent any discoloration or color inaccuracies.

Printer Printing Problems

Paper Problems

Users must select the correct paper type for the device. They should carefully load it into the machine to avoid jam problems.

Incorrectly loading or overloading paper can cause the device to fail to detect the form or jam. Thus, users should exercise caution when adding pieces to the tray.

Ink Problems

When printing documents or photos, print quality decreases when horizontal stripes appear. Users sometimes associate this problem with poor paper selection. But, coloring material problems in inkjet printing often cause it.

Another problem is that the print quality can improve if the document requires higher-quality settings. Cartridges with a lower ink rate can cause printing problems as well. Additionally, the electronic head of the cartridge must be clean and functional.