Computer printer

Some printers can process all three types of data, others not.

Daisy wheel printers can handle only plain text data or rather simple point plots.

Plotters typically process vector images.

PostScript and PCL printers can combine all three types of data.

Today it is common to print everything (even plain text) by sending ready bitmapped images to the printer, because it allows better control over formatting.  Many printer drivers do not use the text mode at all, even if the printer is capable of it.

Monochrome, color and photo printers

A monochrome printer can only produce an image consisting of one color, usually black. A monochrome printer may also be able to produce graduations of tone of that color, such as a grey-scale.

A color printer can produce images of multiple colors.

A photo printer is a color printer that can produce images that mimic the color range (gamut) and resolution of photographic methods of printing.

Methods of image creation

The media for most printers is paper, so they are usually classified according to the method of image creation:

Toner-based printers

Laser printers refer to the method used to adhere toner to the media. The advent of cost-effective, precision lasers has made them the dominant toner-based monochrome printer type for home and office applications.

Ink jet printers

Ink jet printers spray very small, precise amounts (usually a few picolitres) of ink onto the media. For color applications including photo printing, ink jet methods are dominant.

Impact printers

Impact printers rely on a forcible impact to transfer ink to the media, similar to typewriters, that are typically limited to reproducing text. A daisy wheel printer is a specific type of impact printer where the type is carried on a wheel.

Dot-matrix printers

In the general sense many printers rely on a matrix of pixels, or dots, that together form the larger image. However, the term dot matrix printer is specifically used for impact printers that use a matrix of small pins to create precise dots. The advantage of dot-matrix over other impact printers is that they can produce graphical images in addition to text; however the text is generally of poorer quality than type-based impact printers.

Some sub-classifications of dot-matrix printers are ballistic wire printers and stored energy printers.

Dot matrix printers can either be character-based or line-based, referring to the configuration of the print head.

Dot matrix printers are still commonly used in low-cost, low-quality applications like cash registers. The fact that they use an impact printing method allows them to be used to print multi-part documents using carbonless copy paper (like sales invoices and credit card receipts), whereas other printing methods are unusable with paper of this type. Dot-matrix printers have been superseded for general computing use.

Other printers

• Dye-sublimation printers are sometimes used to produce high-quality color, or photographic, prints
• Teletype
• IBM Selectric typewriter
• Thermal printer (heat sensitive paper)
• Thermal wax printer (Xerox/Tektronix)
• Spark printer (supplied for Sinclair ZX81)
• Microsphere (special paper)
• Digital minilab (photographic paper)
  

  The printer manufacturing business

  
  Often the razor and blades business model is applied. That is, a company may sell a printer at cost, and make profits on the ink cartridge, paper, or some other replacement part. This has caused legal disputes regarding the right of companies other than the printer manufacturer to sell compatible ink cartridges.
  

  Printing speed

Printer job classes

They are collections of printers. Print jobs sent to a class are forwarded to the first available printer in the class.

See also

External links