Electronics

Types of printers

A printer is a technical device. Circulations, which he is able to cover, are small - from 1 to 100 sheets. The first appeared in 1969 thanks to scientists who invented how to make a famous device with a laser type of printing from a photocopier.

Classification of printers.

You can classify according to several criteria:

  • According to the principle of image formation they are divided into three categories: sequential formation, which creates text character by character. Next come the lowercase and page.
  • By way of printing they are divided into shock and unstressed.
  • By color spectrum on color and no.
  • By type of material. There are:
  1. equipped with a winding roll;
  2. designed for printing on film and paper sheet;
  3. used for printing on disks, gadgets and stamping souvenir printers;
  4. allow you to print three-dimensional forms of 3D devices.
  • By type of ink used:
  1. not widely used alcohol;
  2. the most common solvent;
  3. used in industrial production oil;
  4. allowing to obtain high-resolution pigment images;
  5. UV-curable, which is an analogue of solvent ink.
  • To destination:
  1. widescreen, which are needed for outdoor advertising;
  2. interior, helping in the design of interiors;
  3. photo printers for printing pictures;
  4. office;
  5. marking.
  • According to printing technology, they are divided into:
  1. matrix;
  2. jet;
  3. laser;
  4. LED (ICE);
  5. shape changing ink.

Important! The latter is the main classification, as it draws the attention of most users. Depending on the technology, matrix, laser and inkjet printers are considered the most common types of devices.

Characteristics of printers

The main characteristics include the following criteria:

  1. resolution - measured in the number of applied points of dye per inch of paper, the size of the smallest parts;
  2. the number of colors that the finished image can convey;
  3. speed - the number of pages and characters that the device can print in one second or minute.

Which distinguish the types of printers on the principle of operation, their advantages and disadvantages.

For rare use most often purchased laser printers. They differ from others in satisfactory speed, image quality and affordable price.

The principle of operation of laser machines largely coincides with the principle of the "Copiers": using ink powder - toner. Text and pictures are first applied to the drum, then transferred to sheets and baked using thermal knots.

Important! The easiest laser printer prints from 10 to 20 pages per minute.

The advantages of using include:

  • the possibility of not using the device for a long time during which the toner does not deteriorate and does not dry out;
  • low cost parts and consumables;
  • the stability of the finished image to high temperatures and moisture;
  • ease of use;
  • You can refill toner cartridges yourself using compatible consumables.

Important! If the printer is blocked due to a lack of toner, you can reflash it or change the chip on the cartridge.

The disadvantages include:

  • release of ozone, acetone and nitric oxide into the atmosphere during operation;
  • the presence of nodes with high power consumption;
  • the possibility of the formation of breakage due to a clip or crumpled sheets;
  • lack of stability in prints.

Subspecies of steel laser devices LED printerswhich differ from them by source. If in laser devices a ray is one, then in LED there is a whole battery. They do not move, their own light bulb is responsible for applying each point.

Indisputable advantages include high speed and quality. The key disadvantage is the high cost and low prevalence.

Competition for laser devices can be inkjet printers. The image on the sheet consists of microscopic points. Inside the machine is the head, which puts on the paper sheets liquid paint.

Important! Among themselves, such printers differ in the type of ink used and speed.

Inkjet devices are suitable for those who want to print high quality images. However, users need to take into account that long-term idle liquid paints can dry out and change them is not so cheap. Previously, they used only 4 colors:

  • yellow;
  • blue;
  • purple;
  • the black.

In modern models, two more colors were added that made it possible to increase the brightness and saturation of the finished images. The advantages of inkjet devices include:

  • cost;
  • quality of finished images;
  • the possibility of using photographic paper;
  • noiselessness at work;
  • low power consumption during operation;
  • ability to print on different media;
  • multifunctionality.

Among the disadvantages emit high cost and slow speed. In addition, ink cartridges are much more expensive than, for example, color toner for a laser device.

Next in the ranking listed matrix printer. For a long time, it was used as a standard device, helping to transfer information from a computer to paper. Matrix devices were used even when laser and jet analogues appeared. They differed from them by low price, but the image quality left much to be desired.

The advantages of such devices include:

  • low cost of consumables;
  • ability to print on all types of paper;
  • the ability to print on paper with a large number of layers.

Among the minuses are the following:

  • they print matrix printers very slowly and loudly;
  • that the quality of the images is very poor;
  • that color printing is almost impossible.

Important! Most often, matrix devices are used for printing on letterheads.

A separate category of devices used for printing is occupied by 3-D printers. Similar to a large box with glass that allows you to observe the process, they create shaped objects based on visual drawings.

During operation, the device uses ceramic powder, plastic yarns and photopolymer resins, which, gradually connecting, layer by layer, create the specified pattern.

Important! What could be created manually for a long time can be quickly printed on a 3-D printer.

Separate attention is given to devices that combine a number of functions: scanning, copying, printing photos and documents, receiving and sending faxes. They are called so - multifunction devices or "MFP". Compact in size, the MFPs are used for work in offices and at home, since, combining the functions of several peripheral devices, they take up little space, work quickly and almost silently. The principle of operation of the MFP is to use inkjet or laser technology. And in the shops you can find and LED MFP.

The advantages of the multifunctional devices include:

  • cheap cost regarding the purchase of each of the devices separately;
  • space saving;
  • low cost of printing;
  • possibility of simultaneous printing from two sides of a paper sheet;
  • high performance;
  • the ability to print photos on photo paper.

The disadvantages of the MFP include:

  • that if one of the nodes fails, the rest will not be able to work;
  • low speed of copying paper documents;
  • that if the MFP fails, the work can stop in the whole office.

In addition to the above types of printers, differing in the principle of operation, there are several other types. Some of them have already ceased to be in demand, and some are used only for specific purposes. These machines include:

  1.  Sublimation printers. The sublimation printers differing in a good level of a color rendition and high quality are used in printing houses.
  2. Drum. Drum printers have long ceased to use due to the fact that when printing letters were often located at different levels, "danced" and "ran" on paper. At the heart of the device of such machines lay a drum with imprints of symbols, which, rotating, left on paper the right letters and numbers.
  3. Petal. Another sunk into oblivion type of printers - petal. He printed with the help of a floppy disk with not located on the petals. In the process of work, the petals touched the ribbon with paint and paper leaving certain marks on it.

Recommendations for selection

If you are going to buy a printer, you need to determine for yourself several key points:

  1. The appearance of the printer according to the principle of operation and other criteria, which is best suited for home or office use For the home, it is recommended to purchase cheaper laser models, for offices MFPs will be suitable.
  2. The print format that covers the device. Students who work with the A4 format will suit any of the above printers. Specially buying machines that could print text on sheets A2 and A1 are needed only for work in offices and project bureaus.
  3. Print speed Like other criteria, the desired print speed depends on where and how the printer will be used. For home it is better to buy a not very powerful and slow laser printer. For offices, you need to buy high-speed and high-speed printing machines.
  4. Availability of additional functions. The possibility of two-sided printing, display, connectors for USB cables and connectors for the card reader greatly simplify the use, but also increase the price of the device in 2 or 3 times.

People who want to use types of printers for printing educational materials and sometimes photos should not buy expensive models with high print quality and speed. For such needs, perfect color inkjet printers, which are inexpensive and easy to maintain. The main thing is not to forget to periodically chase the car avoiding long stagnation of paint.

Watch the video: Printers Explained - Laser, Inkjet, Thermal, & Dot Matrix (April 2024).

Leave Your Comment