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Printer. Main types of printers and their characteristics

To print any documents from a computer onto paper, you must have a printer. What printer should I buy, what types of printers are there? Printers can be laser, inkjet, matrix, and photo printers belong to a separate category of printers. Let's look at this in more detail, excluding from the review the increasingly popular 3D printing.

At first, dot matrix printers were used for printing. In dot matrix printers, a special print head in the form of a needle hits the tape. Due to the fact that the maintenance and operation of dot matrix printers does not cost much money, they are still in use today. These printers are mainly used by cashiers at railway ticket offices, air terminals and other organizations. However, printers cannot operate quickly and make a lot of noise. They are not able to reproduce color printing, but they can work with any type of paper. The quality of the paper doesn't matter to them.

Inkjet printers: cheap, but not profitable

To work at home, you can purchase a not very expensive inkjet printer. It is distinguished by good quality. The devices operate as follows. The print head has special holes through which small doses of ink are injected onto the paper. Inkjet printers can print in both black and white and color. Inkjet printers are as good as laser printers. But you can buy them at a lower price. But you need to know that having paid not a lot of money for this necessary thing, you will soon have to purchase cartridges. And the price of consumables is high and their service life is short.

Laser printers: office practicality

The next type of printer is laser printers, which can reproduce black and white and color printing. But color laser printers are expensive. Therefore, they are usually purchased by enterprises and organizations that require large volumes of printing. At the same time, color printing must be of high quality. Laser printers operate on the principle of photocopiers. Copiers use a beam of light, while printers already use a laser beam. Under the action of a laser beam, the toner powder falls on a paper sheet, which is passed through a special roller, the toner powder melts and an image appears on the paper medium. Laser printers print quickly and efficiently. The high cost of laser printers is offset by their long service life. The advantages of laser printers include the fact that the price of consumables in the store is quite low. At the same time, laser printer cartridges are capable of printing a large amount of information!

Photo printers: the choice of professionals

A special type of printer is photo printer. With their help, the production of photographs, posters, calendars, postcards, etc. has been established. At the same time, the color printing of the photo printer is of high quality. The operating principle of photo printers is not complicated. A special tape is applied to the paper, then the paper is heated and the paint from this special tape penetrates into the polyester layer of the paper. Photo printers are not very expensive, but cartridges and paper, on the contrary, are very expensive. Therefore, as a rule, photo printers are used for work by professionals.

Technical features of any print

To ensure that a potential buyer is satisfied with the performance of a new printer, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of their technical capabilities.

Permission

What is permission? This is the maximum number of dots per square inch. There are certain guidelines for printing. For printing text documents, 280 dpi is recommended; if you need to print various drawings and diagrams, 600 dpi is recommended. To print high-quality photos, you need to use a printer with a resolution of 1300 dpi.

Speed

How is the print speed of a printer determined? The largest number of pages printed by a printer in 1 minute is the printer’s printing speed. Regular black and white printing is faster than color printing. Printer manufacturers use a little trick; in the technical characteristics of the printer they indicate the speed at which the printer prints poorly. High-quality printer performance is possible at a lower print speed.

A printer is a device used to print electronic information onto paper. In this case, the process of transferring data to paper is called printing, and the result is called printing. A printer can perform several functions, so you should approach the selection process carefully by thoroughly familiarizing yourself with its functions. You need to take into account all the features of printing, for example, an office model for home will not be the best option, since you do not need a large volume of printing, and there is also no need to purchase a universal printing device.

Types of printing devices

Today there are two types of printing devices that differ in their functionality:
  • Multifunctional.
  • Printers.

The first type is briefly called MFP. It is usually chosen for home use; in addition to printing information on paper, this device can scan documents to save the result in electronic form, you can use it as a regular copier for simple copying of documents, and also as a fax.

Such a complex device will cost less than the cost of a printer, copier and scanner purchased separately. In addition, with such a purchase you will save space on your computer desk, and there will be fewer wires. If you don’t need anything other than printing text on paper, then the second type of device would be the best choice.

Types and features of the device

The range of printers today is very large. They differ in many parameters - purpose, type of ink, number of colors, operating principle, etc. Each type has its own characteristics and auxiliary functions. Let's look at the main types of printers in more detail.

Matrix

This type of printer was developed in Japan in the 60s of the last century.

Its operating principle is to create an image with a special print head, which consists of a matrix, hence the name of this device. The matrix consists of a set of needles driven by electromagnets. The print head moves along the sheet of paper for each line of text, and the needles act on the paper using an ink ribbon, thereby creating a dot print on the sheet.

In different models, the print head can have from 9 to 24 needles. The more needles, the higher the print quality and the clearer the image. Matrix printing devices have almost been replaced by other modern printers, but are still used in some places. For example, sales receipts in stores are printed using a matrix method.

Insufficient quality, like a typewriter, no longer makes it possible to apply matrix technology in other areas. Among the disadvantages of such devices, in addition to poor quality, are noisy operation and low printing speed.

The advantages of this rare design are its ability to function in any conditions; the needle prints are resistant to moisture and abrasion. It is quite difficult to forge a document printed on a dot matrix device.

Jet printer

The principle of operation of an inkjet device is somewhat similar to matrix technology: the image is also formed from dots. Instead of a needle print head, a matrix with liquid inks is used.

It can be fixed in the device body or built into the cartridge. “Struiniki” are divided according to certain typical characteristics.

If we consider their division by type of ink, then they are divided into:
  • Water(used in many office and household devices).
  • Oily(for marking in industry).
  • Solvent(for printing stands, advertising and various posters, resistant to moisture).
  • Pigment(the best way to create high-quality images, photographs).
  • Thermal transfer(for applying fashionable prints to clothes).
  • Alcohol(they dry quickly in the print head, which limits their use).
There are different types of inkjet printers according to their purpose:
  • Office(they are equipped with offices for printing small documents).
  • Widescreen(for printing advertisements).
  • Marking(parts are marked).
  • Interior(printing stands, posters, interior elements).
  • Photo printers.
  • Souvenir(printing images on laser discs, objects with complex surfaces).
  • Manicure(design is applied to nails in beauty salons).

Photo printers and office printing devices are equipped with one head for each color, have high-quality color reproduction, and do not create noise. High image quality can only be achieved by using special paper.

The speed of inkjet printers is slightly higher than that of matrix printers, the image is sensitive to moisture, may smear, depending on the type of ink, and fades over time. An inkjet printer is a capricious device that will work normally if all cartridges are used regularly. If the device has not been turned on for a long time, the ink in the head may dry out.

The main negative factor is the high cost of printing. The ink in the cartridge runs out quickly; periodic replacement is necessary, which is an expensive pleasure. This problem is partially solved by the following device under consideration.

CISS

This device can easily replace the operation of cartridges; its name stands for continuous ink supply system. The operating principle of this system is to supply ink to the cartridge through tubes.

This improves print quality and you can save money without purchasing expensive cartridges. You just need to purchase ink in a timely manner and pour it into containers, which is much cheaper and lasts for a longer time.

To refill this system, you do not need to contact a specialist; you can do everything yourself. Previously, this system was sold separately, but now it is built into many printer models.

Laser technology

It would be more correct to call this printing method electrographic; it arose in 1938, and was then called xerography and electrography. Currently, this method is called laser printing, which is characterized by high quality, efficiency and high speed.

The main element of this device is a photoreceptor that stores an electric current charge on its surface; for each point of the image there is a separate charge. The laser beam hits the photoreceptor, made in the form of a drum, and directs the radiation to individual points from which it removes the charge. A computer connected to a laser printer controls the laser beam and creates a specific image on the drum.

A special powder dye enters the photoreceptor and sticks to its charged areas, creating an image that is then transferred to the paper and baked onto it by heating.

This technology has proven itself to be very fast compared to inkjet models. The print quality of the laser printer is high, the image is not subject to abrasion, is resistant to moisture, and does not fade, unlike the previous models reviewed. The advantage of laser technology is also the ability to print on any paper with excellent quality.

A laser printer has its drawbacks: high cost, which is offset by cheaper refills and maintenance. The disadvantage also includes some distortion in the printing of letters and images on the edge of the sheet - the dot sometimes turns out to be an oval. Modern models no longer have this problem, through the use of special technological lenses.

LED technology

This method can be considered a type of laser printing, with a difference in the light source. Here, instead of a laser beam, LEDs are used. In the image, all the dots correspond to individual LEDs that do not move like a laser.

This increases operational reliability and is an advantage. Another advantage is high performance - the printing speed can reach 40 sheets per minute, and the print quality is much higher compared to laser printing, since there is no distortion at the edges of the sheet. The only drawback is its high cost.

Rarely used types of printers

There are many different printing technologies that are not widely used or are used for narrow specialization.

  • Sublimation the printer is an alternative option for inkjet models; it rarely works in offices, but is successfully used in printing production and has good image quality and color rendition.

  • Drums the devices that worked before are no longer in use, their design is outdated, but the printing speed of these devices exceeds all existing types of printers. Its main element is a drum, which has the dimensions of a sheet, and has reliefs of numbers and letters on the surface. The operation of the device is as follows: the drum rotates, and when the desired number or letter passes over the sheet, a special pusher hits the sheet, imprinting the symbol on the paper using ink ribbon. Printed sheets on such a printer can be easily recognized - the font is similar to that of a manual typewriter, with characters “jumping” in height.

  • Petal The printer works in a similar way, with the difference that the character set is located on flexible paddles on a rotating disk. The desired petal touches the ink ribbon and a sheet of paper, creating an imprint. Colored text can be obtained by installing a ribbon of a different color.

Throughout the history of development, printing devices have been of the following types: chain, track and ball. They differed in their operating principle, but were not widely used.

  • Home or office printer. The only difference between them is the volume of printing. For home use, up to 500 sheets per month are sufficient; for office work, this will clearly not be enough. Therefore, laser models are purchased for the office, while inkjet models are preferable for the home, although everyone chooses for themselves.
  • Print quality. This parameter is individual for each user. There is a parameter that determines the clarity and quality of the printout - this is the resolution. For office work, a printing device with a resolution of 600 to 2400 pixels per inch is suitable. Almost all modern devices today have sufficient resolution to work in any conditions.
  • Printing cost. When choosing a printer, you need to look at both the price of the device itself and the costs required for its maintenance and refilling. If you only need to print a little, it is better to purchase an inexpensive device designed for small loads. If you need to print a large volume of documents, then the optimal choice would be an expensive printer with a large load capacity. The price also depends on the number of additional functions: built-in memory, auxiliary trays, wireless connection to a computer, etc.

Most of the population of our planet firmly believes that all existing printers are divided into two categories: conventional and “those that can print, copy and scan,” in other words, do any printing processes. However, in fact, this type of office equipment has many different classifications, the existence of which many are not even aware of.

This article is dedicated to all types of printers - from the most primitive to the ultra-modern. It talks about what they are, their positive and negative sides, purpose and the possibility of acquisition today. It also describes a lot of interesting and, most importantly, useful information and, as a conclusion, the expert opinion of leading specialists in the field of printing technologies.

Types of printers

Today there are more than ten different classifications of printing devices. In addition, each class has its own division into types, and the end result is that there are an innumerable number of different printers. But for a more comfortable determination of the ownership of these products, they are classified according to the following parameters:

  • type of printing: alphanumeric and graphic;
  • the principle of creating prints: shock and unstressed;
  • print color: monochrome and multi-color;
  • connection source: wired and wireless.

It is worth knowing that some office equipment has not been used for a long time, and some devices even exist only in future projects.

Printers that are most often found on sale

As mentioned above, there are many varieties of these peripheral devices, but not all can be purchased in a store and brought to your home or office. The most popular and most frequently encountered are laser, inkjet and thermal sublimation printers. Each of them has its own distinctive features, in some ways superior or inferior to each other.

Laser printer: conquering the office

From the first days, as soon as this type of office equipment became available to everyone, until today, a laser printer has been an integral part of any office. The reasons for this were the high speed and excellent print quality in black and white. In addition, you can highlight good reserves of coloring matter, which, as a rule, is enough for a long time of use. However, “laser printers” have not proven themselves to be the best in color printing of images and photographs. It is also worth noting that refueling consumables is not very convenient, expensive, and sometimes even impossible.

Why is it so much more comfortable to use an inkjet printer at home?

Compared to the previous type of office equipment, this one creates prints very slowly and many times fewer pieces without refilling. But in exchange for this, the material printed with its help is always of high quality, especially if it is in color format. In addition, such devices are usually multifunctional, which, given the relative cheapness of consumables, makes them indispensable for use at home.

New generation sublimation printers

They have excellent printing characteristics, thanks to which prints have excellent color rendition, brightness and contrast, as well as being easy to maintain and low noise. However, they have one very unpleasant property: materials printed with their help are very sensitive to ultraviolet radiation.

Based on the information provided in this article, we can conclude that any printer you choose has both pros and cons. Therefore, when choosing this device for yourself, you should start from what you will use it for and whether it can cope with the tasks.

Good day! I am glad to welcome you to my blog, which is dedicated. In this article I want to provide a brief overview of existing printer types.

When it comes to the type of printers, we most likely mean printing technology. Therefore, in the article below I used the classification according to this parameter.

Inkjet printers

In this type of printer, an image is created by spraying tiny ink bubbles onto the paper. Spraying is carried out either by the thermal method (by heating the ink in the nozzles) or by the electromechanical method (excessive pressure in the nozzles is created by piezoelectric elements). Almost all modern inkjet printers can print in both color and black and white. In terms of print quality, inkjet printers are close to laser ones. Their standard resolution is now 300 dpi, although in modern photo printer models this value can reach 1400 dpi.

Laser printers

This type of printer gets its name from a laser beam that forms areas with a neutral charge on a negatively charged photodrum. It is to these areas that the toner sticks, which is subsequently transferred to the positively charged paper. The resulting image is fixed by passing a sheet of paper between the heating and pressure rollers. Laser printers have high printing speeds and long cartridge life. Color printers of this type work on the same principle as black and white ones, but use toners of four colors when printing.

Light-emitting diode (LED) and liquid crystal (LCD) printers

The operating principle of such printers is almost identical to laser ones, only to form an image on the photodrum, LED printers use light-emitting diodes, and liquid crystal printers use an LCD matrix. In most cases, when people talk about laser printers, they also mean these two types. LED and LCD printers provide very high quality text and image printing.

Dot matrix printers

This type of printer uses an array of needles controlled by electromagnets. When an electrical signal is applied to the electromagnets, the needles hit the paper through the ink ribbon. In this case, points remain on the paper, from which letters or other symbols are formed when the paper and print head are moved. Dot matrix printers can print at speeds ranging from 50 to 500 characters per second. Print heads can contain from 9 to 24 needles. This type of printer is used where the determining parameter is low cost of printing. For example, for printing orders, delivery forms, salary slips, invoices, etc. Dot matrix printers can print multiple copies of a document simultaneously using carbon paper.

Solid ink inkjet printers

Briquettes made of synthetic wax with the addition of dye are used as a source of ink in this type of printer. During printing, the wax and dye are gradually melted and fed into the print head, which forms a pattern on the transfer drum. The formed pattern is transferred by rolling the drum on the paper. This type of printing ensures high clarity, good color rendition, high printing speed and print resistance to moisture. Solid ink printers are simpler and more reliable to use. Disadvantages include the sensitivity of prints to light, embossed printing, low resolution, and energy consumption of printers.

Sublimation Printers

This type of printer belongs to the class of professional printing devices for high-quality printing. With their help, you can create bright colorful images on photo paper, plastic cards, laser discs, mugs, etc.

When printing with this method, microscopic heaters are pressed against the dye film. The paint evaporates and is transferred to the paper. The more heat is applied, the more ink diffuses into the top layer of paper. This way the color saturation is adjusted.

In one pass, one color component of the image is printed, starting with yellow and ending with black. The dye film, placed inside special cartridges, is a Mylar ribbon, divided into segments with different dye colors. Due to the fact that sublimation ink is sensitive to ultraviolet light, images are sometimes covered with a special lamination layer.

The disadvantages of this type of printing include waste of ink ribbon and the need to use expensive special paper.

At the end of the review, I want to offer you a video about another type of printer - 3D printer.

The market offers a wide range of printing devices. Knowing what types of printers exist and how they differ will help you make the right choice. Each type of device has its own advantages and disadvantages. Having familiarized yourself in detail with the types of printers, you can choose the type that is most suitable for you for home use or for solving problems in the office.

Equipment manufacturers produce various models of peripheral devices for printing, which may differ in technical characteristics, appearance, size, and operating features. Depending on the technology used, the basis of the work is the following main types of printers:

  • matrix;
  • jet;
  • laser;
  • LED

The types of printers also include MFPs - a multifunctional device that performs several options. Each type has its own characteristics and characteristics, and also copes with different tasks. Before you go to the store to buy a new device, read more about the types of printers and their characteristics.

These are the first printing devices, the peak of their popularity was more than 10 years ago. Now their place has been taken by more modern models, so the production of matrix devices has practically ceased.

Principle of operation

The operating principle of dot matrix printers is in many ways similar to a typewriter. The device is based on a matrix that consists of needles (usually 9, 18 or 24). Now only devices with a 24-needle matrix are produced, which allows you to obtain the highest print quality. Between the paper that moves on the shaft and the printing unit (matrix) there is an ink ribbon. When the needles hit it, the points from them are transferred to the paper. Printing codes for characters, letters and numbers are stored in the device’s memory.

Advantages and disadvantages

Such printers have the following advantages:

  • low price of the device;
  • simultaneous printing of up to 3 copies (tracing paper must be placed between the paper);
  • printing on roll paper;
  • low cost of printing one sheet.

Dot matrix printers cannot provide high quality printing, and they are also quite noisy. Printers of this type are an excellent option for enterprises where there are no conditions for more modern models or where copies of documents are made in large volumes, but there are no high quality requirements. They are not suitable for home use due to poor print quality and noise.

Over the past decade, inkjet printers have made great progress in development. They allow you to obtain high quality color printing. Black and white models of such devices are no longer available.


Principle of operation

Inkjet printers print by spraying ink through very small nozzles. The image is made up of small dots. For printing, quick-drying inks of four colors are used:

  • Black (black);
  • Cyan (blue);
  • Magenta (magenta);
  • Yellow (yellow).

Modern inkjet photo printers use 6 colors, which allows for increased brightness and color saturation. Features of printing technology from different manufacturers may have slight differences.

Advantages and disadvantages

This type of printer is popular among users because it has the following advantages:

  • affordable cost of the device;
  • high quality color printing;
  • the ability to print photographs using special photo paper;
  • almost silent operation;
  • economical in terms of energy consumption;
  • Possibility of printing on paper, film and other materials.

Another advantage is the versatility of some models; for example, you can print photos from a camera without connecting to a computer.

The disadvantages include:

  • high cost of printing;
  • slow printing speed (compared to laser models);
  • high cost of maintenance (purchase of ink cartridges and special paper).


Inkjet devices are suitable for those who want to print high-quality photos and color documents. The low cost of models of this type captivates many users, but keep in mind that the cost of consumables will be high. If the device is rarely used for printing, the ink may dry out and cartridges will need to be replaced.

Nowadays, printers that use laser technology are the most common, as they provide high quality printing and are distinguished by productivity. In most cases, printers of this type provide monochrome printing, but there are also color models.


Principle of operation

The operation of a laser printer is based on a movable drum, like in a copier. Printing consists of several stages. First, a laser beam applies an image to a sheet of paper that moves on a drum. Afterwards, toner - a powder of electrically charged particles - is placed on the applied image and fixed by sintering while passing through a heated roller. The technology provides high-quality printing that is resistant to water and sun rays.

Advantages and disadvantages

Many users choose laser printers for their advantages:

  • high performance;
  • low cost of printing;
  • high printing speed;
  • high-quality printing, resistant to water and ultraviolet radiation;
  • low noise level.


The level of radiation is minimal, so the device does not pose any harm to human health. Can be used for printing documents in large volumes.

The main disadvantage of such devices is the high price compared to models using inkjet technology.

LED Printers

The new generation of printers using LED technology is still very expensive, so not everyone can afford such a model.


 Principle of operation

LED printing technology is in many ways similar to laser. The light source in such devices is not a laser beam, but a strip of LEDs. The use of this modern technology allows us to obtain high-quality printing.

Advantages and disadvantages

LED devices, like other types of printers, have their advantages and disadvantages. The main advantages are:

  • high print quality;
  • high speed;
  • silent operation;
  • performance.

Due to the high cost, this technique is still inferior in popularity to other types of printers.

A multifunctional device (MFP) is used for printing documents and photos, scanning and copying, receiving or sending faxes, as it combines the options of several peripheral devices at once.


Great for small offices with limited space, as well as home use. The combination of several peripheral devices in one allows you to save useful space.

Principle of operation

MFPs can be based on inkjet or laser technology, and models powered by LEDs are also appearing on the market. The operating features of the device depend on the technology used.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you are interested in what types of printers there are today, you have become familiar with the main varieties. According to many consumers, MFPs are an excellent option for home use and small offices. It has the following advantages:

  • combines several peripheral devices;
  • costs significantly less than purchasing each device separately;
  • allows you to save space;
  • has low printing costs;
  • can print on both sides;
  • has high performance.

Depending on the model, some MFPs can be used for printing documents and photographs, but at the same time, such devices also have their disadvantages:

  • if the MFP fails, the entire office will stop working;
  • when the toner runs out, the scanner may not work;
  • lower copy speed and higher cost per copy.

Knowing all the main types of printers will help you make a smart choice. It is impossible to answer unambiguously the question of how to choose the type of device, since it is necessary to take into account the assigned tasks (how often and how much you plan to print), the required quality, operating conditions, financial capabilities and other factors. Do not forget to consider the features, disadvantages and advantages of each type.