IT_Chapter_4B

Commonly Used Printers

• Impact printers

– Generate output by striking the paper

– Uses an inked ribbon

• Non-impact printers

– Use methods other than force

– Tend to be quiet and fast

• Dot matrix printers

– Impact printer

– Used to print to multi-sheet pages

– Print head strikes inked ribbon

– Line printers

– Band printers

– Speed measured in characters per second

• Ink-jet printers

– Non-impact printer

– Inexpensive home printer

– Color output common using CMYK

• Cyan, magenta, yellow, black

– Sprays ink onto paper

– Speed measured in pages per minute

– Quality expressed as dots per inch

• Laser printer

– Non-impact printer

– Produces high quality documents

– Color or black and white

– Print process

• Laser draws text on page

• Toner sticks to text

• Toner melted to page

– Speed measured in pages per minute

– Quality expressed as dots per inch

• All-in-one peripherals

– Scanner, copier, printer and fax

– Popular in home offices

– Prices are very reasonable

Comparing Printers

• Determine what you need

• Determine what you can spend

• Initial cost

• Cost of operating

• Image quality

• Speed

High-Quality Printers

• Special purpose printers

– Used by a print shop

– Output is professional grade

– Prints to a variety of surfaces

• Photo printers

– Produces film quality pictures

– Prints very slow

– Prints a variety of sizes

• Thermal wax printers

– Produces bold color output

– Color generated by melting wax

– Colors do not bleed

– Operation costs are low

– Output is slow

• Dye sublimation printers

– Produces realistic output

– Very high quality

– Color is produced by evaporating ink

– Operation costs are high

– Output is very slow

• Plotters

– Large high quality blueprints

– Older models draw with pens

– Operational costs are low

– Output is very slow