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Navigation: Home > Hardware Info Library and Tips
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This page has been provided to help shed some light on the importance of each type of device that is commonly installed in or available for today's computers.
Printers are still the only devices that are able to convert digital data to an ink-on-paper version. Four types of printers exist: Dot-matrix - the oldest of the group, prints by striking an ink-soaked ribbon with a collection of metal pins. Output is composed by a fine pattern of dots. Dot-matrix printers are noisy and slow but are greatly effective at printing on multipart forms. Inkjet or Bubblejet - prints by ejecting a supercharged "bubble" of colored ink onto the paper. These printers are much quieter and faster than dot-matrix and the least expensive graphic quality printers. However, because the ink is neither impressed nor heated output is prone to smudging if touched before it dries. Laser and LED - Laser/LED printers are the most expensive office quality printers on the market. They employ toner (fine black or colored electrically-charged dust) similar to photocopiers which is magnetically attracted and superheated to the paper by either a laser element or a series of small LED lights. These powerful printers require more service and space than any other printer. Plotter - A plotter is not exactly like the other three because of the way it prints. Instead of moving the paper in one direction under a stationary printhead platten, plotters can move the paper in both directions and the head traversely across the paper. In effect, plotters literally draw shapes rather than rows of dots. An added feature is the ability to use a small knife blade, instead of a pen, to cut material. | |||||||
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