Choosing a Printer

A printer is a device that takes the text and images output from the computer system and reproduces them on physical media such as paper sheets or plastic cards. Printers are widely used in the office and in business. They have become an essential requirement for home computers as well. They allow individuals to save time from re-creating the data present in their computers on paper or other media.

In general, printers convert digital images and text into a physical copy by printing a series of minuscule dots onto the paper or card. This can be done in various ways using different technologies like Solid Ink, Thermal, Dot Matrix and Laser.

The printed image or text may be in color or black and white. In addition, a printer can print multiple copies at once. This makes them a great tool for offices that need to produce many documents at once. Depending on the type of printer, a user can also choose to print in high resolution. High-resolution printers produce clearer and sharper text and images.

When choosing a printer, it is important to consider how many pages it will be able to print per minute. The amount of memory a printer has is also an important consideration. Many modern printers come with a minimum of 2-16 megabytes of memory. In addition, it is possible to upgrade the memory on most printers. In the past, most printers were connected to computers with a parallel Centronics interface with 36 pin plugs. Nowadays, it is more common to use a USB or FireWire connection with smaller and less cumbersome plugs.