Types of Printers

A printer is an electronic peripheral device used for replicating the contents seen on the computer system onto a physical material, usually paper of some kind. There are a number of different types of printers, including inkjet printers, laser printers, thermal printers and 3D printers.

The most common type of printer is the inkjet printer, which uses a print head to direct ink droplets onto the paper. The paper then passes through a set of rollers that fuse the toner particles to it. The result is a printed page with text, images and graphics. A typical home or office inkjet printer can produce up to 100 pages per minute.

Another popular type of printer is the laser printer, which uses a laser beam to draw on a selenium-coated drum. When the page is printed, electrical charges on the drum attract toner, which is transferred to a piece of paper and then fused to it using heat and pressure. Laser printers can print in black and white, or color.

Other types of printers include thermal printers, which selectively heat regions on heat-sensitive paper to create monochrome prints. These printers are commonly used in cash registers, ATMs, and gas stations. Finally, 3D printers use an additive process to build up a solid object from layers of plastic, metal, food, cement, or other materials.

The printer industry is struggling. Changes in communication preferences at home and work, new ways to store information digitally, and concerns about the environment have diminished the need for printing. I think well-executed features that solve some of the frustrations people have with printing could make them more interested in buying a printer again.