A printer is a peripheral device that makes a permanent representation of graphics or text, usually on paper. It saves users from having to re-type information from a computer screen into a document. Moreover, it allows them to print hard copies of documents that can be signed and physically presented for use. Other functions include the ability to print receipts for online purchases, and to print colored pictures for use outside a monitor or mobile device.
There is no single inventor credited with the invention of the printer, but some early examples of mechanical printing devices include Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine from the 1800s and Dot Matrix printers developed by Data Products and Howtek in 1984. A more modern type of printer uses solid ink to create printed documents. The technology, developed by Visual Impact Corporation of Windham, New Hampshire, is similar to that used in laser printers.
The most common type of printer is the laser or non-impact printer. It consists of a selenium drum coated in toner, with electric charges on the surface. When the printer receives an instruction to print, a laser beam draws the image on a strip of drum paper with heat and pressure. This image is then transferred to the paper.
Another type of printer is a dot matrix or daisy wheel printer. These devices have a spherical printing head or digital wheel with raised typefaces and operate at rates up to 20 characters per second for dot-matrix printers, and 200 to 300 lines per minute for daisy wheel printers. These devices can also print bar codes. Some printers can even use a special plastic film that fuses to the surface of a card using heat and pressure. The benefit of this technology is that the print head never touches the card surface, so smart chips, ridges from internal RFID antennae and any other surface interruptions will not affect print quality.
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