What Is a Printer?

printer

A printer is a hardware output device that prints text or images on paper. It is usually connected to a computer and receives commands from it to print the desired document. It can also be used in a standalone mode without a computer through a memory card or other portable data storage devices. Printers come in a variety of types such as laser, inkjet, thermal, and dot matrix. It is important to know the type of printer you need to match it with your work requirements.

Some printers are capable of printing both black and white texts as well as color documents. They do this by using a special ink that contains multiple dyes or pigments. The ink is deposited onto the paper using a series of tiny nozzles that spray droplets of the ink. These nozzles are then heated by the heat from an LED or laser beam. When the nozzles heat up, they stick to the surface of the paper. The toner from the ink cartridge is then attracted to the areas that are not positively charged and a series of rollers then transfers the toner onto the paper.

Depending on the type of printer, the speed at which it can print may be measured in units such as characters per minute (cpm) or lines per minute (lpm). Today, most laser printers support manufacturer proprietary Page Description Languages (PDLs) and PostScript, while most inkjet devices use ESC/P.