What Is a Printer?

printer

A printer is a machine that prints out text or images. A printer can be connected to a computer and then used to make copies of documents or other information that is stored on the computer.

Various types of printers exist, broadly categorized as impact and non-impact.impact printers use a special “dot-matrix” print head to physically strike a sheet of paper. Other technologies include laser printers, inkjet printers and thermal printers.

PDL & PL: Printer drivers convert electronic data sent to your computer into code that your printer can understand, and then send it to the appropriate output device. The code is usually in Page Description Language (PDL) or Postscript language (PL).

Drivers can be installed on any type of computer, including Macs and Windows. They are necessary for printing, because most computers do not have printers built in.

Connecting the printer: Most printers connect to your computer via a USB cable or Wi-Fi network. Some printers can also be connected by Bluetooth technology.

Memory: The amount of memory that your printer has affects how quickly it can print a document. More memory means you can handle larger files and faster printing.

Speed: A printer’s speed refers to how many pages it can print per minute. This can range from 3 to 6 sheets per minute for an inexpensive printer, to 10+ pages per minute for a more expensive model.

A plotter is a new generation of printer that has the ability to cut different shapes out of a large sheet of material. It is typically used in advertising, sign-making, bill board and vehicle graphics.