What Is a Printer?

Printer is a peripheral device that takes the information seen on your computer system and prints it onto physical material, such as paper. It can be in the form of text, numbers or images and is used at work, home and school to create hard copies that can then be signed, viewed and handled.

The printer is an essential office tool, used to produce documents, brochures, forms and flyers. It can also be used to create colored pictures for personal use and business presentations. There are many different types of printers available which include 3D printers, laser printers and inkjet printers. These are the main types of printers that can be found in offices and homes today.

When choosing a printer it is important to consider its functionality, price and ink availability. It is a good idea to purchase your printer ink directly from the manufacturer as this will keep your warranty intact. However, many people find that buying it from a major retailer like Staples makes more economical sense.

In the past, mechanical printers were used, where a human operated a moveable type printing press to print pages of text on thin sheets of paper. This process involved a slow warm up time, allowing the inks to melt and adhere to the paper. Later, electronic printers were developed which used a laser to draw on a selenium drum. These were often monochrome only. In more recent times, electronic printers have become very popular due to their speed and cost-effectiveness.