Printer Types: Different Types Of Printers [Complete Guide]

by Narendra

Laser printer, LED printer, and more. Here are best different types of printers you should know.

No doubt, printers make our life much easier and productive which gives us permission to obtain any types of digital information in output form which human easily readable like text, graphics, 3D, and more. Thanks to “Chester Carlson” the man behind the printer invention in 1938 and now onward the dry printing process which commonly knows as “xerox” is popular all over the world from decades.

But now in the era of the latest technology, there are various types of printers are launched with high-tech features, and a unique capability to do multiple tasks at once with high-quality work. Here in this article, you will know the complete details about different types of printers available in the market with their features.

What Is a Printer?

printers

The printer is a device that helps us to convert any computing data, information into a hardcopy i.e paper in the form of graphics, text, or any language. Printer initially programmed to well to understand computing language that after you seeing on different sizes of papers. Nowadays in different fields of work, different types of computer printers are using as per requirement. So let’s check out the latest & different types of printers.

Read: Types of Processors In Laptops

Types Of Printers

Here is the list of different types of printers at glance:

  • Laser Printer
  • LED Printer
  • Solid Ink Printer
  • Business Inkjet
  • Multifunction Printer
  • Dot Matrix Printer
  • 3D Printer
  • Plotter
  • Line Printer
  • Daisy wheel printer
  • Thermal Printer

1. Laser Printer

Here is the first type of printer, launched in 1971, by Gary Starkweather laser printer is one of the best types of printer. That employs laser technology to print text, images, graphics on different sizes of papers. Laser printers mostly used in offices, homes, and for small works because of various features, for instance, fast printing speed, low noise producing while printing, quality print out, and much more. Now let me tell you how a laser printer works.

Laser Printer

How does Laser Printer Works?

Here in laser printer, all the work has to be done by laser light, drum, a reservoir of toner and paper. So basically what happened is that, whenever you want to print something for e.g image, then computing information is transmitted through laser beam which strikes on drum (In form of dots it store & convey information) that rolls through toner reservoir where special coating of drum automatic attach ink and as of paper rolled through drum then ink is unattached and convert the computer language to letters or images.

Here printer “drum” plays a major role to accept computer language and transmitted it into paper in your understanding words and graphics.

What’s Great?
  • Fast printing speed.
  • Better quality of prints.
  • Small & not much expensive.
What’s Bad?
  • For a longer run, internal parts might wear.
  • Not capable to do longer works in big business.
  • Needs repair & maintenance for a better run.

2. LED Printer

The LED printer is another type of computer printer almost the same as laser printers but here it uses led instead of laser light it takes help of LED (light-emitting diode) lights as a source and contains fewer moving parts. Invented in 1989 by OKI named manufacturer and its successful invention many companies adopt the technology and now in 2020 led printer has come with high tech features that everyone loves.

LED Printer type

How Does LED Printer Works?

The led printer works same as a laser printer but here the light source is different which is LED. That makes difference is here in LED printer. led light directly to transmit the information to the rolling drum where paper and ink adhere “Here technology works to print systematic” that implies fast printing and use less moving part as compared to a laser printer.

What’s Great?
  • No Moving Parts and more reliable
  • Consume less energy
  • Fast Printing
  • Affordable in price
What’s Bad?
  • Lesser printing quality as compared to a laser printer
  • Not works well for large firms

3. Solid Ink Printer

Solid ink printer is another type of printer available in the market that very few ones know about, So what it is? As the name suggests solid ink that means printer that depends on the ink and yes, it totally depends on printer ink. In other computer printers, we use liquid ink reservoir but here in solid ink printer they are using solid ink which is basically a solid “wax”. that is installed in the place of ink. Let me tell you the working of solid ink.

Solid Ink Printer

How does solid ink printer work?

In printer, the solid ink colored or non colored “wax” is fixed, as we want to print something then stick attach to it start melting wax and as after click print button, it automatically transferred desired print on paper.

Unlike other print out, here paper gives ultimate colored finishes looks and feels waxy. no doubt it gives a great combination of color quality. If you have the patience to wait for 10 minutes to print a single page.

What’s great?
  • Awesome Print quality at low cost.
  • No wastage over a longer time period while not used.
  • Environment-friendly
What Bad?
  • Takes a long time to print a single paper. (Time-consuming)
  • Not perfect for instant print out.
  • Not a good option for high use users.

4. Business Inkjet Printer

Inkjet printer is one of the best types of printers when it comes to speed, features, and different purposes such as”Home & businesses”. Inkjet printer varies from low price model to high professional business works, due to various features & simple to use many businesses prefer inkjet options. Furthermore, an inkjet printer will give multi-colored and black & white prints that attract a buyer for multi print use.

Business Inkjet Printer

How does Inkjet Printer Works?

In simple words, there is important parts and mechanism required, one is cartridges where individually “inks” placed in tubes that help to deliver inks to propelling nozzle in between mechanism work that maintains the whole process. As of ink comes to propelling nozzle that works is to sparkle the ink systematically based on computing information that you have to print.

What’s Great?
  • Faster printing & Easy to operate
  • Compitable on home & businesses
  • Great Quality print out
What’s Bad?
  • Different price range as per feature and use. (Costly)
  • Maintenance Required

5. Multifunction Printer (MFP)

As the name implies “Multifunction printer” that you can also call as all in one printer in which you can do multi works, for instance, email, scanner, photocopies, fax, and normal printer as well. Multifunction printer always stays in public demand because of its features, compatibility and after using multi printer the user doesn’t need another type of printer and the most important reason people buy it because it works well in home and office works.

Multifunction printer

Furthermore, the multifunction printer comes in the various segments such as All-in-one, SOHO MFP, Office MFP, Production printing MFP. The printer comes in different ranges based on features.

6. Dot Matrix Printer

Dot-matrix printer is an old generation printer type, where to print it uses pins ranging from 9 to 24 which is attached to its print head part. The pins only have work to make a pattern on small dotted paper that forms desired characters. In dot matrix printer pins define quality & speed to print on paper. A mechanism to print works left to right and vice versa just like a typewriter.

Dot-matrix printer type

7. 3D Printer

3D printer is a different new type of computer printer through which a person can print any computing object into 3D model. Nowadays in 2020. 3D printer is most popular due to its awesome creative solid objects. but that doesn’t mean that 3d printer patent is new, in 1986 its first patent already issued successfully.

3D printer type

How does 3D Printer work?

3D printer works through excluding molten plastic material from a small nozzle hole, all the process of printing and material handling is done through computer control and 3d printer algorithm. Making a 3D model is quite a slower process in which layer by layer molten plastic dry and take shape.

What’s Great?
  • 3D object looks amazing.
  • Best for a complicated design project by making 3D print.
  • Not too much costlier as per feature
What’s Bad?
  • Slow process
  • Not affordable for everyone
  • Only use for 3D models.

8. Plotter Printer

Plotter is a type of printer which is used to draw line on paper for instance plotter print vector design, charts, graphs using pen. Moreover unlike other printers plotters don’t use for home alphanumeric printing, plotter mostly uses in printing banners, graphs in industries and maintained by engineers.

Plotter Printer

Plotter has two types:

  • Flat Bed Plotter
  • Drum Pen Plotter
What’s Great?
  • Print Large banners and charts more effectively with perfect axis.
  • Great quality of graphics printing can done.
What’s Bad?
  • Expensive
  • Not for home purpose
  • high maintenance cost.

9. Line Printer

Line printer is a printer that is used to print an entire single line on paper, due to its great feature, for instance, high-speed alphanumeric characters printing in a single line (300 to 3000 lines per minute) line printer can print, low cost, good quality and many more.

Line printer type

What’s Great?

  • Fast working for business forms in line
  • Not much costly
  • Easy to use

What’s Bad?

  • Not compatible for home use
  • You can not print images, desired text like other printers.
  • Less featured as compare to other printers

10. Daisy wheel printer

Daisy wheel printer is a type of printer that has a rotating letter wheel, to print computing information then every time the character wheel rotates until the printing character face to paper and then the hammer does its work by striking that character which leaves its character impression on paper that the way daisy wheel printer print document. It’s a very slow process and not compatible with home and business purposes so nowadays the daisy wheel printer no longer in use.

Daisy wheel printers type

11. Thermal Printer

Thermal printer is a different type of printer that is used to print ATM receipts, bills, or any disposable prints. Nowadays its called digital printing that fastly prints bills.

Thermal Printers type

How does Thermal printer work?

Three parts were responsible to print thermal images on paper. “Thermal Head, platen, Spring”. Thermal head has work to produce heat & print on paper, the platen is roller to feed paper and spring to apply pressure on head to print on thermal paper.

That’s how by controlled heating process on thermal paper the printing has done.

Wrapping Up: Types of computer printers

These were the complete major outline of different types of printers, in which some are used for home & small business and some major expensive printers are only made for the business to print high graphics images. Nowadays all printer comes with sub different categories with unique features in the different price range. Above all printers are different in their mechanism and there working. Check them out and choose wisely which is the best printer that suited your profession. Is there any printer that I miss that has some unique working mechanism then feel free to comment below.

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