The printing world has expanded significantly over the time, and this made it possible to have different types of printers. When it comes to the convenience of inkjet printers up to the efficiency of the laser, knowing the various types of technologies is very important.
This article is aimed at revealing the options of the printers and its efficiencies, and inefficiencies when used in different contexts.
A buyer needs to be familiar with printers to be able to make a good choice as to which one to buy. Thus, this article will give a clear comparison of all the printer technologies, as well as their uses and their shortcomings.
Overview
| Feature | Laser Jet | Ink Jet | Solid Ink Printer |
| Technology | Toner powder fused to paper | Ink droplets sprayed onto paper | Solid wax sticks |
| Print Quality | High-quality text, good for graphics | High-quality images, good for photos | Very high quality for photos and graphics |
| Print Speed | Fast | Moderate | Relatively slow |
| Cost per Page | Lower in the long run due to toner efficiency | Higher in the long run due to ink consumption | Lower than inkjet, higher than laser |
| Initial Cost | Higher than inkjet, but often lower overall cost over time | Lower than laser jet | Higher |
| Maintenance | Low maintenance | Can require frequent cartridge cleaning | Low |
| Applications | Office documents, reports, marketing materials | Photos, graphics, home documents | High-quality photo printing |
| Typical Use | Offices, schools, businesses | Homes, small offices, creative professionals | Photo labs, graphic design studios |
Inkjet Printers | Liquid ink | Best Domestic use Printer
The types of printers, which are most widely used in homes and for individual use, are inkjet printers. Its use is liquid ink in order to make bright and sharp pictures and lettering.
They include the inkjet printers that are useful for both document and picture printing thus are common with people and small businesses.
However, ink cartridges that some of these printers use might be relatively expensive in the long run, and the quality of the prints will be affected if the printer has not been used often.
Laser Printers | Toner | Bes Commercial use Printers
Laser printers are some of the fastest, most efficient printers with excellent text quality. Laser printers are those machines which use lasers and cartridges filled with toner powder to produce images on paper. They are suitable for offices and companies that have many duties to accomplish as well as generate many papers and sharp texts. Although buying a laser printer is expensive as compared to an inkjet printer in the beginning, the cost per page turns out to be cheaper because of the toner cartridges.
Solid Ink Printers | Wax ink,Commercial
The solid ink printer employs a solid wax-based ink stick that is different from liquid ink or toner. It provides excellent production of colored prints and a high resolution as well as is characterized by a relatively rich rate of generating the prints.
Industrial and professional users in the fields of graphic arts, photography and proofing use solid ink printers mainly.
Nonetheless the price of ink sticks may be higher than other types of cartridges, and the printers belonging to this category are generally bulky and costly in comparison with such types as inkjet or laser ones.
Other Printer Types
Inkjet and laser printers are the two most commonly used types of printers, there are several other types of printers that are available and designed to serve different purposes.
- Continuous Ink Printers: These are usually used for printing that involves many copies as they do not require ink cartridges as most printers require and are always in a continuous flow of ink.
- LED Printers: Like laser printers, led printers work with the help of light-emitting diodes or LEDs instead of lasers to make images. It often contains features of higher print speed and less power use.
- Dot Matrix Printers: Type of printer that is mostly used for producing multipart forms and receipts, dot matrix printers use small pins to transfer ink on the paper.
- 3D Printers: They build up an object layer by layer mostly using a metallic or plastic material to form the object.
- Thermal Printers: Thermal printers are normally employed in the preparation of receipt and labels since they employ heat to print on heat delicate papers.
Choosing The Right Printer
Deciding on the right printer can be made on the following factors: budget, number of prints to be produced, quality of print and the need for the print. Consider the following when making a decision:
- Print Volume: Thus, for a small amount of printing, one can use an inkjet printer for low to moderate levels of printing necessary. On the other hand, for a higher number of print outs, a laser printer is more appropriate.
- Print Quality: If high quality of the photo is relevant an inkjet or a solid ink printer is advised. For those text-based documents, it is none other than a laser printer that hits the mark.
- Cost: Laser printers, on the other hand, are cheaper to operate in the long run than inkjet printers because of the ink cartridges that are used in the inkjet printers.
The general attribute of most laser printers is that even though up-front prices for these printers are comparatively elevated compared to other types, the cost per single page in the long run is significantly lower.
Additional Features: Some of the printers have added features like scanning, photocopying and faxing among other related providers.As seen by the analysis of those features above, the effectiveness of the choice of the required printer will be higher if the detailed consideration of the specific needs and available funds is provided.
Conclusion
The current market of printers also contains a great variety of models, and their distinctive characteristics have their benefits and drawbacks.
Therefore it is important to compare Inkjet printers, Laser printers, solid ink printers as well as other types of printers in order to make a wise decision.
Making the right choice of the printer requires following parameters to be taken into consideration that include print volume, print quality, cost, and need.
Thus, taking all such factors into consideration, one could easily find the most suitable printer for the needs of the business and complement its efficiency.
FAQs
Q:Which printer is best for students?
A: This kind of printer is specifically an inkjet all in one printer and this is preferred by students due to the versatility that comes with the model. It can print documents as well as scan assignments that are saved in the form of a document.
Q: How does a small business owner select a printer for their business?
A: One should consider the purpose of the printer within the business environment when choosing one. If one intends to perform a large number of prints on texts, then a laser printer should be used. If you wish to print graphics or photos, an inkjet or a solid ink printer could be more appropriate.
Q.What is the main classification of printers?
A.The two main categories are:The two main categories are:
- Impact Printers: These printers actually hit the paper and make an imprint by an inbuilt hammer. Some of the examples can be dot matrix and line printers.
- Non-impact Printers: These printers do not physically come into contact with the paper. These are jet ink printers, laser, and thermal printers.
Q.How many types of printing are there?
A.There are numerous types of printers, but they can be categorized into several main groups based on technology:There are numerous types of printers, but they can be categorized into several main groups based on technology:
- Inkjet printers
- Laser printers
- Solid ink printers
- Thermal printers
- Dot matrix printers
- 3D printers
- Large format printers
- Multifunction printers (MFPs)
