Fundamentals of Computer > Output Devices > Printer and its Usage

Classification of Printers

Printers are classified according to a number of criteria:

1. Classification of printers according to printing capability: 3  types

1. Character printers: which prints one character of text at a time.
2. Line printers: which prints one line at a time

• Page printers: which prints one page of text at a time

1. Classification of printers according to technology used in printer manufacture: 2 types

1.  Impact Printers

These printers make physical contact with paper while printing. Example: Typewriter, Line printers, dot matrix printers etc.

1. Non-Impact Printers

These printers form characters and images on paper without making direct physical contact between printing mechanism and paper.  Example: Laser printers, ink-jet printers, etc.

Differentiate Between Impact & Non-impact Printers

Factors	Impact Printers	Non-impact Printers
1. Physical contact with paper	Yes	No
2. Making noise	Yes	Almost no
3. Printing quality (resolution)	Not good	Improved
4. Printing speed (ppm)	Slower	Faster
5. Maintenance cost	Low	High
6. Initial cost	Low	High
7. Type of papers needed	Any type	Special type
8. Examples	Dot-matrix printer, Daisy-wheel printer etc.	Laser printer, ink-jet printer etc.

 

Using the above differentiation, we can also make contrast between dot-matrix and laser printers.

Factors for Choosing a Printer

In evaluating printers, four criteria are most important, these are:

1. Image Quality or Print Resolution: The image quality or print resolution is usually measured in dpi (dots per inch). The more the dpi of a printer, the higher its image quality.
2. Speed: Speed of a printer is measured by the number of pages per minute (ppm) the device can print. Note that the speed of a dot matrix printer is measured by cps (characters per second).
3. Initial Cost: The cost of new printers has fallen dramatically while their capabilities and speed have improved.
4. Cost of Operation: The cost of ink, ribbon, or toner and maintenance varies with the type of printer. The choice of papers can also affect the cost of operation.

Prev

Terms Related to a Printer

Next

Monitor and its Usage

Feedback

Submit