Printers are of the following types. What types of printers are there?

Many users have already dealt with printers, but not everyone will be able to answer the question of what a printer is. So the printer is external device personal computer, the main function of which is to output graphics/text stored on a PC onto a hard drive. The latter is most often used paper or polymer film. It is also worth noting that this device is usually used where printing in small quantities is needed from units to several hundred without creating the so-called. printed form.

This is precisely what makes these devices different from the equipment used in modern printing, which makes it possible to print paper products of several thousand copies cheaper and faster.

The printing process is usually called “printing”, and the resulting document is called a “hard copy” or “printout”. It should also be added that a special variety called a plotter has become somewhat widespread.

About the main characteristics

When purchasing such printing equipment, you must take into account the main characteristics of the printer. This will allow you not to make a mistake with your choice, otherwise your purchase may become a waste of time and money.

• One of the most important characteristics of any such device is its resolution, measured in dpi - dots per inch. The higher it is, the higher quality and detailed image you can print on it.
• Speed ​​is also an equally important characteristic, especially for large offices. Usually this parameter for printers whose devices are designed for inkjet printing, the rate is from 3 to 8 pages of text per minute. But in the case of printing illustrations, the speed drops significantly and printing one page can take from 1 to 5 minutes. As for laser devices, this parameter ranges from 7-20 standard pages.
• U laser printers there is another one important characteristic, namely: the volume of built-in random access memory. The more there is, the faster it will be printed. necessary documentation. The typical value is usually 4-8 MB. But it is not always enough, so some models of laser devices provide the possibility of increasing this memory.
• Separately, the inkjet machine has the ability to print photos in color. For this purpose, this device must be equipped with a special photo cartridge. There are inkjet printer models that are initially designed for making photographs and quite often directly from a digital camera, without the participation of a PC. Often, a separate type of paper called photo paper is used for this purpose.
• There is also such a characteristic as the type of connection interface, i.e. connecting office equipment to a data source. Most modern printing devices are equipped with a USB port, because... Information is transmitted an order of magnitude faster via the Universal Serial Bus - this, in turn, makes it possible to increase printing speed. But there are models that are equipped with an LPT or COM port. In addition, some printers have the ability to connect via wireless communication via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and infrared.
• Paper supply method. IN modern models Printing devices can load paper from either the bottom or top tray. The first method is called horizontal, and the second - vertical feed.
• In addition, printing devices of this type have such a characteristic as compatibility. Devices of professional models, as a rule, have PostScript support, but for personal devices, full PostScript support is very rare. To a greater extent, they are only able to partially emulate this language, which is generally quite enough. There is also PCL, a language that acts as a standard for many laser printers.

Classification

Based on the printing principle, printers are mainly divided into inkjet, laser and matrix types. Of course, there are several other printing technologies, for example, sublimation, but they are used much less frequently. There is also the so-called LED printing, which is similar to laser printing, but instead of a laser beam and a system of mirrors, it uses a line with LEDs.

• The inkjet variety has been losing ground to its laser counterparts in recent years, but due to its low cost it is still in some demand. If you are interested in the answer to the question of how a printer of this type prints, then it should be said that text or graphics on paper when using such a device are formed from dots. For this purpose, the so-called a print head that carries out the printing process using ink. Such a printer is a device consisting of a carrier system block, a paper supply system, a print head, a cartridge or CISS, and a control system. It should be added that, depending on the type of material printed, such a printer can be roll, flatbed, souvenir and hybrid (roll + flatbed). .
• With laser devices, an image is formed by creating and superimposing dots on paper. It happens that users have a question about what a printer of this type does to print graphic and text information. Initially, the document is formed in the device’s memory and only then is it transferred to a special printing mechanism. Each image is formed using points located accordingly on the cells of the matrix/grid. A laser printing machine consists of a laser scanning unit, a unit responsible for transferring the image, and a unit responsible for fixing the image. The unit for transferring graphic and text information means a cartridge and an element such as a transfer roller. The laser in such a device generates a thin beam of light due to a microcontroller, which, in fact, controls it. From this article you can learn more about.
• As for a matrix device, the functions of a printer of this type are to form an image using a print head consisting of large quantity the finest needles. The quality of printing text or graphics in this case is determined by the number of needles located on the matrix. They are driven by electromagnets. It should be noted that some types of matrix devices equipped with 24 pins have the ability to print color pictures through the use of multi-color ribbon. Despite not high quality printing, such printers have several advantages, which include a long service life, low cost of consumables and low cost of printing one sheet of paper. .

In addition, depending on the number of colors, monochrome and color printers are distinguished. On the latter, the following colors are most often used as a base: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. In addition to these basic colors, such printing devices can be equipped with “lights,” the use of which allows one to increase the apparent resolution. Some models are additionally equipped with white color, which is necessary when printing on color media.

In addition, depending on their design features and the method of generating text/graphics, printers are divided into impact and non-impact models. There is also a classification based on the possibility of printing information of a graphic type - in this case, such office equipment can be graphic and alphanumeric.

Thus, printers differ from each other not only in price or print quality and speed, but also in their operating principle, color capabilities and resolution. All modern manufacturing companies of such office equipment strive to increase the printing speed of their devices, improve the quality of the finished printout and reduce the costs associated with printing. In general, from year to year, printing equipment such as printers becomes more and more advanced, reliable and fast.

Working with information involves the use of various types of media. IN modern world Most operations with text and graphic data are performed on a computer, but this approach does not eliminate the possibility of converting digital materials into a form suitable for physical circulation. In other words, any information from a computer can be transferred to a hard drive. The most common tool for performing this operation is a printer. This is a high-tech device that can be considered as one of the components of the external peripherals of a PC. The main purpose of the printer is to transfer digital information onto paper or a special polymer film. But its functions are not limited to this.

Purpose and main tasks of the printer

On the modern market there are rarely models that perform only the function of a printer as a printing medium. As a rule, these are multifunctional devices that also implement the operations of a copy machine, scanner and fax. Another thing is that the main and additional functionality is optimized for computer technology and is less and less reminiscent of traditional machines in terms of execution technology. So what does a printer do? Even the user of a budget device will be able to print high-quality text information, as well as transfer images from paper to digital form. Actually, this is the basic task that this technique is aimed at.

An auxiliary option can be reduced to the possibility of applying protective layers to paper (lamination), stitching (creating binding), etc. At this stage of development, the printer with a scanner is being improved not by increasing functionality, but in the characteristics of print quality. However, the developers endow the models with new capabilities from the point of view of organizing the management process. Thus, wireless communication technologies between the printer and computer, automatic control modules and other innovative developments are being implemented.

Printer device

In its standard version, the printer is a small plastic block containing equipment for printing. Physically, the work process is ensured by an ink pump, a drive mechanism and fixing elements. The device has its own characteristics, which also provides LED Strip Light. Such models work on the principle of photocopy printing. The photodrum occupies a special place in the design of laser devices. This is an aluminum cylinder, the surfaces of which are highly sensitive to light. Depending on the lighting, this block can change the electrical resistance - this is the basis for the ability to transfer an image in one form or another due to laser exposure.

A separate place is also occupied by the transfer tape and the development unit. In the first case, the ribbon element serves to apply intermediate images from different drums associated with ink cartridges. Bypassing this technological stage, toner transfer mechanisms efficiently transfer information to paper. In addition, the laser printer device is characterized by a more technologically advanced implementation of the print head, equipped with hundreds of active nozzles. These are no longer linear elements for dispensing ink, but highly precise means of dispersing ink droplets.

Types of printer

There are more than a dozen types of printers, differing both in design and operating principle. However, the most widespread are inkjet, matrix and the aforementioned laser models. These types of printers and their purposes are largely related and similar. Developers different devices pursue the same goals - obtaining high quality printing with minimum costs and at optimal speed. The basic one in the classification can be called a matrix printer. It is almost never used at home, but it was the platform of such models that gave impetus to the further development of the segment. The result of technological advancement was the emergence of the inkjet printer. This device is characterized by high speed, ink capability and an affordable price. But such a device does not cope well with large volumes - in any case, its operation for such needs will be more expensive in terms of costs for consumables.

A laser printer can be the optimal solution in various aspects of application. The advantages of such a device include high speed of operation, economical consumption of consumables and stable maintenance of print quality. However, which is determined by the impact action of the needle elements, it is even more economical. By the way, it is 24-pin matrix printers, rather than laser printers, that are more often used when working with official documents. But, again, for home use It is more advisable to choose laser models.

Operating principle of the equipment

Now it’s worth learning more about the operating principles of printers. Most modern devices operate using image transfer technologies using photosensitive elements. These can be either direct laser models or LED models. They have a lot in common, but the working part is formed in one case by a laser, and in the other by LEDs. Both devices may use different approaches to transfer toner. For example, a common printer with a scanner has a two-component development system. IN in this case ink particles intended for movement into the photodrum are not held on the magnetic shaft of the developing unit on their own, but stick to the magnetic powder of the developer carrier. Another operating principle involves the initial mixing of developer and paint particles. In non-magnetic models, application is carried out without the use of active additives at all - these are toners that work on the principles of electrostatics.

They are gradually becoming a thing of history, but, as already noted, in some areas models that work with sets of needles are still used. These are classic matrix devices driven by electromagnets. Mechanical principle The operation of a dot matrix printer is based on the function of the head, which moves on a special carriage and controls the operation of the needles. The latter form an image on the working surface through the ink ribbon due to impacts.

Features of 3D printers

Just a few years ago, the printer segment was supplemented with a fundamentally new development - a 3D device. Its task is to create full-fledged three-dimensional products, the parameters of which are also set on a computer. Accordingly, the purpose of a printer of this type is significantly different. If traditional models and laser devices are focused on transferring text and graphic information, as a rule, on paper, then in this case we can talk about transferring computer model in real form.

In size, such models most often correspond to conventional printers, but their design is much more complex. The main working component is also a special head from which material is layered. This is an extruder, which, unlike the same matrix with printing needles, works not with ink, but with plastics. Typically, polymers applied to the working area with a nozzle form the target object. By the way, the construction industry is gradually mastering the industrial use of the printer, which can build small houses. The mortar is loaded into the feeding equipment, after which the device applies it in a special sequence to the building site.

What paper is used for the printer?

One of the main characteristics of paper printer consumables is size. The most common format is series A. B international standard This range of standard sizes is recommended as a medium for general documentation. If paper is required for a printer used in the printing industry, then it is advisable to use B series material. For envelopes, C formats are more often used. The most common for home and office use are A4 sheets.

Paper is also characterized by such qualities as density and brightness. As for density, it is determined by the mass of one unit of sheet area. For example, an indicator of 80 g/m2 can be called optimal. The device may simply jam paper with a lower density, while sheets with a heavier weight may not pass through. If the printer is used for printing important official documents, then the brightness of the paper should also be taken into account. It is determined by percentages - snow-white paper with a brightness coefficient of 100% is considered the highest quality. But it also costs more, so ordinary users often turn to sheets that have 80-90% brightness.

Operating the Printer

The printer can only be used if it is securely installed. The device must be placed on a flat surface and remain stable. It should be taken into account that during operation some models may vibrate strongly, so the stability of the base is very important. Direct control of the device’s functions is carried out using the panel on which the buttons are located. These can be traditional mechanical or touch keys. As a rule, manufacturers designate each button with a symbol corresponding to a particular operation. The equipment can be used both as a stand-alone device and as a network component. In the second case, you need to know the address network printer, which is entered into the system. To do this, use the equipment configuration parameters to set the task of printing characteristics. The sheet of paper will reflect both the network address and other important information about the specific device.

Equipment service

Checking the operating status of the printer has great importance from the point of view of maintaining the optimal quality of performance of its functions. Regardless of what the main purpose of the printer will be, it is advisable not to leave it unused for a long time. At least once a week, a regular inkjet machine should print 1-2 pages. Otherwise, there is a risk of the ink drying out, which will lead to serious mechanical problems. In addition, it is important to prevent all possible risks of contamination of the housing - especially dust that can penetrate into critical functional parts of the printer.

Most modern models are equipped automatic systems control and diagnostics of working equipment. Through the settings, the user can assess the condition of the nozzles, their cleanliness and readiness for use. If you use high-quality printer paper that is suitable for the format, the service life will also be extended. A common mistake that owners of inkjet models make is using paper designed for laser devices. In such cases, there is also a risk of clogging of the working heads, which inevitably entails the need for repairs.

Popular printer models

In the inkjet segment one of best solutions today is a modification of the PIXMA G1400 from Canon. The device is not the cheapest by budget standards, but this nuance is compensated by the quality of the device. For 9 thousand rubles. You can count on a balanced, continuous ink supply system, as well as decent photo printing performance. Among the inexpensive laser models, the SP 150w from Ricoh stands out. The device is distinguished by its compactness, optimized design and ergonomic additions - for example, shelves for storing sheets. If you need a printer printout in a professional production environment, then you can consider the Kyocera line. The company offers high-tech models specifically for productive work in the office. In particular, the FS-9530DN provides high-quality printing, allowing you to significantly save on ink. True, it's worth it this model about 100 thousand

Conclusion

Simplification of physical operations with printers is one of the main directions of development of printing equipment. Thus, the means of interaction with the device for both the user and the computer are being improved. In terms of technical components, there is also an improvement in performance indicators - this applies to both the working resource and its efficiency. But the fundamentally modern printing printer does not change. We can say that the introduction of laser and LED printing components has become the latest and most successful stage in the development of such technology in recent years. Manufacturers are also mastering other ways to implement functional equipment, but the result is, rather, experimental or highly specialized products that cannot compete with the same laser equipment in a wide market.

A printer is a technical device. The circulations it can cover are small - from 1 to 100 sheets. The first appeared in 1969 thanks to scientists who figured out how to make a well-known device with laser printing from a copy machine.

Classification of printers.

• Based on the principle of image formation they are divided into three categories: sequential formation, which creates text character by character. Next come line and page.
• By printing method They are divided into shock and unstressed.
• According to the color spectrum for colored ones and not.
• By type of material. There are:

1. rolls equipped with winding;
2. sheet intended for printing on film and paper;
3. souvenir printers used for printing on disks, gadgets and for affixing stamps;
4. allowing you to print three-dimensional forms of 3D devices.

• By type of ink used:

1. alcoholic drinks that are not widely used;
2. the most common solvent ones;
3. oil used in industrial production;
4. allowing to obtain high-resolution pigment images;
5. UV-curable, which is an analogue of solvent ink.

1. resolution - measured in the number of dye dots applied per inch of paper, the size of the smallest details;
2. the number of colors that the finished image can convey;
3. speed - the number of pages and characters that the device can print in one second or minute.

What are the different types of printers based on their operating principle, their advantages and disadvantages.

For rare use, most often purchased laser printers. They differ from others in their satisfactory speed, image quality and affordable price.

The operating principle of laser machines largely coincides with the operating principle of Xerox machines: using ink powder - toner. Text and pictures are first applied to the drum, after which they are transferred to sheets and baked using thermal units.

Important! The simplest laser printer prints from 10 to 20 pages per minute.

The benefits of use include:

• the possibility of not using the device for a long time during which the toner does not deteriorate or dry out;
• low cost of parts and consumables;
• resistance of the finished image to high temperatures and moisture;
• ease of operation;
• the fact that toner cartridges can be refilled yourself using compatible consumables.

Important! If the printer is blocked due to a lack of toner, you can reflash it or change the chip on the cartridge.

The disadvantages include:

• release of ozone, acetone and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere during operation;
• presence of nodes with high power consumption;
• the possibility of breakage due to a misplaced paper clip or crumpled sheets;
• lack of stability in impressions.

A subtype of laser devices has become led printers, which differ from them in source. While laser devices have one beam, LED devices have a whole battery. They do not move; each point has its own light bulb.

The undeniable advantages include high speed and quality. The key disadvantage is considered to be high cost and low prevalence.

Laser devices can compete with inkjet printers. The image on the sheet consists of microscopic dots. There is a head inside the machine that applies liquid paint to paper sheets.

Important! These printers differ from each other in the type of ink used and speed.

Inkjet devices are suitable for those who want to print high quality images. However, users need to take into account that liquid paints can dry out if left idle for a long time, and changing them is not that cheap. Previously, they used only 4 colors:

• yellow;
• blue;
• purple;
• black.

In modern models, two more colors were added, which increased brightness and saturation ready-made images. The advantages of inkjet devices include:

• price;
• quality of finished images;
• possibility of using photo paper;
• quiet operation;
• low power consumption during operation;
• the ability to print on different media;
• multifunctionality.

Among the disadvantages are high cost and slow speed. In addition, ink cartridges are much more expensive than, for example, color toner for a laser device.

Next in the ranking is matrix printer. For a long time it was used as a standard device that helps to transfer information from a computer to paper. Matrix devices were used even when laser and inkjet analogs had already appeared. They differed from them in their low price, but the image quality left much to be desired.

The advantages of such devices include:

• cheap consumables;
• ability to print on all types of paper;
• ability to print on paper with big amount layers.

Among the disadvantages are:

• that dot matrix printers print very slowly and loudly;
• that the quality of the images is very poor;
• that color printing is practically impossible.

Important! Most often, matrix devices are used for printing on forms.

3-D printers occupy a separate category of devices used for printing. Resembling a large box with glass allowing the process to be observed, they create shaped objects based on visual drawings.

During operation, the device uses ceramic powder, plastic threads and photopolymer resins, which, when combined gradually, layer by layer, create a given pattern.

Important! What could take a long time to create by hand can be quickly printed on a 3-D printer.

Devices that combine a number of functions deserve special attention: scanning, copying, printing photos and documents, receiving and sending faxes. That's what they call them - multifunctional devices or "MFP". Compact-sized MFPs are used for work in offices and at home, since combining the functions of several peripheral devices, they take up little space, operate quickly and are almost silent. The operating principle of the MFP is to use inkjet or laser technologies. You can also find LED MFPs in stores.

The advantages of using multifunctional devices include:

• low cost relative to purchasing each device separately;
• space saving;
• low cost of printing;
• the ability to simultaneously print on both sides of a paper sheet;
• high productivity;
• Possibility of printing photos on photo paper.

The disadvantages of MFPs include:

• the fact that if one of the nodes fails, the rest will not be able to work;
• low speed of copying paper documents;
• the fact that if the MFP fails, work can stop in the entire office.

In addition to the above types of printers, which differ in their operating principles, there are several other types. Some of them have already ceased to be in demand, and some are used only for certain purposes. Such machines include:

1. Sublimation printers. Different good level color rendering and high quality sublimation printers are used in printing houses.
2. Drums. Drum printers have long ceased to be used due to the fact that when printing letters were often located on different levels, “danced” and “ran” across the paper. The design of such machines was based on a drum with imprints of symbols, which, when rotating, left the necessary letters and numbers on the paper.
3. Petalaceae. Another type of printer that has sunk into oblivion is the petal type. He printed using a flexible disk with petals located on it. During the work, the petals touched the tape with paint and paper, leaving certain marks on it.

When planning to purchase a printer, you need to determine a few key points for yourself:

1. The type of printer based on its operating principle and other criteria that is better than others for home or office use. For home use, it is recommended to purchase cheaper laser models; for offices, MFPs are suitable.
2. The print format that covers the device. For students who work with A4 format, any of the printers described above will be suitable. It is necessary to specifically buy machines that could print text on A2 and A1 sheets only for work in offices and design bureaus.
3. Print speed. Just like other criteria, the desired print speed depends on where and how the printer will be used. For your home, it is better to purchase a not very powerful and slow laser printer. For offices, it is necessary to buy high-torque and fast machines with high printing speed.
4. Availability additional functions. The possibility of double-sided printing, a display, connectors for USB cables and connectors for a card reader will greatly simplify use, but will also increase the price of the device by 2 or 3 times.

People who want to use types of printers to print educational materials and sometimes photographs should not purchase expensive models with high print quality and speed. Color inkjet printers, which are inexpensive and easy to maintain, are perfect for such needs. The main thing is not to forget to periodically drive the car to avoid allowing the paint to stagnate for long periods of time.

A printer. The history of the creation of the printer.

Printer - from the English word “print” - seal.

The printer is external peripheral device computer, designed to output text or graphic information stored in the computer onto a solid medium (paper, polymer film, etc.), without creating printed forms. In this way, printers differ from printing equipment, which is used for large print runs of texts and graphics.

A printer is a high-tech printing device designed primarily to work with a computer.

The printer is designed to convert information stored in a computing device from digital form into graphical analog form so that this information can be easily understood by the user.

Prehistory of the creation of the printer.

The history of the invention of the prototype “printer” is often associated with the name of the mathematician Charles Babbage, who in 1822 began developing a self-printing machine. He believed that such devices would be effectively used in banking, engineering and other fields.

In 1834, Charles Babbage began work on real creation the machine he designed, but never completed it. And only 150 years later, the staff of the British Science Museum decided to make Charles Babbage's printing machine according to the surviving drawings. As it turned out, Babbage’s machine turned out to be functional; it could make simple calculations and display the results on paper. But this machine weighed several tons and consisted of thousands of parts!

The photograph shows Charles Babbage's difference engine,

which is presented at the London Science Museum.

The history of the creation of the printer.

The history of “printers” began its real movement after the invention of the first computers.

Petal printers.

In the 1950s the first electronic computers, and immediately there was a need to display the results of the calculations performed for their visual perception and further processing. At that time, the most common device for this purpose was the typewriter, and computer centers had to maintain a staff of typists who pounded keys all day long.

It was then that the inventors began to think about how to combine a typewriter with a computer. And so in 1953, the Remington-Rand corporation created the Uniprinter printing device, which appearance and its operating principle was reminiscent of a typewriter, only it was many times larger in size. Such devices are called petal devices, because of the main printing mechanism, which looks like a flower with petals, at the end of which symbols were applied. The impact mechanism hit the petal, and it left an imprint on the paper through the paint-soaked tape. By replacing one “daisy” with another, you could change the characters or font size.

The photo shows a petal printer.

These printers printed at a speed of 78,000 characters per minute, and naturally not a single typist could keep up with them: the average human typing speed is 200 characters per minute.

In 1954-1955, the IBM corporation created printers with a printing speed of 100 thousand characters per minute, however, they were not very reliable and were not widely used. But in 1959, the IBM 1403 printer was released, with a printing speed of 184,800 characters per minute. The paper flew out of the printer at such a tremendous speed that there was no time to collect it. This, however, did not affect the print quality in any way: it was quite high. Such devices were also produced in the Soviet Union, only they were called differently: not printers, but ADPUs - alphanumeric printing devices.

Matic printers.

The printing principle of dot matrix printers is similar to petal printers. The only difference is that the imprint on the paper through the ink ribbon is not a petal with a letter, but a print head that forms the desired symbol from a set of small needles.

The first dot matrix printer was created in 1964 by Seiko Epson, and it was intended for printing precise time.

In 1970, Centronics Data Computer Corporation developed its dot matrix printer, becoming their largest manufacturer throughout the decade. The printing speed of such printers was low, but they could print any complex graphics and did not need specific petals.

The first printer that can rightfully be called a home printer is the ImageWriter dot matrix printer, which went on sale in 1983 along with Apple computer, and cost “only” $675.

The photo shows a dot matrix printer.

Since then, dot matrix printing technology has not changed much, and while petal printers left us long ago, dot matrix printers are still in successful use today. This is due to the low cost of matrix printing. All consumables: This is a reel of ink ribbon that costs almost nothing and lasts a long time.

Inkjet printers.

Dot matrix printers gave good results when printing, but they were very noisy, and the quality of their printing still leaves much to be desired.

The dream of a quiet, cheap printer with high print quality never left the minds of computer inventors.

A new step in improving printers was made possible by the invention of physicist John William Strett (Lord Rayleigh), who studied the formation of droplets in a disintegrating stream of liquid. These studies formed the basis of inkjet printing technology, which was developed in parallel with petal and matrix printing.

So, in 1948, a prototype of a printing device capable of printing with controlled jets of ink was created in the Siemens laboratory. But before truly properly functioning inkjet printers appeared in the world, almost a quarter of a century passed. All these many years, scientists have been improving the inkjet printing method, putting theoretical ideas into practice.

In the early 1970s - mid-1980s, engineers from leading companies such as Epson, Brother, Canon and Hewlett-Packard invented three main inkjet printing methods, differing in the way ink was applied to paper.

What all these methods have in common is that all printers have a container with paint, at the bottom of which there is a small nozzle in which a drop of paint is formed. Next, using the piezoelectric effect or heating to high temperatures, this drop, formed in a special way, is shot onto the paper.

The first single-color inkjet printer was released by IBM in 1976 (Model 6640), and in 1977, an inkjet printer for a personal computer was released by Siemens.

In the early 1990s, Hewlett-Packard patented color inkjet printing technology. A color image was obtained by mixing three colors of ink during printing: cyan, magenta and yellow, which resulted in a large number of shades of all colors.

Since that time, printers began to print not only black and white, but also full-color images.

The photo shows a color inkjet printer.

Laser printers.

The first laser printers that hit the market in the 1980s cost more than $10,000, which was very expensive for the average consumer.

Laser printing technology began to develop back in 1938, when American physicist and inventor Chester Carlson invented the electrographic printing method, which is still used in all modern laser printers and photocopiers.

The essence of the laser printing method is that a negative electrostatic charge is applied to the photodrum, which is an aluminum tube coated with a light-sensitive layer. Then the laser beam, passing along the surface of the drum, removes part of this charge in those places where printing is required. Then the photodrum is covered with a thin layer of toner (dry dust paint), but only in those places where the laser beam removed the charge. Next comes the final part of printing: the drum rolls over the paper, leaving all the toner stuck to it, the paper passes through an oven in which the toner is tightly sintered to its surface.

If you need to get a color print on a laser printer, then toner of four colors is alternately applied to the photodrum: black, cyan, magenta and yellow, or to get a color image you need to print in four passes. Copiers and some fax machines are designed this way, to which the laser printer owes its appearance.

In 1969, Xerox employee Gary Starkweater came up with the idea of ​​using an original laser scanning mechanism in a copier, thereby turning an ordinary copier into a printer. In 1971, such a printer was created, but was not put into mass production, and remained within the walls of the laboratory.

Xerox and IBM are still arguing about the primacy of the release of the first laser printer. Xerox claims to have released a laser printer in 1977, and IBM claims to have done so a year earlier.

So, in the 1980s, many manufacturing companies began producing black-and-white laser printers, which initially cost more than 10 thousand dollars and had low print quality. By the early 1990s, the price-quality ratio became more or less acceptable, and the price of black-and-white laser printers dropped to $1,000.

In 1993, the first color laser printer appeared, developed by QMS and costing 12.5 thousand dollars, and just two years later Apple released a color printer costing 7 thousand.

Nowadays, laser printers have become affordable for the average consumer.

The photo shows a color laser printer.

LED printers.

With the advent and development of LED technology, models of LED printers began to be produced.

The printing technology of LED printers is also electrographic, only the laser scanning device is replaced with a line of LEDs that stretches along the photodrum. LED printers are easier to manufacture, smaller and cheaper than their laser counterparts, although their printing speed is almost half as fast.

The photo shows an LED printer.

3D printers. Volumetric printers.

A new revolutionary idea in the field of printing is, of course, the so-called “3D printers”, capable of reproducing three-dimensional objects. The development of “3D printers” began back in the 1980s, and then they were able to milling machine grind the workpiece layer by layer to give it the proper appearance. Now “3D printers” have become real printers, applying polymer layers to the surface, thereby forming a volumetric relief on a flat surface.

A modern 3D printer is capable of reproducing a model of a car from polymer material, the wheels of which will even spin.

The photo shows a 3D printer.

Currently, printing technologies created back in the 20th century have remained unchanged. The areas of application of printers and the types of surfaces on which modern printers can print have changed and expanded significantly.

We constantly print out all kinds of documents at work or at home - from photographs to texts. We simply send the document to be printed, and then pick it up from the printer. Have you ever wondered how all kinds of printers put images and texts on paper? Inkjet, laser, matrix devices - they all work differently, each has its own pros and cons. Let's figure it out different technologies print.

How a printer works: an overview of printing technologies

Core technologies Exotics for originals

The pile is small

Is it so difficult to understand printing methods? Are there many of them? In fact, there are only two main ones, that is, those that are used everywhere and continuously: office and home. Are you afraid of gradation? Then let’s designate it more formally: office printing turns out to be laser printing in 99 percent of cases, home printing is inkjet printing. Of course, there are exceptions; we’ll talk about them in more detail when describing each printing method.

Why do we need to know all this? The fact is that we are used to choosing printers according to our habits - “I’ve had an inkjet machine from company N all my life, so I’ll buy the same one, only fresher.” Agree, this approach to choosing equipment is not always logical - a printer is not a refrigerator, it is much more complicated, and its capabilities different models are different.

Basic printing technologies

Name	Main advantages	Main disadvantages	Scope of application
Laser	High printing speed, good quality, low cost of prints	Harmful to health, the printers themselves are quite expensive	Office printing
LED	Harmless technology, very low cost of prints and printers themselves, high color printing speed	Print quality is slightly worse than laser printers, black and white printing speed is lower	Office and home printing
Jet	Very high quality color prints (photos), low printer cost	Low printing speed, high price of consumables	Home printing, design activities
Matrix	Very low cost of prints, low maintenance requirements	High price of printers, high level noise during printing	Specialized Application
Solid ink	Very low cost per print, impeccable print quality	Very high price of printers	Office printing in design studios
Sublimation	Excellent photo printing quality, ease of use	Inability to print text documents	Home and office photo printing

In order not to get lost in the forest of terms and concepts related to printing technologies, let's look at each of them in order. Let's start, naturally, with the most popular - laser.

A ray of light

The oldest of all technologies, it is the one that is at the heart of all copying machines - laser printing. Thanks to its existence, all office workers can print in a few seconds Text Document(sometimes even in color) of excellent quality.

Laser printers print very quickly and clearly, which is why they are popular in offices

Look at the printer that is in your office - most likely, it is a clear example of this section of our equipment. A fairly large gray box that spits out finished printouts at a fairly high speed, almost without thinking. What's inside? Why does it print so quickly and efficiently?

Inside such a device there is a drum, onto which an electric charge is induced, corresponding to the output print. This charge attracts toner - a special powder (black or color depending on the type of printer). Then this powder is transferred to a sheet of paper (or to some intermediate medium, and only then to paper). To prevent the image from crumbling, the sheet passes through an oven - a special heater that bakes the toner onto the paper. Because of it, an unpleasant odor appears during long printing. However, it is not only the stove that “spoils the atmosphere” - laser printers emit harmful ozone gas during their operation.

Scheme of laser printer operation

Well, we remembered the main negative features (bad smell and ozone generation) of laser printers. Let's add to them the high cost of the devices themselves - that's all the disadvantages of this solution. The undoubted advantages of laser printing include very high quality and speed of printing.

LED printers are an ideal choice for home text printing

LED printers are an analogue of laser printers. They work in virtually the same way, only instead of a laser, a series of LEDs are used to form a picture on the drum. The method has only one drawback - the print quality is slightly inferior to laser. The printing speed here depends on the number of colors: black and white printers work a little slower than their laser counterparts, but color LED printing is faster. In all other respects, LED printers have gone far ahead - they cost little, their consumables are also cheaper (although laser toners also cost little), and most importantly, they are considered less harmful to health than laser ones.

In the stream

The exact opposite of laser printing is inkjet printing. As a rule, this is the slow application of a high-quality color image to paper, and not at all the lightning-fast printing of black text. Let's look at this printer from the inside.

The inside of the inkjet printer is very free

Obviously, the design of such a device is much simpler than that of a laser one. There is no drum, no lasers, no stove. Only a single cartridge (or several) dangles inside the almost empty case. So, there are only two main elements in an inkjet printer - the cartridge and the print head. By the way, some manufacturers' cartridges are equipped with a built-in print head. Why is this necessary?

Humanity has invented several inkjet technologies. Depending on your needs, one or another printing technology will be more suitable. There is thermal jet and piezoelectric technology.

Scheme of operation of a piezoelectric inkjet printer

Thermal inkjet technology involves the use of cheap print heads. This was done in order to be able to change them at the first need. Printer manufacturers are divided in their opinions on how often the print head should be changed - some think only in case of global blockage, and others think every time the cartridge is changed.

The technology itself is based on the fact that in order to apply a picture or text on paper, ink is sharply heated, and it expands and flies out, imprinting the cherished dots on the paper. A cheap print head is needed here precisely to ensure peace of mind for the user - what if the ink dries tightly in the nozzles of the head before it has time to come out of it?

Thermal inkjet printer operation diagram

The founders of piezoelectric technology claim that their print heads literally last forever and do not require replacement. You will know if this is true when the printer refuses to print just one or two dots. However, the nozzles can be cleaned - either with the help of a driver and a large amount of fresh branded ink, or with the help of a service center.

Why such sacrifices? Firstly, the cartridge, which is just an inkwell in the literal sense of the word, costs quite little. And this certainly pleases all users. Secondly, the technology really allows you to print precise microscopic dots on paper: at its inception, this printing method was truly the best (in fairness, it is worth saying that now both technologies do an excellent job).

Typically, an inkjet printer has two cartridges - black and color.

So, we figured out the print heads. What is ink? Certainly not the colored water that you use to fill fountain pens. By modern standards, the ink of any printer must satisfy at least two conditions - to be moisture- and light-resistant, in addition, it is desirable that microscopic drops can be formed from it.

Currently, the size of a drop in some printers does not exceed one picoliter (in terms of thickness, this value can be equated to one tenth of the thickness of a human hair, that is, about 1/100 mm). It is worth noting that not all companies place their main emphasis on the size of the drop. Thus, some manufacturers (for example, HP) are trying to improve quality by better mixing colors, rather than reducing the size of inaccurate droplets. Generally speaking, minimum dimensions ink drops range from 1-1.5 (for Canon and Epson) to 4-5 (for Lexmark and HP) picoliters.

In general, inks are divided into two groups - pigment and water-soluble. It is believed that water-soluble ink better conveys the colors of pictures and photographs, although at present both options deserve very warm words. Pigment inks are water-resistant, although water-soluble (if not soaked in water) can sometimes be very strong.

Not enough for anyone?

Undoubtedly, the two printing technologies described are just the beginning. There are many printing methods used either out of old memory or professional necessity. So…

Matrix

The cheapest method of putting an image or text on paper is to use a dot matrix printer. Remember typewriters from the middle of the last century? So heavy, with hard buttons that you have to hit with your fingers at full strength. The device of a dot matrix printer is practically no different from those machines. That is why, by the way, they work so noisily.

Dot matrix printers are more convenient to refill with roll paper

Inside the printer there is an ink ribbon or several multi-colored ribbons in the case of applying a color pattern. To display an image on paper, a print head equipped with rigid needles passes along the tape. Each of the needles hits the tape at the right moment and a dot is imprinted on the paper. By the way, they called matrix printers because the needles on the head form a kind of matrix, but foreigners prefer to call such devices “dot printers.”

Scheme of operation of a dot matrix printer

The main advantage of such printers is the very low cost of prints: ink ribbons cost pennies, but they last a long time.

Dried ink

There are printers that look very much like laser printers. The style of work, the speed - everything in them implies the presence of a laser. However, their print quality is too good, comparable to real printing, and the price of the devices themselves will frighten even experienced printers. We are talking about solid ink printing technology.

Solid ink printers are refilled with ink chips

Here we combined several technologies into one, taking only the best from each. So, we put multi-colored blocks of ink into the compartments, similar to dried gouache, turn on the printer, press the “Print” button on the desired document and watch how, in a matter of seconds, a printout of the ideal printing quality. Dream? No, reality, only very expensive.

Scheme of operation of a solid ink printer

The basis of solid ink printing is that the ink is melted immediately before being applied to the paper. The main component of ink is ordinary wax, which melts very quickly and immediately hardens when it gets on paper. In general, the technology replicates inkjet technology: microscopic multi-colored dots are applied to paper and form a pattern on it.

The main and main advantage, we repeat once again, is the impeccable print quality. Moreover, the printouts look not just good, but professional - the wax glitters in the light, adding gloss.

Sublimation

Undoubtedly, in an office, if there is an unlimited number of banknotes in the budget, a solid ink printer will become an indispensable assistant. There is also home option such a printer: sublimation photo printer. Keen amateur photographers will love this technology because the quality of their prints is sometimes better than in darkrooms.

Sublimation printers are compact and simple - you can even take them with you when traveling

In fact, the technologies of sublimation and solid-ink printers can be combined into a single one - thermal printing. We did not do this for the reason that the purposes of the devices are completely different. And the optimal quality of prints is achieved not due to the clarity and correctness of the dots on the paper, but, on the contrary, due to mixing, superimposing adjacent dots on top of each other. It is thanks to this manifestation of technology that it is so valued by amateur photographers.

Scheme of operation of a sublimation printer

Basically, sublimation printers use four-layer film cartridges. A special roller contains a film on which three primary colors and a protective layer are applied. The printer heats up each color layer of film sequentially and the ink evaporates and falls onto the photo paper. To prevent the layers from being erased during use of the print, a protective layer is applied over the ink - it will withstand the dirty hands of the beholder, and even scuba diving.

To each according to his needs

Of course, there are other printing technologies, and therefore other uses for printers at work or at home. But even from this review of the main printing methods, the disappointing conclusion can be drawn that the habit of using the same technology for many years is simply not practical. Do you only need photo printing at home? Replace your inkjet printer with a sublimation printer. And if you need to please your clients with beautiful branded brochures, think about buying a solid ink machine.

In any case, a brief introduction to the basics of printing technology should make it easier not only to choose a new device, but also to better understand the old one.