What is a Printer?

A printer is a device that accepts text and graphics output from a computer,
and it transfers this information to paper, sheets. Printers can print any
information that has been passed to it, whether it be Text, Numbers or
Images. It depends on the type of printer that what quality or color the printed
matter would be.

Type of Printers
Depending upon the printing methods and the quality of images produced,
printers are of two major types:
1. Impact Printers
2. Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers

This type of printer works with paper via direct contact with an ink ribbon. It
has similar mechanisms as of typewriter.

Impact Printer

Examples of Impact Printer are Daisy-Wheel Printers, Dot -Matrix Printers,

Line Printers, etc.
1. Daisy-Wheel Printers: Daisy wheel printing is a mechanical impact
printing technology. It is called daisy-wheel because its printing mechanism
looks like a daisy. Its speed is usually 25-50 characters per second.
2. Dot-Matrix Printers: The Dot-Matrix printers uses 9 to 24 pin print heads
depending upon the quality print required. 24 pin printers produce more
clarity that 9 pins dot-matrix printer. More number of pins results in more
clarity. Usually inexpensive and speed ranges between 100 and 550
characters per second.
3. Line Printers: Line Printers (also called line-at-a-time printers) ,as the
name suggests it can print whole line at once. Speed ranges somewhere
between 1,000 to 6,000 lines per minute.

Non-Impact Printers

Non-Impact Printers do not need to touch the ink ribbon to print the
documents. Maintenance of Non-Impact printers is easier than Impact
printers.

Non Impact Printer

Examples of non impact printer are Inkjet printers, Laser Printers and etc.
1. Inkjet Printers: The inkjet printers are the most common and widely used
printers in both professional and domestic settings. It is popular due to its
numerous advantages and very few drawbacks.
Advantages of Inkjet printers
 Capable of printing highly detailed and photo elastic prints.
 Small footprints
 Environment friendly
 Compact Design
 Versatile
 Best Picture and Image quality
Disadvantages of Inkjet Printers
 Higher cost per page than laser printers
 Less Reliable
 Slow print speed
2. Laser Printers: Laser Printers were developed by Xerox in 1960s. The
majority of laser printers use light, photoreceptor belts, and photosensitive
drums. During print, the laser will scan page line by line. The most accepted
writing method is black and white lasers, which print content in black text.
Advantages of Laser Printers
 Cost-effective than inkjet printers.
 High print speed.
 Expandable with paper trays, finishes, etc.
 High paper capacity.
Disadvantages of Laser Printers
 Large footprints.
 High voltage usage.
3. LED Printers: LED Printers are quite similar to Laser Printers, but it uses
LED instead of laser to create pictures/images. LED printers are considered
are more efficient and reliable than laser printers.
Advantages of LED Printers
 Efficient
 Reliable
 Cheaper than laser printers.

What is a plotter?
A plotter is a type of printer that prints vector graphics. It is a piece of computer gear
that converts computer commands into paper line drawings. It draws a line with one
or more automatic pens. Unlike a traditional printer, a plotter uses a pen, marker,
pencil, or other writing tools to draw multiple rather than toner. It may also use
vector graphics files or commands to draw continuous point-to-point lines. Though it
was previously widely used for computer-aided design, it is now only used to print
hard copies of schematics and other comparable application.
In engineering projects, plotters are widely used. Because they have the ability to
draw continuous lines, whereas ordinary printers use closely spaced dots to
conventionally drew lines. Plotters are designed in different forms, and they use
different-different tools to draw lines on the paper. For example, a 3-D plotter
(cutting plotter) uses knives to design any type of diagram or cut out a piece of
material on the basis of given inputs from the computer. On the other hand, most of
the plotters use a pen to draw lines on the paper.

Applications of Plotters
o Draw charts
o Computer-aided designs
o Architectural Blueprints
 o Textile Printing
o Banners and Billboards
o Electric circuit layouts
o Geographical layouts
o Building plans
o Line Art

Types of plotter
There are various types of a plotter, which are as follows:

Drum Plotters
Different sorts of printer designs that draw on paper that is wound around a drum
are referred to as "drum printers." The plot is produced in one direction by the drum,
while the other is produced by the pens moving in the opposite way. Because it
included printed characters carved on a physical drum and impacted paper in certain
ways, the previous iteration of the printer is today referred to as a drum plotter. The
drum plotter utilises a drum to move the paper left and right while one or more pens
write up and down, according to the Chron website. The plotter's ability to draw in
numerous colours is enhanced by the use of multiple pens.
 Flatbed
plotters
A flatbed plotter works with paper that is put on a flat surface in a stationary
position. In this plotter, the writing pen moves in both the x and y axes. Flatbed
plotter pens are available in a number of sizes and colours. Unlike a drum plotter, it
works by moving a pen over paper rather than a paper beneath the arm. The paper's
size is governed by the size of the flat surface on which it is placed. Larger flatbed
plotters have the ability to print up to 60-inches in length on the paper.
 Cutting
Plotter
The cutting plotter is a large-scale cutting machine that uses blades instead of pens
to cut the design. It creates mylar or vinyl lettering and graphics that are pre-cut. The
plotter's flat surface is used to place the to-be-cut paper. The plotter receives a
command from the computer, and the knife executes it to cut the media to the
appropriate dimensions.
Inkjet Plotter
The inkjet plotter, as the name implies, sprays microscopic droplets of ink onto paper
to form an image, text, or pattern. Inkjet plotters are a popular choice for graphic
designers and advertising agencies; they are commonly used for a large printer, like
billboards, banners, and big signs that are used for roadside indication. Thermal and
piezo-electric are both technologies that are used by inkjet plotters. Ink droplets are
applied using heat in thermal inkjet plotters, whereas charged crystals are used in
piezoelectric plotters. On average, inkjet printers generate higher-quality graphics
than other plotters.
Electrostatic Plotters
In electrostatic plotters, the images are produced on paper by using raster graphics
rather than vector graphics. By using toner ink, dot matrix pixels are generated on
the paper. The high voltage charges are created on the paper by the plotter, and
these charges hit the toner ink for drawing computer-aided designs. The electrostatic
plotters are much faster and economical in price, but they produce lower quality than
pen-plotters.