Choosing a Printer

Printers are output devices that produce a hard-copy result in the form of printed text and graphics. Printers differ from other types of devices because they not only transfer an image to paper, but they also must move the paper through the process.

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

A 7-bit coding scheme that translates symbolic characters into the ones and zeros that are stored as data on a computer. Extended ASCII uses an 8-bit coding scheme.

Several types of printers are available based on different technology standards. Most printer types operate in basically the same way. Paper is fed into the unit using a roller. The text and images are applied to the paper, and additional rollers push the paper out onto a tray.

Printers can vary in many ways, in addition to print method. For instance, print speed is a differentiating factor. This table defines printer types. Method of Imprint refers to the method of transferring information to paper.

Printer Type	Method of Imprint
Dot matrix	Tiny pins impact an ink-filled ribbon.
Inkjet/bubble jet	Ink squirts at the paper, following a pattern to create an image.
Laser	A laser beam creates an image on a metal roller, forming an image that attracts ink from a special toner. The ink is then placed on paper, and heat bonds the ink to the paper to create a printed document.
Thermal dye transfer	Also known as dye sublimation, the process uses heat on ribbons containing dye to create photo-quality prints. The process is continuous so it creates a very high-quality output. It requires special paper.
Thermal wax transfer	Colored waxes are heated and placed on regular paper as dots. Quality is not quite photo-realistic but is less expensive and faster.

Note 

Printers have two operating modes: text mode and graphics mode. In text mode, the computer's operating system and software look up American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) characters, such as letters and numbers, from a character table and then produce the result in bit format to send to the printer. In graphics mode, the operating system and software work together to send instructions to the printer to control the print operation and produce a custom character or result.

Laser Printers: The Workhorses

If you haven't already, at some point you may likely be faced with one seemingly simple question: inkjet or laser? Many people like inkjets because of their good quality, speed, and affordability-especially for color printing. Laser printers are high-speed networkable devices. Laser printers provide the same quality output as most inkjets but at a higher initial price for the device. The additional cost of laser printers usually means that one printer will be used to serve many. Inkjets are affordable so they can be ordered for each user. So why not just go with inkjets?

In most offices, printers are heavily-used devices, so they need to be selected wisely. You should consider three factors before making your decision on an inkjet or laser printer. Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is a mea surement of how long the printer will function before a component fails. Also, monthly print volume is a figure that can be used to determine whether the printer was designed to support the usage of the user. A final indicator is cost. Inkjet printers do cost less, but printing on inkjets is much more expensive with or without color. Depending of your printer, cartridges cost $30-$65 and may print only a few hundred pages. Laser cartridges typically cost $75 and support up to 6,000 pages or more. Laser printers are the best choice for heavy, long-term use by multiple users.

Note 

Printers are networked to provide many users with access to a single device, thus saving the money needed to purchase a print device for every user. Modern printers include an expansion slot to plug in a network printer card or have one built in.