Printers page 8

Print photos and documents at home

The advent of the printer brought simplicity to both consumers and businesses in printing files and photos. This development has led to the development of diverse models. Application is no longer limited to production printers at companies. Individual printers and network printers contain numerous functions that simplify printing, copying and scanning for consumers. Popular printers in the market mainly come from Epson and Canon.

Types of printer

While in the beginning the printer was mainly based on the typewriter, and thus consisted of a disc with all the letters on it, nowadays everything is done using the latest techniques. Typewheel printers were replaced by the inkjet and the line printers by the laser printer. These two standards are still the most important printers on the market, supplemented by thermal printers for use in payment systems. We've outlined the features, pros and cons of these printers:

• Inkjet: Although the first inkjet printer was produced as early as 1971, the first consumer model did not appear on the market until 1984. The development that this type of printer has gone through is evident from the fact that this is still the most used printer. The low production costs and the replacement of the ink cartridges make the printer suitable for both young and old. The big advantage of the inkjet printer is that it can deliver quality in both black and colour. This makes this device ideal for printing beautiful photos, but also for clear documents. The printers are energy efficient and cheap to purchase. On the other hand, the ink cartridges can dry out and regular cleaning of the print tabs costs a lot of ink. The ink of the print also remains moist for a short time and you should therefore be careful when touching the print.
• Laser: The laser printer was introduced in the late 1960s and is still widely used. The printer works via an electrically charged wire and transfers projection to the paper via a so-called drum. The advantage of working without nozzles is that no clogging is possible, although the toner can clump under extreme conditions. The technology behind the laser printer ensures that the print speed is high and the prints are dry immediately. This type of printer is especially suitable for printing documents, as the quality of photos is often poor with a laser printer.
• Thermal: Thermal printers are mainly used in shops, restaurants and fax machines. Heating the paper discolours it in the right places and creates a black image. The rolls that are printed often appear in receipt form. Colour printing is therefore not possible, but the long lifespan, speed and simplicity make these printers very suitable for certain situations.

A range of functions

With the current developments in the field of printers, new functions appear regularly. For example, all-in-one printers with the options to copy and scan in addition to printing are well represented in the market. Wireless printing makes it possible to print a file directly from your smartphone or tablet. If you want to quickly print a train ticket or PDF file, you can connect the device via WiFi and have the printout in your hands within a few moments. This function is possible via certain apps and via Bluetooth. Another useful feature is sharing the printer over a network connection so that all users on the network can use the printer. Energy efficient and cost effective printers have the option to print on both sides of the paper, while ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) systems can copy and scan on both sides. Some printers even include filters and templates so that creative effects can be applied throughout.