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Printers |
Computer printers are hardware devices that allow you to produce hard copies of electronically-saved documents. Today, printers have become necessary for many office computers and home PCs. Printers are designed to produce illegible text and graphics, on paper or transparencies for permanent use. Printers, which act as computer peripherals, are physically attached to a computer permanently. Wireless printers, also known as network printers, have built-in network properties which allow the users on the network to use them. Printers are a must for Desktop Publishing (DTP).
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Brief History
In 1938, American law student Chester Carlson invented the process called Xerography. This dry printing process was made commercially available in 1950 by Xerox Corporation. Later, when laser printers were launched, the basic technology was the same. At the end of 1971, the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center developed the original laser printer (EARS).
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In 1992, the first 600 by 600 dots per inch resolution laser printer, LaserJet 4 was released by Hewlett-Packard. Although the inkjet printer was invented in 1976, it took about a decade before the inkjet became a household item with Hewlett-Packard's release of the DeskJet inkjet printer. It had a whopping price of $1000!
Generally, users look for the following qualities in a printer:
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· Resolution - It's the sharpness of the text or image printed on paper and is usually measured in dots per inch (dpi).
· Memory - Most printers come with a small amount of memory that can be expanded by the user.
· Speed - The speed of the printer is crucial. Expensive printers are much faster. Inexpensive printers can print only about 3 to 6 sheets per minute. Color printing is slower.
· Color - If color is part of the information or you have a presentation, a color printer is a must. They are expensive, since they use two ink cartridges that need to be replaced after a certain number of pages.
Printer Types
Based on the underlying printing technology, printers can be classified as:
· DOT Matrix Printers
· Inkjet Printers
· Laser Printers
· Plotters
· Thermal Printers
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Modern Printers
Modern printers use the following print technologies:
· Toner-based Printers
· Liquid Inkjet Printers
· Solid Ink Printers
· Dye-sublimation Printers
· Thermal Printers
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Allwonderscomputers provides everything you wanted to know about Printers.
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