A printer is a device that prints or produces matter like text, graphics etc on paper. There are various types of printers in the market nowadays. There are specific uses for these printers as well.
Basically there are two types of printers: the Impact and the Non – Impact printers. In impact printers, tiny wire pins strike the ink ribbon to produce images and letters on the paper. In Non – Impact printers, there is no striking of pins on the paper directly.
Computer Printers are also diversified based on the printing technology that they employ. The most common types seen nowadays are the Laser printers, Inkjet printers, Dot matrix printers, thermal printers etc. Out of these, the dot matrix printer is an impact printer, and the others are non impact ones.
Sometimes, printers are also classified on the basis of their uses and functions like portable printers, photo printers, label printers, multi-functional printers and etc. The former two are usually inkjet types and the latter is usually laser. Inkjet and laser are quite famous and most commonly used nowadays. Dot matrix was used in the 70s and 80s, but its use has reduced in the recent years. Thermal printers are used in ATMs, point-of-sales terminals, cash registers etc.
With the boom in photo industry after the popularity of digital cameras, Laptops etc, portable printers and photo printers have gained importance. Overall, different printers have different uses in themselves. Depending upon the needs and necessities, printers have to be selected.