A printer is an electronic device that is often used to print documents and photos. That way, the printer will produce a printed or physical copy (hardcopy) of a document.
These electronic devices are of course common among Indonesian people, especially students and workers. You can connect the printer to a laptop or computer to print documents.
Apart from being able to print black and white documents, the printer can also duplicate documents with various colors required for the document. So, what is meant by a printer? To make it clearer, you can read the full explanation below.
What is Printers?
What is a printer? Quoting from the journal Printer Input and Output Devices written by Gede Aryawan Puja, a printer is a device that displays data in printed form, either in the form of text or images on paper.
Computer printers usually consist of several parts, such as a place to place the paper (tray), a tool for taking paper from the tray (picker), and ink for printing documents on paper.
Apart from that, there is also a flexible cable to send signals from the printer processor to the ink. .
Further quoting from Cannon's official website, the word printer itself comes from English which means a printing device.
Since 2010, printers that can print 3D have started to become popular. Until now, printer technology is still in the development stage to adapt to human needs.
History of Printers
Quoted from the official HP website, the first electronic printer was made by the Epson company which was launched in 1968. The first type of printer that was successfully developed was named EP-101.
Initially, printers that were sold freely still used electric typewriters. Then because many people needed faster printer capabilities, Epson printers were developed specifically just for computers.
Furthermore, in 1984 a laser printer was successfully developed, namely the HP Laserjet. This type of printer is very popular among people around the world. Apart from its cheap price, this printer also has the latest system which can make it easier for someone to print documents.
Until around 2010, 3D printers began to be popular with the public, even though at that time they were still in the development stage and could not yet be used or sold in general.
What is the Function of a Printer?
Launching from the official Cannon website, here are some printer uses that you need to know:
1. Print the document
The main function since the printer was released is to print documents. At first, printer machines could only print documents on thin paper.
Then, as technology developed, printers can now print on thicker paper with more diverse paper textures. Apart from that, printers can now also print color documents according to the user's needs.
2. Print photos
Then, printers are also often used to print photos. With increasingly sophisticated technology, you can print your own photos at home using these electronic devices.
3. Scan and copy files
Printer electronic devices can now also be used to scan and copy documents. Now you can find types of printers that can scan and copy on the market.
Generally, this type of printer is used for office or home activities. That way, you can store various important documents in digital form.
4. Fax
If you want to send a physical file that doesn't have a digital form, you can do it with a fax machine. The printer function can now also be used in offices as a fax machine.
That way, documents can be sent quickly to other places. Even though fax machines are no longer used due to technological developments, sometimes the printer's function as a fax machine is still needed.
What are Types of Printers?
Based on the journal Printer Input and Output Devices by Gede Aryawan Puja, there are several types of printers that have their own characteristics and functions. Here are the types of printers and their meanings that you need to know:
1. Dot matrix printers
A dot matrix printer is a type of computer printer with a print head that moves up and down on the printed page. The process of printing documents with this printer uses a group of needles (pins) to the ink ribbon.
The location of these pins is very close together, giving the appearance of a continuous print. Generally, the number of pins in this printer is 9 to 24 pins. The more pins there are, the smoother the print will be.
2. Daisy wheel printer
A daisy wheel printer is a disc made of plastic or metal, each end of which has characters for printing documents. The printer will rotate the disc until the desired letter is directly opposite the paper.
This type of daisy wheel printer produces letters of quite good quality. The way this printer works is the same as a typewriter, relatively very slow, and not faster than an electric typewriter.
3. Inkjet printers
An inkjet printer is a printer that prints by spraying ink dots onto printed paper. This printer can be used to produce color and black and white prints.
Generally, this type of printer can be used to print on plain paper, plastic and other paper according to your needs.
4. Thermal printers
This type of printer is the best choice because it can produce high quality prints. This printer must also use special paper that is sensitive to heat.
5. Laser printers
Laser printers are a type of printer that is relatively expensive, but can produce the best prints. This printer has a speed of printing around 229 pages every minute.
Meanwhile, other printers only have a speed of 4-25 pages per minute. Apart from that, this printer can also produce very good and neat quality printed characters.
Benefits of Printers
After discussing the printer functions above, there are other benefits of printers in everyday life. The following are the benefits of printers quoted from the official HP website:
- Check out the stickers
- Screen printing clothes
- Make banners
Conclusion
That's a list of types of printers and how they work. From the explanation above, it is known that there are many types of printers. Each type of printer has different capabilities and ways of working.
By knowing the various types of printers, users can see the differences, so they can decide which printer to use when they want to operate a computer. This is a complete explanation of the meaning of printers, their functions, benefits and also their types. Hopefully it's useful, OK!