A printer is an instrument that produces textual copies or pictures on paper. It prints a permanent hard copy of the electronically stored documents. A printer is a component of computer hardware .
Functions of a Printer :
• A printer acts as a computer peripheral when it remains perpetually attached to the computer with the help of cables. It serves as an important source of documents.
• Certain printers come with in-built interfaces of network and are used for delivering hard copies. They are called network printers .
• There are contemporary printers that have the ability to directly connect to memory sticks, memory cards and other forms of electronic media.
• Few printers are also attached to fax machines and scanners. They can then photocopy material.
Types of Printers:
A printer can be of many kinds. Some of them are:
• Daisy-wheel printer : It is like a ball head typewriter and it has a metallic or plastic wheel which helps in the production of the characters. These printers can print materials of letter-quality but are unable to produce graphics.
• Dot-matrix printer : This type of printer functions by pressing pins on an ink ribbon. Every pin produces a dot. The numerous dots merge together to produce pictures and characters. They are of 2 types, namely, ballistic wire printers and stored energy printers .
• Ink-jet printer : This printer sprays, correct and small amounts of ink on paper or on other media. It has a nozzle through which tiny bubbles of ink come out. The prints are of high quality.
• Laser printer : It produces excellent quality prints.
• Other printers are LCD , LED , line printer and thermal printer .
A printer is a useful component of the computer and it has developed through a number of years with the help of advanced technologies.
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