Printer (computing): Difference between revisions

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[[File:HP Laserjet 5 DN 1.jpg|thumb|[[HP LaserJet 5]] printer]]

[[File:Nintendo PocketPrinter.JPG|thumb|The [[Game Boy Printer|Game Boy Pocket Printer]], a [[thermal printer]] released as a peripheral for the [[Nintendo]] [[Game Boy]]]]

[[File:Epson Wide Carriage 9-pin printer - with legal paper 8.5x14.jpg|thumb|This is an example of a wide-carriage [[dot matrix printer]], designed for {{convert|14|in|adj=on}} wide paper, shown with {{convert|8.5|x|14|in|adj=on}} legal paper. Wide carriage printers were often used in the field of businesses, to print accounting records on {{convert|11|x|14|in|adj=on}} [[tractor-feed paper]]. They were also called "132-column printers".]]

[[File:Printer.ogv|thumb|A video showing an [[Inkjet printing|inkjet printer]] while printing a page]]

In [[computing]], a '''printer''' is a [[peripheral]] machine thatwhich makes a durable representation of graphics or text, usually on [[paper]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/printer|title=Printer - Definition of printer by Merriam-Webster|work=merriam-webster.com|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-date=18 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818221053/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/printer|url-status=live}}</ref> While most output is human-readable, bar code printers are an example of an expanded use for printers.<ref name=BarCo>{{cite web
|access-datetitle=30271-2834-MTDC; AprilAssembling 2019a |archiveBar-date=1Code Tracking System
June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601172309/https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm02712834/page03.htm
|quote=Printers designed to print bar-code labels ...
|title=0271access-2834-MTDC;date=3 AssemblingApril a2019
Bar |archive-Codedate=1 June 2017
Tracking System |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601172309/https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm02712834/page03.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref> Different types of printers include 3D printers, inkjet printers, laser printers, and thermal printers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/printer.htm |title=What is a Printer? |work=computerhope.com |access-date=3 April 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221203714/https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/printer.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==

The first computer printer was designed aswas a mechanically driven apparatus by [[Charles Babbage]] for his [[difference engine]] in the 19th century; however, his mechanical printer design was not built until 2000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/710950.stm |title=Babbage printer finally runs |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=13 April 2000 |access-date=6 December 2010 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111224712/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/710950.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first patented printing mechanism for applying a marking medium to a recording medium or more particularly, an electrostatic inking apparatus and a method for electrostatically depositing ink on controlled areas of a receiving medium, was in 1962 by C. R. Winston, Teletype Corporation, using continuous inkjet printing. The ink was a red stamp-pad ink manufactured by Phillips Process Company of Rochester, NY under the name Clear Print. This patent (US3060429) led to the Teletype Inktronic Printer product being delivered to customers in late 1966.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jim |first=Haynes |publisher=Southwest Museum of Engineering Communications and Computation |title=Archivist |url=http://www.smecc.org/teletype_inktronic.htm |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021152339/http://www.smecc.org/teletype_inktronic.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first compact, lightweight digital printer was the [[EP-101]], invented by Japanese company [[Seiko Epson|Epson]] and released in 1968, according to Epson.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web

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}}</ref><ref>[http://assets.epson-europe.com/eu/epson_eu/about_us.html About Epson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227084609/http://assets.epson-europe.com/eu/epson_eu/about_us.html |date=27 February 2017 }}, [[Seiko Epson|Epson]]</ref>

The first commercial printers generally used mechanisms from [[Typewriter#Electric designs|electric typewriters]] and [[Teleprinter|Teletype]] machines. The demand for higher speed led to the development of new systems specifically for computer use. In the 1980s, there were [[daisy wheel printing|daisy wheel]] systems similar to typewriters, [[line printer]]s that produced similar output but at much higher speed, and [[Dot matrix printing|dot-matrix]] systems that could mix text and graphics but produced relatively low-quality output. The [[plotter]] was used for those requiring high-quality line art like [[blueprint]]s.

The introduction of the low-cost laser printer in 1984, with the first [[HP LaserJet]],<ref name=LJ84.NYT>{{cite news

The introduction of the low-cost laser printer in 1984, with the first [[HP LaserJet]],<ref name=LJ84.NYT>{{cite news|access-date=3 April 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403031614/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html |author=Peter H. Lewis |date=November 20, 1984 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Peripherals - The Allure of Laser Printers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the addition of [[PostScript]] in next year's [[LaserWriter|Apple LaserWriter]] set off a revolution in printing known as [[desktop publishing]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kaplan|first=Soren|date=1999|title=Discontinuous innovation and the growth paradox|journal=Strategy & Leadership|volume=27|issue=2|pages=16–21|doi=10.1108/eb054631}}</ref> Laser printers using PostScript mixed text and graphics, like dot-matrix printers, but at quality levels formerly available only from commercial [[typesetting]] systems. By 1990, most simple printing tasks like fliers and brochures were now created on [[personal computer]]s and then laser printed; expensive [[offset printing]] systems were being dumped as scrap. The [[HP Deskjet]] of 1988 offered the same advantages as a laser printer in terms of flexibility but produced somewhat lower-quality output (depending on the paper) from much less-expensive mechanisms. Inkjet systems rapidly displaced dot-matrix and daisy-wheel printers from the market. By the 2000s, high-quality printers of this sort had fallen under the $100 price point and became commonplace.

|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html

|title=Peripherals - the allure of Laser Printers

|author=Peter H. Lewis

|date=November 20, 1984

|access-date=3 April 2019

|archive-date=3 April 2019

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403031614/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html

|url-status=live

The introduction of the low-cost laser printer in 1984, with the first [[HP LaserJet]],<ref name=LJ84.NYT>{{cite news|access-date=3 April 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403031614/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html |author=Peter H. Lewis |date=November 20, 1984 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Peripherals - The Allure of Laser Printers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/20/science/peripherals-the-allure-of-laser-printers.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the addition of [[PostScript]] in next year's [[LaserWriter|Apple LaserWriter]] set off a revolution in printing known as [[desktop publishing]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kaplan|first=Soren|date=1999|title=Discontinuous innovation and the growth paradox|journal=Strategy & Leadership|volume=27|issue=2|pages=16–21|doi=10.1108/eb054631}}</ref> Laser printers using PostScript mixed text and graphics, like dot-matrix printers, but at quality levels formerly available only from commercial [[typesetting]] systems. By 1990, most simple printing tasks like fliers and brochures were now created on [[personal computer]]s and then laser printed; expensive [[offset printing]] systems were being dumped as scrap. The [[HP Deskjet]] of 1988 offered the same advantages as a laser printer in terms of flexibility, but produced somewhat lower-quality output (depending on the paper) from much less-expensive mechanisms. Inkjet systems rapidly displaced dot-matrix and daisy-wheel printers from the market. By the 2000s, high-quality printers of this sort had fallen under the $100 price point and became commonplace.

The rapid improvement of [[internet]] [[email]] through the 1990s and into the 2000s has largely displaced the need for printing as a means of moving documents, and a wide variety of reliable storage systems means that a "physical backup" is of little benefit today.

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==Types==

===Personal printer===

''Personal'' printers are mainly designed to support individual users, and may be connected to only a single computer. These printers are designed for low-volume, short-turnaround [[print job]]s, requiring minimal setup time to produce a hard copy of a given document. They are generally slow devices ranging from 6 to around 25 pages per minute (ppm), and the cost per page is relatively high. However, this is offset by the convenience of on-demand deliveryconvenience. Some printers can print documents stored on [[memory card]]s or from [[digital camera]]s and [[image scanner|scanner]]s.

===Networked printer===

''Networked'' or ''shared'' printers are "designed for high-volume, high-speed printing". ManyThey usersare usually shareshared themby many users on a [[Computer network|network]] and can print at speeds of 45 to around 100 ppm. The [[Xerox 9700]] could achieve 120 ppm.

An ''ID Card printer'' is used tofor printprinting plastic ID cards. These can now be customizedcustomised with important features such as holographic overlays, HoloKotes, and watermarks.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} This is either a direct- to- card printer (the more feasible option) or a retransfer printer.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Virtual printer===

A ''[[virtual printer]]'' is a piece of computer software whose user interface and [[Application programming interface|API]] resembles that of a printer driver, but which is not connected towith a physical computer printer. A virtual printer can be used to create a file, which is an image of the data thatwhich would be printed, for archival purposes or as input to another program, for example, to create a [[PDF]] or to transmit to another system or user.

===Barcode printer===

A ''[[barcode printer]]'' is a computer peripheral for printing [[barcode]] labels or tags that can be attached to, or printed directly on, physical objects. Barcode printers are commonly used to label cartons before shipment, or to label retail items with [[Universal Product Code|UPC]]s or [[European Article Number|EAN]]s.

===3D printer===

[[File:3D printer at 35c3 01.jpg|thumb|A 3D printer]]

A ''[[3D printing|3D printer]]'' is a device for making a three-dimensional object from a 3D model or other electronic data source through additive processes in which successive layers of material (including plastics, metals, food, cement, wood, and other materials) are laid down under computer control. It is called a printer by analogy with an inkjet printer thatwhich produces a two-dimensional document by a similar process of depositing a layer of ink on paper.

===ID card printer===

A ''' card printer''' is an electronic [[desktop printer]] with single card feeders thatwhich print and personalize [[plastic cards]]. In this respect, they differ from, for example, [[label printer]]s, which have a continuous supply feed. Card dimensions are usually 85.60 × 53.98&nbsp;mm, standardized under [[ISO/IEC 7810]] as ID-1. This format is also used in [[Electronic cash|EC-cards]], [[telephone card]]s, [[credit card]]s, [[driver's license]]s, and [[European Health Insurance Card|health insurance cards]]. This is commonly known as the [[bank card]] format. Card printers are controlled by corresponding printer drivers or by means of a specific programming language. Generally, card printers are designed with laminating, striping, and punching functions, and use desktop or web-based software. The hardware features of a card printer differentiate a card printer from the more traditional printers, as ID cards are usually made of PVC plastic and require laminating and punching. Different card printers can accept different card thicknessesthickness and dimensions.

The principle is the same for practically all card printers: the plastic card is passed through a [[thermal print]] head at the same time as a color ribbon. The color from the [[ribbon]] is transferred onto the card through the heat given out from the print head. The standard performance for card printing is 300 dpi (300 dots per inch, equivalent to 11.8 dots per mm). There are different printing processes, which vary in their detail:

; Thermal transfer: Mainly used to personalize pre-printed plastic cards in monochrome. The color is "transferred" from the (monochrome) color [[ribbon]] ;[[Dye sublimation]]: This process uses four panels of color according to the [[CMYK color model|CMYK]] color ribbon. The card to be printed passes under the print head several times, each time with the corresponding [[ribbon]] panel. Each color, in turn, is diffused (sublimated) directly onto the card. Thus it is possible to produce a high depth of color (up to 16 million shades) on the card. Afterwards, a transparent overlay (O), also known as a topcoat (T), is placed over the card to protect it from mechanical wear and tear and to render the printed image UV- resistant.

; Reverse image technology: The standard for high-security card applications that use contact and contactless [[Smart card|smart chip cards]]. The technology prints images onto the underside of a special film that fuses to the surface of a card through heat and pressure. Since this process transfers dyes and resins directly onto a smooth, flexible film, the print -head never comes in contact with the card surface itself. As such, card surface interruptions such as smart chips, ridges caused by internal [[RFID]] antennae, and debris do not affect print quality. Even printing over the edge is possible.

;Thermal rewrite print process:In contrast to the majority of other card printers, in the thermal rewrite process, the card is not personalized through the use of a color ribbon, but by activating a thermal- sensitive foil within the card itself. These cards can be repeatedly personalized, erased, and rewritten. The most frequent use of these isare in chip-based student identity cards, whose validity changes every semester.

; Common printing problems: Many printing problems are caused by physical defects in the card material itself, such as deformation or warping of the card that is fed into the machine in the first place. Printing irregularities can also result from chip or antenna embedding that alters the thickness of the plastic and interferes with the printer's effectiveness. Other issues are often caused by operator errors, such as users attempting to feed non-compatible cards into the card printer, while other printing defects may result from environmental abnormalities such as dirt or contaminants on the card or in the printer.<ref>http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/IR-7056/Interoperability/Goyet-Interoperability.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310101533/http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/IR-7056/Interoperability/Goyet-Interoperability.pdf |date=10 March 2016 }} Interoperability and Card Printing, a presentation by NIST Workshop on Storage and Processor Card-based Technologies, 2003. Pages 8-9. Accessed 9 March 2016.</ref> Reverse transfer printers are less vulnerable to common printing problems than direct-to-card printers, since, with these printers, the card does not come into direct contact with the printhead.

====Variations====

Broadly speaking, there are three main types of card printers, differing mainly by the method used to print onto the card. They are:

; Near to Edge: This term designates the cheapest type of printing by card printers. These printers print up to 5&nbsp;mm from the edge of the card stock.

;Direct to Card:Also known as "Edge to Edge Printing". The print-head comes in direct contact with the card. This printing type is the most popular nowadays, mostly due to cost factor. The majority of identification card printers today are of this type.

;Reverse Transfer:Also known as "High Definition Printing" or "Over the Edge Printing". The print-head prints to a transfer film backwards (hence the reverse) and then the printed film is rolled onto the card with intense heat (hence the transfer). The term "over the edge" is due to the fact that when the printer prints onto the film it has a "bleed", and when rolled onto the card the bleed extends to completely over the edge of the card, leaving no border.

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Most printers other than line printers accept [[control character]]s or unique character sequences to control various printer functions. These may range from shifting from lower to upper case or from black to red ribbon on typewriter printers to switching fonts and changing character sizes and colors on raster printers. Early printer controls were not standardized, with each manufacturer's equipment having its own set. The IBM [[Personal Printer Data Stream]] (PPDS) became a commonly used command set for dot-matrix printers.

Today, most printers accept one or more [[page description language]]s (PDLs). laserLaser buttsprinters with greater processing power frequently offer support for variants of Hewlett-Packard's [[Printer Command Language]] (PCL), [[PostScript]] or [[XML Paper Specification]]. Most inkjet devices support manufacturer proprietary PDLs such as [[ESC/P]]. The diversity in mobile platforms have led to various standardization efforts around device PDLs such as the [[Printer Working Group]] (PWG's) [[PWG Raster]].

=== Printing speed ===