Cheap Computer Printers
Although a quality cheap computer printer is not essential to you getting up
and running to surf the net, it is an important device if you want to print
out an order confirmation, a report, or anything else for that matter.
Printers have really changed over the years. Dot matrix and daisy wheels
have gone away and been replaced by much more efficient lasers and inkjets.
What Kind of Computer Printer is Best?
Which computer printer is best for you depends on how you will be using the
printer. If you want sheer speed to print black and white pages fast, then a
quality cheap laser printer is great. They generally print much faster
than an inkjet printer. If you want to print relatively inexpensive color
graphics, then a good
quality inkjet printer
is the best choice. There are color laser printers, but their cost is still
quite high comparatively.
Laser Printers
Laser printers utilize a laser beam to produce an image on a metal
cylinder (drum). The light of the laser alters the electrical charge on the
drum wherever it hits. The drum is then rolled through a reservoir of toner
which is picked up by the electrically charged portions of the drum.
Finally, the toner is transferred to the paper through a combination of heat
and pressure. Copy machines work this way, too.
One of the chief characteristics of laser printers is their relatively
high resolution--or, how many dots per inch(dpi) they lay down. The standard
available resolutions range from 300 dpi at the low end to 1,200 dpi at the
high end. By comparison, offset printing (printing presses) usually prints
at 1,200 or 2,400 dpi. Some laser printers achieve higher resolutions with
special techniques known generally as resolution enhancement.
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers work by spraying ionized ink at a sheet of paper.
Magnetized plates in the ink's path direct the ink onto the paper in the
desired shapes. Some ink-jet printers are capable of producing high quality
print approaching that produced by laser printers. Typical ink-jet printer
provides a resolution of 300 dpi although some newer models offer higher
resolutions.
In general, the price of ink-jet printers is lower than that of laser
printers. However, they are also considerably slower. Another drawback of
ink-jet printers is that they require a special type of ink that is apt to
smudge on inexpensive copier paper.
Because ink-jet printers require smaller mechanical parts than laser
printers, they are especially popular as portable printers. In addition,
color ink-jet printers provide an inexpensive way to print in full-color.
Computer to Printer Interface
The accepted standard for connecting a
printer to your computer used to be the parallel interface. However, over
the past few years this standard has changed. Many printers are now using
the USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface because it is so easy to connect
and install. The physical connection using a parallel interface is not
difficult, but it requires rebooting the computer the get the operating
system to recognize and printer has been connected. With the USB connection,
you can do it "hot", or with the computer on, and the system will
immediately recognize and printer has been attached. All computers today
will come with USB connections and the one you build will have them also.
You will usually need to make the connection from the motherboard to the
front of the computer case so you can connect USB peripherals.
A word about printer drivers. Printer manufacturers usually upgrade
their drivers periodically to accommodate the ever changing world of
computer technology. It is a good idea to check the website of your printer
manufacturer and make sure you are using the latest driver available for the
operating system you are using.
Most printer manufacturers today make excellent products. Canon,
Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Lexmark and others all produce quality units that
are easy to install.
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