Print head cleaning is an important task in printer maintenance.
A printer is a device that prints . The verb print , for its part, refers to marking letters and other graphic characters on paper or other material. For example: “I need a good quality printer to print the posters” , “We are in trouble: the printer broke” , “In the coming years, three-dimensional printers will be very popular” .
It is possible to consider the printer as a peripheral of a computer ( computer ). In this case, the printer is the output device that allows printing the results of an operation carried out with the computer.
Etymology of printer
You have to go to Latin to find the etymological origin of the term printer . Specifically, it is the result of the sum of three components of said language:
- The prefix in- , which means “inwards” .
- The verb premere , which can be translated as “press.”
- The suffix -or , which is used to indicate “agent of the action” .
Currently printers can connect to a computer via a USB cable or via wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth).
Example of use
Take the case of a man who wants to submit his curriculum vitae ( CV ) to a company .
This man can use the keyboard to enter his personal information into the computer: this way he will write his full name, work history, references, etc. Once this is done, you will use the printer to capture what you entered on paper. When you have the paper printed, you can take the sheet with your CV to the company in question.
In order for them to carry out their functions, it is essential that printers have paper and an ink cartridge. The ink, likewise, can be of two types: the quick-drying one, which mixes different colors that dry quickly to prevent them from being distorted, and the slow-drying penetrating one , which is usually the one used in printers. which are monochromatic.
Printer types
It is possible to distinguish between different types of printer depending on the technology they use. The laser printer works with a toner (or toner, in Spanish) and stands out for its speed, high quality and low cost per copy. The inkjet printer , on the other hand, sprays picoliters of ink onto the paper. The oldest is the matrix printer or dot matrix printer , which makes dot-by-dot printing.
However, in addition to these types of printers mentioned, we also have to establish that there are other models, among which the line printer and the braille type printer stand out. All this without forgetting that in recent years the so-called 3D printer has emerged, which gives the possibility of obtaining parts in three dimensions.
A multifunction printer , on the other hand, is known as a peripheral that, in addition to printing, includes a scanner (to digitize printed documents), a photocopier and, in some cases, also allows you to send faxes and read digital camera memories.
Paper jams are a common problem with printers.
Print quality
Print quality varies depending on several factors. The user can choose different modalities, generally associated with specific needs or the intention to save ink:
- Color printing
- Black and white printing
- Draft print
- High quality printing
DPI (dots per inch) defines the printing resolution. The higher the DPI, the higher the quality. In turn, higher quality implies greater ink consumption.
A photo printer , for example, must offer high resolution. On the other hand, a receipt printer or a ticket printer does not necessarily have to offer high quality.
Paper, of course, also plays an important role. In addition to the size of the paper, its characteristics must be taken into account. When you go for quality, you usually choose photographic paper .
The importance of saving on printers
Due to high costs, it is common for users to seek to save ink and toner when using the printer. In addition to what was mentioned about quality, many people choose to recycle ink cartridges.
In those cases, a filling is chosen. Refilling ink cartridges is usually cheaper than purchasing a new one.
On the other hand, we must consider that original ink cartridges are more expensive than compatible ink cartridges . Of course, manufacturers warn about the risks of this practice, stating that alternative cartridges affect printer maintenance. For those who need to print a large number of documents, then, the dilemma lies in "taking care" of the printer's operation and spending more, or choosing alternative cartridges to reduce operating costs without paying attention to the possible damage to the equipment.
Other meanings of the term
Along with all of the above, we also have to determine that printer is a word used to refer to the person who owns a printing press or who works in it, printing different types of documents.
In this same sense, it must be established that, although it is now out of use, in the past this same concept was used to refer to the printer's wife .