Non Impact Printers And Its Types

A printer is a device that accepts visual output and text from a computer and transmits the information to standard-size sheets of printed paper. Printers differ in terms of speed, size, performance, and cost. More costly printers are for higher-resolution color printing and work. Impact and non-impact printers are the two types of printers. An impact printer makes contact with the paper during printing. Non-impact printers do not make any contact with the sheet when printing.

Printers are the most widely used output device. They are used to print output on paper. They are utilized in the printing on paper. Hard Copy refers to information printed on paper that might be in the form of text, symbols, or pictures.

Types Of Printers:

There are two types of printers: 

• Impact Printers
• Non-Impact Printers 

Non-Impact Printers: 

Non-impact printers are those that create output on paper without impacting it. They print using electrostatic, inkjet, and thermal technologies.

Impact printers are slower and generate lower-quality output than non-impact printers. They can print at a rate of up to 24 pages per minute. During printing, they make no noise. These printers are more expensive than impact printers.

There are three examples of non-impact printers: 

• Laser Printer
• Inkjet Printer
• Thermal Printer

Laser Printer:

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (laser) is an abbreviation for laser. A laser printer is the most efficient and high-quality non-impact printer available. It functions similarly to a photocopier. LASER technology and toner are used by the laser printer to transfer the picture of output on paper using. Toner is a kind of ink powder. It is also found in laser printers and photocopiers.

Inside the laser printer is a unique drum. There is the formation of an output picture on the drum. Later on, there is the transformation of this picture from drum to paper. The output picture is formed on the drum by sprinkling magnetic ink powder in the shape of tiny dots. These dots can range in resolution from 300 dpi to 1200 dpi (dpi means dots per inch, and these dots refer to microscopic dots).

The laser printer can print text and images with very high resolution. A laser printer can only print one page at a time. As a result, laser printers are also known as page printers. Laser printers can print 4 to 32 pages per minute on microcomputers and 200 pages per minute on mainframe systems.

Laser Printer Operation:

There are six steps to the laser printer process:

• cleaning
• conditioning
• writing
• developing
• transferring
• fusing

Cleaning: 

The old, unused toner from the drum is removed during the cleaning step. The extra toner from the drum is scraped away by a blade, similar to a windshield wiper. Excess toner is collected in the  utilized toner container, either stored within the toner cartridge or in a separate container that may be emptied or destroyed.

Conditioning: 

During the conditioning step, leftover pictures from the printer drum are eliminated.

Writing: 

During the writing phase, an unseen picture is applied to the photosensitive drum by electrostatic charge by the laser.

Developing:

During the developing process, electrostatic attraction attracts the toner to the unseen picture on the drum.

Transfering:

The transfer creates a positive charge on the paper during the transferring phase, and then the negatively charged toner is linked to the positively charged paper.

Fusing:

Fusing is the final step. The plastic particles in the toner are melted and fused into the paper. It happens when the page travels between pressure and a 350-degree Fahrenheit roller. When the fusing procedure ends, the page is sent to the output tray as a printed sheet.

Ink-jet Printer: 

The inkjet printer is the second type of non-impact printer. By spraying drops of liquid ink over the paper, it produces output. The print-head of an inkjet printer may spray very tiny droplets of ink. It is made up of a print cartridge loaded with liquid ink. It has small nozzles in the shape of a matrix. The combination of nozzles, similar to a dot matrix printer, is triggered to form the shape of a character or image on the paper by spraying liquid ink. The resolution of these printers ranges from 300 to 720 dpi.

Inkjet printers are less expensive than laser printers. They are also slower and produce lower-quality prints than laser printers. They are, however, speedier and offer better print quality than dot-matrix printers. Inkjet printers print at speeds ranging from 1 to 6 pages per minute.

Thermal Printer:

Another form of the non-impact printer is the thermal printer. It can only print on a particular waxy paper that is heat sensitive. The picture of the output is formed by burning dots on waxy paper. Colored waxy sheets are used for colored printing.

A high-quality printout is generated using a thermal printer. When compared to other non-impact printers, it has a large print area.

Thermal Printing Process: 

There are two types of thermal processes: 

• Direct Thermal Printing
• Thermal Transfer Printing 

Direct Thermal Printing: 

The heat from the print head is transferred directly to the thermal paper in the case of direct thermal printing. It creates a chemical reaction in the laminate material's heat-sensitive layer, turning the paper black. It is worth noting that current thermal paper is far more resistant to environmental impacts than previous generations, ensuring that the color remains vibrant for several years.

Thermal Transfer Printing: 

On the other hand, thermal transfer printing employs color foil, or thermal transfer foil, to print on paper. The print head has hundreds of small heating components that may be triggered by computer control. The foil is sandwiched between the printer and the sheet, and the print head melts it. The foil's smooth surface produces a crisp and sharp print with a faint gloss. The thermal-transfer technology has an advantage over direct-thermal printing in that its printing has a longer shelf life.

Thermal Printing And Inkjet Printing Systems:

Inkjet printing systems are frequently used by thermal printers that must print directly on product packaging. The main advantage is that these systems can print on various surfaces, including paper, cardboard packaging, synthetic materials, and metal. Inkjet printing is used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food packaging, and postal services.

Thermal printers driven by inkjet printing technologies employ ink cartridges with many small chambers. Electric impulse heats these chambers. The heat causes the formation of a tiny vapor bubble, which forces the ink through the nozzle. The tension of the vapor bubble, and the surface tension of the ink drop, lead the ink to hurl back in a fraction of a second. Therefore, text, barcodes, and images may be printed precisely and of excellent quality.

The piezoelectric inkjet printing technique, also known as piezo inkjet printing, is another mix of thermal printing and inkjet printing technology. In this example, an electrical pulse heats the walls of the ink chamber, causing them to expand through the heat. The ink is forced from the nozzle onto the item. The walls revert to their original place when the electric impulse is stopped. A vacuum is formed in the chamber, drawing the remainder of the ink not utilized for the print back into the cartridge.

Acom Distributors offers the most recent printers at reasonable prices. Choose your favorites at Acom.pk, and we will deliver them to your doorsteps anywhere in Pakistan.