Basics you need to know about Printers
What is a Printer?
A printer is an electronic device that is used to print digital information on paper. It is an external output device of the computer which works to convert soft copy to hard copy on a computer.
The printer prints the data stored in an electronic device (this data can be in image or text form) on a page, it can be small or large according to the page size. And by which we can use that printed page for many works.
Usually, the printer works with the computer, and it is connected by cable. But at present, many digital devices support printer features, so that the printer can be used sitting far away and can print with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cloud technology.
The first computer printer was invented in the 19th century by the grandfather of computers. Charles Babbage designed it for his Difference Engine. But this design could not be made even till the 20th century.
The Japanese company Epson invented the first electronic printer named EP-101 in 1968. These early printers were usually a hybrid of a typewriter and a teletype machine.
The increasing demand for printer speed led to printer systems development specifically for computer use. And after a few years in 1984, the low-cost HP LaserJet was launched. But by 2000, the Internet was slowly reaching people all over the world. Due to this documents could be exchanged using email and helped in reducing the need for printing.
In the year 2010, 3D printing became the center of attraction. Due to this 3D objects have been simplified. But at present, these printing devices are not fully developed, due to which their reach is very less.
Types of printers:
Based on the use and technology of the printer, they can be divided into several categories. But we can mainly divide computer printers into these two categories.
- Impact Printers
- Non-Impact Printers
How to connect the printer to a computer or other device?
Printers can communicate with their host device i.e., a computer in many ways. The traditional way of this is the cable through which the printer can be easily connected. But apart from this, there are many other ways as well like:
- USB Cable
- Parallel Port
- Serial Port
- Wi-Fi
- Cloud
- Bluetooth