There are many models of printing devices.
Some are small and compact and can fit on your desk.
Others are massive, taking up considerable floor space.
Yet, regardless of size, most of these devices fall within four broad categories.
These classifications are based upon the printing process.
Generally these machines are categorized as ink-jet, laser, thermal, or dot matrix.
Laser machines are primarily found in offices.
The largest subcategory of these office machines are black and white printers.
While these laser machines have a higher initial cost than other types, they print many more copies per cartridge.
So, in the long run they prove to be less expensive.
During massive print runs the savings start adding up.
Because of the way they operate they produce a much higher resolution.
Good printers can reproduce images at ninety six hundred by twenty four hundred dots per inch.
Another benefit of the way images are transferred to paper is that pictures can be printed without the loss of speed.
Other types of machine are limited to around twenty to thirty pages per minute.
High speed laser machines can reach speeds up to twelve thousand copies per hour.
That is around ten times faster than other types of printers.
Laser machines utilize a mixture of powdered ink and tiny plastic pelts called toner.
Toner cartridges can go unused for months without drying out.
These cartridges hold enough toner that even with moderate daily use that they can last about a month.
When they do run out, these cartridges are easier to refill than ink-jet cartridges.
When one of these machines is first turned on, they can take a bit longer to heat up.
That is because the fusing unit must be hot enough to melt the toner onto the page.
However, once they are ready, each job actually starts much sooner when compared to other machines.
Many of this class can start processing a job within ten to fifteen seconds.
Other features that can be found among these peripheral devices include duplex, or double sided, printing.
The machine makes a copy on one side and feeds the paper into a special unit called a duplex unit.
From there, the machine turns the paper over and prints on the back side.
Many such models can also auto staple finished jobs.
Even more versatile machines, some times known as 'all in one', have additional capacities.
These include a built-in fax machine, a copy machine, and a scanner.
Many have on board memory and can store up to six hundred pages at once.
Most laser machines serve as network printers.
They can be attached to the network either via cable, or via wireless connection.
These printers can include features that mimic those of an office copier, such as job interrupt and job prioritizing.
Black and white printers have actually been around a long time.
Laser technology is the oldest of printing device technology.
These machines have been a dependable work horse in the office for more than a generation.
With their durability and reliability, they are likely to form the backbone of office printing for a long time.
Some are small and compact and can fit on your desk.
Others are massive, taking up considerable floor space.
Yet, regardless of size, most of these devices fall within four broad categories.
These classifications are based upon the printing process.
Generally these machines are categorized as ink-jet, laser, thermal, or dot matrix.
Laser machines are primarily found in offices.
The largest subcategory of these office machines are black and white printers.
While these laser machines have a higher initial cost than other types, they print many more copies per cartridge.
So, in the long run they prove to be less expensive.
During massive print runs the savings start adding up.
Because of the way they operate they produce a much higher resolution.
Good printers can reproduce images at ninety six hundred by twenty four hundred dots per inch.
Another benefit of the way images are transferred to paper is that pictures can be printed without the loss of speed.
Other types of machine are limited to around twenty to thirty pages per minute.
High speed laser machines can reach speeds up to twelve thousand copies per hour.
That is around ten times faster than other types of printers.
Laser machines utilize a mixture of powdered ink and tiny plastic pelts called toner.
Toner cartridges can go unused for months without drying out.
These cartridges hold enough toner that even with moderate daily use that they can last about a month.
When they do run out, these cartridges are easier to refill than ink-jet cartridges.
When one of these machines is first turned on, they can take a bit longer to heat up.
That is because the fusing unit must be hot enough to melt the toner onto the page.
However, once they are ready, each job actually starts much sooner when compared to other machines.
Many of this class can start processing a job within ten to fifteen seconds.
Other features that can be found among these peripheral devices include duplex, or double sided, printing.
The machine makes a copy on one side and feeds the paper into a special unit called a duplex unit.
From there, the machine turns the paper over and prints on the back side.
Many such models can also auto staple finished jobs.
Even more versatile machines, some times known as 'all in one', have additional capacities.
These include a built-in fax machine, a copy machine, and a scanner.
Many have on board memory and can store up to six hundred pages at once.
Most laser machines serve as network printers.
They can be attached to the network either via cable, or via wireless connection.
These printers can include features that mimic those of an office copier, such as job interrupt and job prioritizing.
Black and white printers have actually been around a long time.
Laser technology is the oldest of printing device technology.
These machines have been a dependable work horse in the office for more than a generation.
With their durability and reliability, they are likely to form the backbone of office printing for a long time.
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