What are the various printer types and characteristics?

Describe, the trouble shooting process, the sequence of steps taking and safety precautions.

 

What are the various printer types and characteristics?

Types of Printers and Characteristics:

1. Dot-matrix printer

• An impact printer that transfers characters by striking a pattern (from a matrix) through an inked ribbon and onto paper.
• The most common number of pins on a dot matrix printer is 9, 18, or 24, with more pins providing a higher resolution. 24-pins create a near-letter quality print and anything with less than 24-pins provides a draft quality print. The overall print quality of a dot matrix printer is quite poor when compared to that of other types of printers.
• Dot matrix printers operate in either a font (letters, numbers, and symbols) or dot-addressable (graphs and charts) mode.
• Because dot matrix printers strike the image onto paper, it is a good printer to use when carbon-copy documents are being printed.
• Dot matrix printers can be loud because printing takes place by pins physically striking the ink ribbon, paper, and the platen (a metal plate behind the paper).

2. inkjet printer

• Quiet non-impact printers with ink stored in a reservoir. Bubble jet printers are the most popular form of inkjet printers.
• The ink reservoir is in a disposable cartridge that includes the printing mechanism.
• Bubble jet printers print by heating the ink and squirting it through tiny nozzles in the print head and onto the paper.
• The crispness of an inkjet printer's image is usually rated as dots per inch or dpi. Inkjets range from 150 to over 1400 dpi.
• A new generation of inkjet printers produce photo-quality printouts when used with photo-quality paper.
• Photo-quality inkjet printers mix up to 16 drops of ink to form a single dot of color on the page.
• Inkjet printers feed single cut sheets of paper, from a feed tray, by clamping them between rollers and advancing them one print line at a time, from top to bottom, and then placing the newly printed paper into a tray, other than the feed tray.

3. Dye-sublimation printer (digital photo printer)

• A non-impact printer that uses film-embedded dye.
• The print head heats and passes over the film, causing the dye to vaporize and soak into the film paper.
• Dye sublimation printing prints in transitioning colors rather than pixels.
• Produces photographic quality images.

4. Solid Ink Printer

• Solid ink printers melt ink onto the print head (which is as wide as the paper). The head jets the melted ink onto the paper as the paper passes by on the print drum (similar to the laser printing process).
• Simple design & Excellent print quality
• The head takes as long as 15 minutes to heat prior to printing.

5. Thermal printer

• A non-impact printer that uses heat to cause a reaction on specially treated paper.
• Monochrome thermal paper is chemically treated to darken where heated (photosensitive). Many cash registers use this type of printer for creating receipts.
• Color thermal paper is chemically treated to absorb color from a ribbon when heated.
• Ink is applied using the ribbon in a similar manner to a solid ink printer.
• Color thermal printers are very expensive, high quality, and operate quietly.

6. Laser printers

• Classified as page printers because they print text and graphics simultaneously one complete page at a time
• Quickly print hundreds of text documents or pages.
• A laser printer works like a photocopy machine.
• Produce images on paper by directing a laser beam at a mirror which bounces the beam onto a drum. The drum has a special coating on it to which toner (an ink powder) sticks. 
• Using patterns of small dots, a laser beam conveys information from the computer to a positively charged drum to become neutralized.
• Any home-use laser printers can print eight pages per minute, but faster and print approximately 21,000 lines per minute, or 437 pages per minute if each page contains 48 lines.

7. 3D Printers

• Uses spools of a plastic material and extrude it to form shapes designed with computer-assisted design software.
• They're used by artists and hobbyists to create interesting and colorful shapes and by businesses to produce prototypes.
• Aren't suitable replacements for traditional 2D printers, and they're not designed to print documents or photos.
• Have the ability to print with carbon fiber and metallic powders for extremely strong industrial products.

Describe, the trouble shooting process, the sequence of steps taking and safety precautions:

Step by step troubleshooting process of printers:

Step 1: Make sure that the printer is set up correctly.

• Check the power-cable connections. For simple diagnose purpose, plug the printer into the wall outlet directly.
• Press the power button to turn on the printer. If it fails here, the power related parts might have problem.
• Make sure that print cartridges are installed correctly. Especially for color printer, if you misplace the cartridges, you might correct it now.

Step 2: Check the connection between printer and computer.

• If you use USB cable, network cable or parallel cable, check the cable connection between the printer and the computer. Make sure that the connection is secure.
• Make sure that the cable itself is not faulty, if possible, try with a different cable.
• If you use wireless connection, check if your computer has connected to your printer wirelessly.

Step 3: Check if any control-panel lights are lit.

• The control panel should indicate ready status. If an error message appears, you need to look up user manual.

Step 4: Check the paper.

• Make sure there is paper in paper tray.
• Make sure that the paper that you are using meets specifications, for example, paper size, paper type.
• Make sure that the paper is loaded correctly in the input tray. Most printers have at least two paper input trays. Check if the paper is in the correct tray, to which your computer sends the file.

Step 5: Check the printer software.

• Make sure that the product software is installed correctly, and check if the printer icon is live on the computer. If the printer is offline, its icon will be shown in grey color.
• Verify that you have installed the printer driver for this product. Check the program to make sure that you are using the printer driver for this product. In some cases, if you have installed the printer driver twice, you might find 2 icons for the same printer, you need to uninstall the duplicated one. Simple solution could be uninstall both, and reinstall the driver from beginning. 

Step 6: Check the printer supplies.

• Make sure the print supplies are in good condition, some printer has more than one toner cartridge, such as color cartridges or imaging drum unit. If any of them is near end of life, you might need to replace them.

Step 7: Test the print functionality

• If the printer has function to print without computer, do not use computer at the moment, and try to print a page from the printer itself.
• If you could not printer without computer involved, try to print a test page from your computer.
• If the page does not print, check control panel if any error light lit, check if any error message shown on your computer. If an error message appears, you need to look up user manual.

Safety precautions:

Setting up the printer

• Do not block or cover the vents and openings in the printer.
• Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer's label.
• The printer's power cord is for use with the printer only. Use with other equipment may result in fire or electric shock.
• Be sure your AC power cord meets the relevant local safety standard.
• Avoid using outlets on the same circuit as photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.
• Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or automatic timers.
• Keep the entire computer system away from potential sources of electromagnetic interference, such as loudspeakers or the base units of cordless telephones.
• The power-supply cords should be placed to avoid abrasions, cuts, fraying, crimping, and kinking. Do not place objects on top of the power-supply cords and do not allow the power-supply cords to be stepped on or run over. Be particularly careful to keep all the power-supply cords straight at the ends and the points where they enter and leave the transformer.
• If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure that the total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord's ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet's ampere rating.
• Never disassemble, modify, or attempt to repair the power cord, printer unit, scanner unit, or options by yourself, except as specifically explained in the printer's guides.
• Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
• The power cord or plug is damaged; liquid has entered the printer; the printer has been dropped or the casing damaged; the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct change in performance. Do not adjust controls that are not covered by the operating instructions.
• When connecting the printer to a computer or other device with a cable, ensure the correct orientation of the connectors. Each connector has only one correct orientation. Inserting a connector in the wrong orientation may damage both devices connected by the cable.
• If damage occurs to the plug, replace the cord set or consult a qualified electrician. If there are fuses in the plug, make sure you replace them with fuses of the correct size and rating.

Choosing a place for the printer

• Place the printer on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the base of the printer in all directions. If you place the printer by the wall, leave more than 10 cm between the back of the printer and the wall. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted at an angle.
• When storing or transporting the printer, do not tilt it, stand it on its side, or turn it upside down. Otherwise, ink may leak from the cartridges.
• Allow spaces behind the printer for the cables, and space above the printer so that you can fully raise the document cover.
• Avoid places subject to rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Also, keep the printer away from direct sunlight, strong light, or heat sources.

Using the printer

• Do not insert objects through the slots in the printer.
• Take care not to spill liquid on the printer.
• Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink cartridges during printing.
• Do not touch the white flat cable inside the printer.
• Do not use aerosol products that contain flammable gases inside or around this printer. Doing so may cause fire.
• Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise, you may damage the printer.
• Always turn the printer off using the On button. When this button is pressed, the On light flashes. Do not unplug the printer or turn off the power at the outlet until the On light stops flashing.
• Before transporting the printer, make sure that the print head is in the home (far right) position and the ink cartridges are in place.
• Leave the ink cartridges installed. Removing the cartridges can dehydrate the print head and may prevent the printer from printing.
• Be careful not to trap your fingers when closing the scanner unit.
• If you are not going to use the printer for a long period, be sure to unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet.
• Do not press too hard on the document table when placing the originals.

Handling ink cartridges

• Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. Do not allow children to drink from or handle the cartridges.
• Shake new ink cartridges four or five times before opening their packages.
• Do not shake ink cartridges after opening their packages; this can cause leakage.
• Be careful when you handle used ink cartridges, as there may be some ink remaining around the ink supply port. If ink gets on your skin, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with water. If discomfort or vision problems remain after a thorough flushing, see a doctor immediately.
• Do not remove or tear the label on the cartridge; this can cause leakage.
• Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from its package. If you leave a cartridge unpacked for a long time before using it, normal printing may not be possible.
• Use the ink cartridge before the date printed on its package.
• Do not disassemble or remodel the ink cartridge, otherwise you may not be able to print normally.
• After bringing an ink cartridge inside from a cold storage site, allow it to warm up at room temperature for at least three hours before using it.
• Store ink cartridges in a cool, dark place.
• Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the cartridge. Doing so may prevent normal operation and printing.
• If you remove an ink cartridge for later use, protect the ink supply area from dirt and dust, and store it in the same environment as the printer. A valve in the ink supply port makes covers or plugs unnecessary, but the ink may stain items that come into contact with this area of the cartridge. Do not touch the ink supply port or the surrounding area.
• Store ink cartridges with their labels facing upward. Do not store cartridges upside down.