In computer science, a printer skrivare is usually a peripheral device that creates a static representation of text or images, usually on paper. While all output is usually human readable, barcode printers are a good example of how a printer has been stretched to fit into a more generic application. Barcodes are geometric patterns of letters and numbers printed on cloth, paper, or other materials. In the early days, barcodes used stencils to make them legible. Modern printers have learned to automatically create barcodes using lasers, sometimes with an integrated barcode reader.
A printer may be classified according to its technology. There are all in one printers, which accept text and image, laser printers, plotters, dot matrix, laser, and non-contact printers. All in one printers, also called inkjet printers, are based on a single printing cartridge that can print either text or image. The printer heads inside a cartridge, which is fixed to the floor or the printer bed. The laser printer or plotter printer requires multiple cartridges to produce multiple colors, whereas an inkjet printer consumes only one cartridge at a time.
Printing technology has developed so far that printers can now be configured to print in color, monochrome, or high-quality black and white output. Some printers can be fitted with CD or DVD writers, or can be connected to a computer or network for sharing printed output between multiple users or servers. Certain printers have built-in software that allows printing of colored documents.
All in one printers usually have a general printing capacity of about 600 sheets per minute or PPM. Some high-end all in one printers, which are commonly used in industrial work shops, are capable of printing up to 10 pages per second. Some all in one printers can process scanned data and include it as printed output. Larger sized versions of all in one printers are now available, with their built-in multifunctional features for more functionality.
A common type of all in one printer found in offices is the graphics printer. These are designed to produce fine text and photo images. Generally, these printers accept text and image cartridges, but also accept up to three other types of cartridges. These types of printers, although quite expensive, are ideal for graphic designers who work with large files. The only disadvantage is that these printers consume more power than normal printers, and they cannot produce high-quality images.
Some all in one printers, which are generally affordable, are referred to as all in one printers (aka. “all in one” printers) because they can perform both printing and scanning tasks. This kind of printer usually has its own laser printer head, which enables it to perform printing tasks. One of its main advantages is that it can instantly detect data or images that are fed into the printer. It is also capable of scanning documents into a digital form and can read PDF and TIFF formats.