Printer characteristics

A printer converts print data to dot patterns and physically manipulates paper and ink to produce a printed image.

The purpose of these topics is to help you determine the type of printers you need and to configure your printer setup for optimal performance.

Several types of printers are in common use today:

• Impact printers (usually dot matrix)

• Ink-jet (including bubble-jet and paint-jet) printers

• Laser printers

• Electrostatic printers

• Thermal wax transfer and dye sublimation printers