Embedded Files
A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy. For example, if you created a report on your computer, you could print several copies to hand out at a staff meeting. Printers are one of the most popular computer peripherals and are commonly used to print text and photos. The picture is an example of an inkjet computer printer, the Lexmark Z605
A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy. For example, if you created a report on your computer, you could print several copies to hand out at a staff meeting. Printers are one of the most popular computer peripherals and are commonly used to print text and photos. The picture is an example of an inkjet computer printer, the Lexmark Z605
History of Computer Printers
History of Computer Printers
The history of computer printers began in 1938 when Seattle inventor Chester Carlson (1906–1968) invented a dry printing process called electrophotography—commonly called a Xerox— which was to be the foundation technology for decades of laser printers to come.
Technology
Technology
In 1953, the first high-speed printer was developed by Remington-Rand for use on the Univac computer. The original laser printer called EARS was developed at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center beginning in 1969 and completed in November 1971. Xerox Engineer Gary Starkweather (born 1938) adapted Carlson's Xerox copier technology, adding a laser beam to it to come up with the laser printer.
According to the Xerox Corporation, "The Xerox 9700 Electronic Printing System, the first xerographic laser printer product, was released in 1977. The 9700, a direct descendant from the original PARC "EARS" printer which pioneered in laser scanning optics, character generation electronics, and page formatting software, was the first product on the market to be enabled by PARC research."
Computing Printers
Computing Printers
According to IBM, "the very first IBM 3800 was installed in the central accounting office at F. W. Woolworth’s North American data center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1976." The IBM 3800 Printing System was the industry’s first high-speed, laser printer. It was a laser printer that operated at speeds of more than 100 impressions-per-minute. It was the first printer to combine laser technology and electrophotography.
In 1976, the inkjet printer was invented, but it took until 1988 for the inkjet to become a home consumer item with Hewlett-Packard's release of the DeskJet inkjet printer, priced at a whopping $1000. In 1992, Hewlett-Packard released the popular LaserJet 4, the first 600 by 600 dots per inch resolution laser printer.
The History of Printing
The History of Printing
Printing is, of course, far older than the computer. The earliest dated printed book known is the "Diamond Sutra," printed in China in 868 CE. However, it is suspected that book printing may have occurred long before this date.
Before Johannes Gutenberg (ca 1400–1468), printing was limited in the number of editions made and nearly exclusively decorative, used for pictures and designs. The material to be printed was carved into wood, stone, and metal, rolled with ink or paint and transferred by pressure to parchment or vellum. Books were hand copied mostly by members of religious orders.
Gutenberg was a German craftsman and inventor, and he is best known for the Gutenberg press, an innovative printing press machine that used movable type. It remained the standard until the 20th century. Gutenberg made printing cheap.
Linotypes and Typesetters
Linotypes and Typesetters
German born Ottmar Mergenthaler's (1854–1899) invention of the linotype composing the machine in 1886 is regarded as the greatest advance in printing since Gutenberg's development of movable type 400 years earlier, allowing people to quickly set and breakdown an entire line of text at once.
In 1907, Samuel Simon of Manchester England was awarded a patent for the process of using silk fabric as a printing screen. Using materials other than silk for screen printing has a long history that begins with the ancient art of stenciling used by the Egyptians and Greeks as early as 2500 B.C.
Walter W. Morey of East Orange, New Jersey, conceived the idea of a teletypesetter, a device for setting type by telegraph using coded paper tape. He demonstrated his invention in 1928, and Frank E. Gannett (1876–1957) of Gannett newspapers supported the process and aided in the development.
The earliest phototypesetting machine was patented in 1925 by the Massachusetts inventor R. J. Smothers. In the early 1940s, Louis Marius Moyroud (1914–2010) and Rene Alphonse Higonnet (1902–1983) developed the first practical phototypesetting machine. Their phototypesetter used a strobe light and a series of optics to project characters from a spinning disk onto photographic paper.
Types of printers
Types of printers
Below is a list of all the different types of computer printers. Today, the most common printers are inkjet and laser printers.
Printer interfaces
Printer interfaces
There are a few different ways a printer can connect to and communicate with a computer (referred to as interfaces). Today, the most common connection types are by USB cable (wired) or via Wi-Fi (wireless). Below is a full list of cables and interfaces used to connect a computer to a printer.
What are the benefits and uses of a printer?
What are the benefits and uses of a printer?
Each type of printer has different types of uses. Examples of more frequent uses of printers include the following.
3D printer
3D printer
Print tools or parts needed to build something.
Print replacement parts for something broken.
Print toys for children.
Print objects to be sold.
Inkjet printer
Inkjet printer
Print copy of a document for school.
Print a paper that can be physically signed.
Print colored pictures that can be viewed without a monitor or mobile device.
Print receipts for purchases made online.
Laser printer
Laser printer
Quickly print hundreds of text documents or pages.
Print hard copies of professional or legal documents.
Who invented the printer?
Who invented the printer?
Over the evolution of the printer, there were several types of printers developed. So, there is no single inventor cited for the printer. However, the first person to invent a mechanical printing device is Charles Babbage, who created it with his Difference Engine in the 1800s. See the next section for a list of different people and companies behind the other types of printers used today.
History of various printers and how they work
History of various printers and how they work
Mechanical printer
Mechanical printer
The first mechanical printer was invented by Charles Babbage, for use with the Difference Engine which Babbage developed in 1822. Babbage's printer utilized metal rods with printed characters on each rod to print text on rolls of paper that were fed through the device.
Dot matrix printer
Dot matrix printer
IBM created the first dot matrix printer in 1957. However, the first dot matrix impact printer was introduced by Centronics in 1970. To create letters and images, the print head, which contains pins, sits over an ink ribbon. This ribbon rests above a piece of paper. As the print head moves across the ribbon (usually horizontally), the pins press into the ribbon to imprint ink onto the page (like a typewriter). As these pins print several dots, you can see where this printer got its name.
Inkjet printer
Inkjet printer
While inkjet printers started being developed in the late 1950s, it wasn't until the late 1970s that they were able to reproduce decent digital images. These higher-quality inkjet printers were developed by multiple companies, including Canon, Epson, and Hewlett-Packard. Inkjet printers are similar to dot matrix printers in that the images they create are composed of dots. However, the dots on an inkjet printer are shot onto the page rather than using a ribbon and pins. Furthermore, an inkjet printer's dots are smaller, and their print speed is faster. See our inkjet printer page for further information about this printer.
Laser printer
Laser printer
In the early 1970s, Gary Starkweather invented the laser printer while working at Xerox by modifying one of their model 7000 copiers. However, it wasn't until 1984, when Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP LaserJet, that laser printers became more widely available and affordable. The following year, Apple introduced the Apple LaserWriter, which introduced PostScript technology to the printer market. Laser printers are more complex than their predecessors. For information on how they work, see our laser printer definition.
3D printer
3D printer
Chuck Hull created the 3D printer in 1984. 3D printers work by taking a digital blueprint of an object and reproducing it layer-by-layer using various materials such as plastic and metal alloys. See our 3D printer definition for further information.
Tip
See our computer printer history page for a complete history of computer printers.
What is the most commonly used printer?
What is the most commonly used printer?
The most commonly used printer can vary depending on the environment of where it's used. For home and family users, inkjet printers are the most commonly used because of their initial price. For office environments, laser printers are the most common.
Note
As color laser printers become cheaper and more people realize how expensive printer ink can be, laser printers are starting to become a popular choice for home users.
Do I need a printer with my computer?
Do I need a printer with my computer?
A computer printer is considered a peripheral, which means it's not a required device. Many people use a computer every day without a printer. However, if the time comes when they need to print something, they'll have to visit somewhere with a printer.
Does a printer require a computer to be used?
Does a printer require a computer to be used?
Older printers did require a computer to be used and operated. However, with the popularity of smartphones, tablets, and Wi-Fi, newer printers can connect to your wireless network and be used without a computer.
Note
For these printers to be used, they require a Wi-Fi network to communicate with other devices. Also, to set up the printer, you may need a smartphone or tablet connected to the Wi-Fi network.
Does a computer printer have memory?
Does a computer printer have memory?
Yes, all new computer printers have a small amount of memory to store printer settings, print jobs (in the print buffer), and printer fonts.
Related information
Related information
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse