Types of Printers and Scanners

Printers are broadly divided into Impact (physical striking) and NonImpact (no striking) categories.
Non-Impact Printers (The Modern Standard) Inkjet Printers: Spray tiny droplets of liquid ink through nozzles onto paper.
o Best For: High-quality photos and home use. Laser Printers: Use a laser beam to create an electrostatic image on a drum, which attracts dry powder (toner) that is then melted onto the paper.
o Best For: Fast, high-volume office text documents. Thermal Printers: Use heat to darken special heat-sensitive paper (no ink needed).
o Best For: Shopping receipts and shipping labels.  3D Printers: Build physical 3D objects layer by layer using plastic or resin.
Impact Printers (The "Old School" Workhorses)  Dot-Matrix Printers: Use a print head with tiny pins that strike an inked ribbon against paper.
o Unique Feature: They can print "carbon copies" (multiple layers of paper at once).
o Best For: Invoices and industrial environments.
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