A commonly found printer which uses an ink roller to create images.
Resolution is measured in DPI (Dots per inch)
Print speed is measured in pages per minute (PPM)
Components
Print Head
Head drops small ink drops on the page.
Most printers use heat to move the ink but some do it mechanically aswell.
Some printers combine the ink cartridges and print head into one component. Others separate the two
Ink Cartridge
Sold mostly in CMYK colors
Can also be sold in other colors like dark cyan, green, gray, etc.
Feed Roller
Rollers responsible for pulling the paper into the printer.
Must be cleaned often.
Ink Carriage
A rail that allows the print head and ink cartridge to move along the page.
Additional Features
Duplexing
Certain printers will print on both sides of the paper without any manual help.
Calibration
In the menu options, you configure the printer cartridges and then a output page is printed out.
Windows uses WCS calibrates using ICC color profiles to correct color shifts from OS to hardware.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Relatively inexpensive | Expensive to replace ink |
| Quiet | Ink eventually fades |
| High resolution | Clog easily |