| Years ago computers were huge and their | | | | pressure bursts the bubble and hits the paper. |
| accompanying printers were huge as well. Instead | | | | The bubble breaks as the heating element cools. |
| of ink cartridges like those used now, they had | | | | The vacuum that is created draws the ink from |
| toner reservoirs and later toner cartridges. Filling a | | | | the reservoir to replace the ink that was |
| toner cartridge was not easy and it was messy. | | | | ejected.Printers' years ago used to be very |
| The toner cartridges were better. Some printers | | | | expensive and the reason for this was because |
| ran on print wheels and some used ribbons.Now | | | | the print heads that would stamp the image on |
| our computers are more compact and the | | | | paper was within the printer. Ink and/or toner |
| printers do more than just print in some cases. | | | | were added to a reservoir or the printer used |
| Printers use cartridges with self-contained | | | | ribbons to stamp the image on paper. Now |
| reservoirs. Some can be refilled and it isn't as | | | | printers are fairly cheap, the cost comes when |
| messy as adding toner was.There are two types | | | | you have to purchase the ink cartridges for it. |
| of printer cartridges. Primarily Hewlett-Packard and | | | | One would think that it would almost be worth it |
| Epson printers use the first, the Piezo Electric. A | | | | to buy a new printer instead of the cartridges |
| small crystal is subjected to an electric current | | | | because the price of the cartridges is often more |
| that causes the crystal to expand about every 5 | | | | than some of the more basic ink jet printers |
| microseconds (20,000 per second. This expansion | | | | available.The current price of cartridges while |
| causes the inkjet ink to be squirted out through | | | | currently expensive have some technology in |
| the print heads very rapidly and precisely. | | | | them that is complex and actually over the long |
| Piezo Electric has fewer print heads than bubble | | | | haul will end up being cheaper than it would be to |
| jet/thermal printers but can do more precise | | | | replace print heads often. Print heads are now |
| action and tend to last longer.Bubble jet print | | | | contained within the cartridges themselves. The |
| cartridges heat the ink rapidly into a bubble and is | | | | exciting thing about that is you could have your |
| squirted through ink nozzles thousands of times | | | | printer for a very long time if you use the |
| per second. Bubble jet printers are quieter than | | | | correct cartridges for your printer.Color cartridges |
| the Piezo based printers. It gives you extremely | | | | work the same as black cartridges by squirting |
| high resolution color printing.Ink jet not megapixel | | | | the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper in |
| method has the ink squirted through nozzles as | | | | horizontal strips as the cartridges move back and |
| they move over a variety of media. Liquid ink in | | | | forth across the page. The color cartridge |
| various colors is squirted at the paper to create | | | | however, has three reservoirs with cyan, |
| an image. The print head scans the page | | | | magenta, and yellow ink, each in a separate |
| horizontally using a motor assembly that rolls the | | | | reservoir.The image quality can depend on a |
| paper in vertical steps.A strip of an image is | | | | number of things. Paper quality can affect the |
| printed, then the paper moves on ready for the | | | | image you get. Brightness and absorption of the |
| next step. For speed, it doesn't just print a strip | | | | ink are the two main things that affect image |
| across the page; it prints vertical rows of pixels in | | | | quality. Brightness is exactly how bright the color |
| each pass.There are various types of inkjet | | | | or print image is while absorption is how |
| technology. DOD or drop on demand squirts small | | | | effectively the paper absorbs the ink. For inkjet |
| drops of in ink onto the paper through tiny | | | | printers it is best to use paper made specifically |
| nozzles. It is like turning a hosepipe on and off | | | | for inkjet printers. You will get the best possible |
| 5,000 times per second. The amount of ink | | | | image with the proper paper. Also check the |
| dropped on the page is controlled by the driver | | | | settings of your printer and/or your display |
| software that says which nozzles fire and when. | | | | properties, these things can also affect your |
| A problem with ink jet technology is the tendency | | | | printing project.Depending on the paper you use |
| for the ink to smudge right after printing. This is | | | | and your printer, you may want to leave your |
| improving with the development of new ink | | | | documents alone for a little while so the ink can |
| compositions.Thermal Technology of printing fires | | | | dry. Some printers have an ink saver setting that |
| the ink onto the paper. There are three stages in | | | | will put out less ink, which will dry faster, and still |
| this process. In stage 1 the squirt is started when | | | | give you a near perfect image. Get to know your |
| the ink is heated to create a bubble. Initial | | | | printer and how it works. |