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