Printers

Printers transfer digital images from a computer to a physical medium, typically paper, although some printers can print to other mediums such as plastic or fabric.  The two most common types of printers are laserjet and inkjet.  Laserjet printers use a focused beam of light to heat a colored dry powder (called toner), which causes it to bind to the medium.  Inkjet printers spray liquid ink onto the medium from very fine tipped nozzles.  Laserjet printers generally print more pages per minute, produce a higher quality image and last longer, but come at a higher cost than their inkjet counterparts.  Printers for home and small businesses often have additional capabilities such as faxing, scanning and copying.  Professional grade printers for large business are typically dedicated to printing only and can print high-quality images at a very fast rate.