Inkjet Vs. Deskjet Printers
Inkjet printers were initially developed by IBM to coat paper with droplets of ink. Siemens AG introduced the first commercial inkjet printer in 1951. Today, printer manufacturers differentiate their inkjet printer models by proprietary print heads and cartridges that produce detailed images. The Hewlett-Packard DeskJet printer uses a proprietary combination of printer heads and color management in its inkjet technology.
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Significance
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According to the Hewlett-Packard Co., the company initiated inkjet technology research in 1978. During the early years of personal computing, printing documents on demand was limited to dot-matrix printers or thermal printing. In 1984, Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP ThinkJet, a high-quality, low-cost non-impact device. In 1988, HP introduced the DeskJet, which printed on plain--rather than thermal--paper.
Features
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Current inkjet printers use proprietary technology to control the application of ink on paper. Color inkjet printers also use color-management systems that combine ink droplets to achieve specific colors and hues. Printer manufacturers such as HP, Canon and Epson differentiate their inkjet printers by the efficiency with which the devices apply ink across the page to produce high-resolution images.
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Considerations
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Inkjet printers are designated by their general application process and the medium on which they print--such as paper. A variety of inkjet printers--including the DeskJet--print on paper and specialty sheets, such as transparent films. Most consumer inkjet printers use water-based inks, either as dyes or pigments.
Specialty Printers
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Specialized inkjet printers contain print heads that can accommodate solvent-based and heat-fixed dye sublimation inks. These specialized inkjet printers have a broad range of applications, including: portable, battery-operated printers for 4-inch by 6-inch photographs; large-format printers for banners and over-sized paper; and, other specialized printers for printing on cakes--using food dye--or building molds and models--by applying layers of a thick substance that solidifies under heat or ultraviolet light exposure built into the printer. Specialty inkjet printers usually include software or drivers to control the amount of ink applied from each reservoir to produce a desired effect--such as metallic ink.
DeskJet Printers
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Hewlett-Packard owns the trade name "DeskJet" and designates this line of inkjet printers for the consumer market. The DeskJet printer uses water-based ink in cartridges that print on sheets of paper. DeskJet models feature a compact size, affordable price and a fast and quiet printing process on plain and specialty inkjet paper, such as photo paper and transparency film. The DeskJet cannot handle large-volume printing and has size limitations for paper capacity--usually up to legal-sized paper. HP provides specific printer drivers and utilities for use on all computers.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Victoria Garcia
