How Does Inkjet Printing Work?
Other People Are Reading
-
Important Parts of the Inkjet Printer
-
There are four main elements to the Inkjet printer: the printer head, nozzles, ink cartridges, and the paper feeding mechanism. The ink cartridges contain the liquid ink that is printed on the page. The nozzles are similar to a spray bottle, ejecting ink from the cartridge. The print head is the device that creates the formation of ink (words and images) on the page. Finally, the paper feeding mechanism moves the page up so that every line is printed correctly. The inkjet printer cannot operate without each of these four components in working condition.
Ink Transfer Process
-
In the ink transfer process the ink is sprayed on the page through the nozzles as the print head scans the page. The print head is the most complex and important part of the inkjet printer, because it places each printed pixel exactly where it should be. When there is a problem with the printer head, it either needs to be fixed or replaced, or the entire printer will need to be replaced. The print head moves back and forth over your paper and transfers the ink onto the page, the paper feeder (roller) moves the page up and the ink transfer process repeats for the entire sheet of paper. When the printed page is complete it is "spit" out of the printer and the next page is fed and positioned for the print head to do its work again.
-
Important Details About Paper and Ink
-
You cannot use the same type of paper or ink that you use for a laser printer with an inkjet printer. If you try to print a document or image on laser paper in an inkjet printer the quality will be inferior, and the ink will probably never set---it will smear. Also, it's important to note that laser printers take toner cartridges (containing a powdered dry ink), while inkjets contain liquid ink for printing.
Inkjet printers are less expensive than Laserjet printers, but cost more to keep up because the cartridges need to be replaced more often. Also, the printer heads break often and the nozzles get clogged easily. In many cases, when one of the major components of an inkjet printer is malfunctioning, it is more cost effective to get an entirely new printer as opposed to getting the unit repaired. The average inkjet printer will last about one or two years. For these reasons, inkjet printers are best for small operations and people who do not do a high volume of printing during the course of a year.
-
