Difference between impact printer and non- impact printer?

The main difference between impact printers and non-impact printers lies in the way they produce printed output.

Impact printers use a mechanical mechanism to physically strike an inked ribbon against the paper, creating the desired text or image. This process typically results in louder printing and lower quality output compared to non-impact printers. Examples of impact printers include dot matrix printers and daisy wheel printers.

Non-impact printers, on the other hand, do not use a physical impact to create printed output. Instead, they use technologies such as inkjet or laser to transfer ink or toner onto the paper. Non-impact printers are generally quieter, faster, and produce higher quality prints compared to impact printers. Examples of non-impact printers include inkjet printers and laser printers.

Impact Printers

- Operation:
- Form characters by physically striking a ribbon against the paper.
- Print quality:
- Generally lower resolution, with visible dots or lines.
- Noise:
- Very noisy during operation due to the impact of pins or hammers.
- Speed:
- Slower than non-impact printers.
- Applications:
- Primarily used for high-volume printing, such as invoices, receipts, and multipart forms.

Non-Impact Printers

- Operation:
- Form characters without directly impacting the paper.
- Print quality:
- Can achieve higher resolutions, resulting in crisp and detailed images.
- Noise:
- Much quieter than impact printers.
- Speed:
- Faster than impact printers.
- Types:
- Laser printers: Use a laser to create an electrostatic image on a drum, which attracts toner particles to form the image.
- Inkjet printers: Spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper.
- Thermal printers: Use heat to activate a color-changing layer on special paper.
- Applications:
- Widely used for various purposes, including personal and business documents, presentations, photographs, etc.