Fundamental of Printers and Scanners
Printers and scanners are two types of peripheral devices that are used in the computer system, which allows us to produce printed copies or digital data from a hardcopy. The article discusses the fundamentals of printers and scanners.
Fundamental of Printers and Scanners
Printer
A computer screen provides us with a softcopy as output, but in many cases, we need a hardcopy of the information on paper, which can be produced with the help of a printer.
A printer is an output device that produces a hard copy of the required information. It receives text documents, images, or a combination of both and prints (reproduced) them on paper. However, it also accepts signals sent by a computer that controls the printer.
All printing devices have a paper transport system that automatically moves the continuous forms or single sheets as printing progresses.
Color Printer
Many printers can produce output in distinct colors, which are called color printers. They are one of the most popular types of printers on the market. They use a process called four-color process printing, which lays down four colors of ink (CMYK) – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black – on the paper to create a full-color image.
Most color printers are also capable of printing in black and white, but they typically cost more to operate than monochrome printers because they use more ink. Many modern color printers also have features like photocopying and scanning built-in, making them versatile devices for home and office use.
Scanner
A scanner converts graphics and pictorial data to digital (binary) form, which can be directly fed and stored on computers. Scanners are capable of digitizing the shape and size of drawings and varying intensities on a gray-to-black, full color, and black and white. They are used to scan more complex pictures and photographs.
Nowadays, scanners have the capability of OCR (optical character recognition), by which a scanned page can be converted into an editable document.
Conclusion
In this article, we have looked at the basics of printers and scanners. We have seen that a printer is an output device that produces a hard copy of the required information and a scanner is an input device that converts graphics and pictorial data to digital form.
We hope you enjoyed our fundamentals of printers and scanners guide. Although both devices are very different, they work together to produce high-quality documents and images.
This article is taken from the book “Basics of Computer, Third Edition” by Muhammad Umar. This book describes the concepts of computers in plain English. It is a perfect book for both beginners and professionals. Click here to get a copy and start understanding the basics of computers.
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Basics of Computer By Muhammad Umar
Basics of Computer, Third Edition, eradicates any intimidation about the computer. With a minimal investment of time, you’ll soon be able to understand basic concepts and perform simple tasks on your computer.
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