Are you looking for the right type of printer that will meet the needs of your office or business? Or are you willing to learn a thing or two about printers before purchasing one?
If so, then this content can be really helpful to you. Because this article is all about Impact printer vs non impact printer.
In this rigorous comparison between Impact printers and non-impact printers, we are focusing on the functioning mechanism, advantages, disadvantages, and the purpose they serve.
Now, let’s dig deeper into the topic.
What is Impact Printing?
Impact printing is the oldest printing process that is still active to this day. Basically, it is the process of printing where the printer has to make a direct physical impact on the paper to create an output.
Moreover, Impact printers have mechanical moving components to conduct printing. Although these types of printers are very noisy, they are still very popular for their cheap price range and simple functioning process. But like most other products, impact printers also have some good and bad sides.
Let’s have a look at some of the pros and cons of impact printers:
Pros:
- Low price range.
- Low printing cost.
- Low maintenance cost.
- Easy to replace the ribbon cartridge.
- Don’t need much power to function.
Cons:
- Produce a lot of noise.
- Slow printing speed.
- Poor graphics and print quality.
- Limited color printing.
What is Non-Impact Printing?
Non-impact printing is a process that’s quite the opposite of impact printing, as this process does not require striking a piece of paper with printing components at all. Therefore, there is no direct physical impact of mechanical elements on the paper involved in this process.
Furthermore, non-impact printing does not require an ink ribbon to conduct characters and graphics. Instead, this process is solely based on technologies like laser, electrostatic, xerographic, chemical, or inkjet.
Moreover, non-impact printers can produce a full page of prints at once. That’s why they are also known as page printers.
Nowadays, non-impact printers are highly praised among users for producing much less noise and fast printing speed. They are suitable for offices, businesses, and other places that require fast and high-quality printing. But, much like impact printers, they also have some good and bad sides. So, here are the pros and cons of non-impact printers:
Pros
- Produce much less noise than impact printers.
- Notably fast printing speed.
- High printing quality.
- Suitable for printing graphics and images.
- Can be multi-functional.
- Can print various fonts and symbols.
Cons
- Much costlier than impact printers.
- Require maintenance now and then.
- Do not use a continuous sheet.
Types of Printer Impact and Non Impact
All the printers that you may know of, fall into these two primary categories. Needless to say, there are various types of both impact and non-impact printers with their unique functioning mechanisms. So without wasting another word, let’s dive headfirst into the types.
Types of Impact Printers:
Although impact printers are the oldest of all printing devices, they are still efficient for various kinds of uses to this very day. Therefore, they are highly convenient for many businesses and establishments. Here is a brief discussion about them:
1. Dot-Matrix Printers: This type of printer uses a very simple mechanism to print multiple copies at once. That’s why it’s very famous among the impact printer users.
The highest resolution of a Dot-matrix printer can be 240 dpi or dots per inch. But, the print resolution can vary depending on the number of pins on the printhead. Although these printers usually have 9 or 24 pin printheads. Dot-matrix printers are good printers to use to make carbon or carbonless forms of multiple copies at once.
2. Daisy-Wheel Printers: These printers aren’t much used anymore. But they were famous in the ’80s for printing high-quality texts. Daisy-Wheel impact printers have printheads made of metal or plastic wheels that are cut into petals. Each of these petals has a character marked on it. These petals strike the page through a printer ribbon to print the characters.
They are not very efficient nowadays because of their loud and slow printing process. On top of that, these printers are not able to print multiple types of fonts unless you change the print wheels.
3. Line Printers: These printers can print multiple characters on the same line at once. The mechanical elements of line printers include either a spinning drum or a print chain that has various characters marked on them. There are also a series of hammers that press the paper along with a print ribbon onto the spinning drums or chains, which prints the characters on the drums or chains onto the paper.
Because of this process, Line printers are much faster than other impact printers. Although they are very noisy and have limited fonts. Moreover, they have a low print quality compared to modern printing devices. But still, they are used in various places for their fast printing speed.
Types of Non-Impact Printers:
As mentioned before, the functioning mechanism of non-impact printers are mostly based on modern technologies like laser, electrostatic, xerographic, chemical, or inkjet. Therefore, they are highly praised among users for their high printing quality and fast printing speed.
Furthermore, there are various types of non-impact printers to choose from. So, here is a brief discussion about them:
1. Inkjet Printers: Inkjet Printers can print a single line at once. But, though they are faster than dot-matrix printers and cheaper than laser printers, they are widely used by consumers.
Inkjet printers spray ink particles on the paper through nozzles to print high-quality outputs. In this case, the quality of output highly depends on the paper quality.
These printers usually have cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink cartridges that are replaceable. You can easily find these printers being used in businesses and offices that need high-quality color printing. To know more about inkjet printers click here.
2. Laser Printers: These printers have a unique mechanism that uses static electricity to transfer plastic and polymer particles onto a piece of paper. Because of this process, Laser printers can print a significantly high resolution of printed outputs.
Not only do these printers have fast printing speed but they are also praised for their reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in places that demand high-quality printing.
3. Thermal Printers: You probably have seen these printers in super shops and payment counters. Thermal printers are generally used for printing receipts and labels.
These printers are based on a mechanism that requires a special kind of paper and a heating component to print graphics and characters. They are widely used by consumers nowadays for their fast printing speed, durability, and notably clear printing. To know more about thermal printers click here.
4. Snapshot Printers: These printers are famous for producing high-quality images. They are widely used for printing digital photographs. Although they are very costly and have a slow printing speed, they are praised for their high-resolution outputs.
Impact Printer and Non Impact Printer Difference
Furthermore, they have very different characteristics and differ in many factors. So, bear with me a little more as I compare the impact and non-impact printers to give you a clearer idea about them:
Comparison Factor | Impact Printers | Non-Impact Printers |
| Basic Nature | Produce characters and graphics by striking a piece of paper through an ink ribbon. | Produce characters and graphics without any physical impact at all. |
| Printing Process | Strike the page with a printhead through an ink ribbon for printing outputs. | Deposit ink or polymer particles on the page for printing outputs. |
| Printing Speed | Usually slower than non-impact printers. | Comparatively faster printing speed. |
| Noise | Generates a lot of noise. | Work quietly. |
| Affordability | Affordable price range. | Comparatively expensive. |
| Print Quality | Notably low compared to non-impact printers | High-quality printing. |
| Technology | Use old printing technologies. | Use modern printing technologies. |
| Graphics and Images | Can’t print graphics and images except for dot-matrix printers. | Suitable for printing high-quality graphics and images. |
| Paper Sheets | Use continuous paper sheets. | Use individual paper sheets. |
| Character Styles | Character styles are not changeable except dot-matrix printers. | Can print different types of characters. |
| Printing Ink | Use ink ribbons to print outputs. | Use toner or cartridges to print outputs. |
| Color | Can only print in a single color. | Can print multiple colors |
| Examples of impact and non impact printer | Dot-matrix printer, Daisy wheel printer, and line printer. | Inkjet printer, thermal printer, laser printer, and snapshot printer. |
| Suitable For | Places that need multiple copies in a single pass. | Places that need fast and high-quality printing. |
Conclusion
Learning about a product before purchasing one is always a great idea. Not only will it help you to find the right product for meeting your needs but it will also keep you from buying the wrong ones.
It is clear that both impact and non-impact printers are suitable for different types of work and have their set of pros and cons. So, as we dove into the topic of Impact printer vs non impact printer, I hope this content will be helpful to you.
This is where we part ways. Have a great day!
