### equipment | electronic equipment | peripheral device:

Printer
* All printers work by laying down tiny dots of ink, toner or dye.
* Many printers use proprietary memory modules, as do most notebook computers
  - tack cloths to clean off every sheet that needs cleaning
* Most printers are capable of printing on transparency film
  - special graphic characters for line drawing
  - dither to achieve various levels of gray or color
  - have a thickness adjustment for printing on card stock and envelopes
* Some printers add all four colors to a plate before placing the image on paper
  - also support a setting in which less toner is used to print a page image
  - are multifunction, meaning they also copy, scan, or fax
  - can use regular inks or photo inks
* Some printers have an infrared port for wireless printing
  - multiple sets of fonts that have the same family name
  - switches and other devices to change how they print
  - mix colors to achieve black
  - specialize in certain types of books only
  - support printing on a wider variety of paper sizes than others
  - try to print color as grey-scale at higher resolutions
  - use hydrochloric acid to help the ferric oxalate dissolve
  - work on tight schedules, with presses filled weeks ahead of time
* are a large and active group of businesses in the Northeast.
  - complex, electromechanical devices
  - linear devices
* are located in computers
  - desks
  - home offices
  - print shops
  - schools
  - mechanical beasts in an electronic world
  - of different types and include dot matrix, ink jet and laser printers
  - peripherals
  - skilled workers
* are the link between design and reality
  - most common peripheral devices connected to parallel ports
  - physical devices which generate output
* consume energy even while they are idling.
* desire paper.
* do different kinds of printing.
* emphasize the value of books as a time-saver and a necessity for the conduct of daily life.
* have memory just like a computer.
* measure paper in 'gsm', which stands for 'grams per square metre'.
* nightmare that occurs as the surface of a sheet lifts off during printing.
* produce paper copies of documents
  - waste as part of the printing process
* speak a different language.
* type letters in ink or in Braille.
* use many different chemicals, machines, and processes.
* vary in size, speed, sophistication, and cost
  - mainly in cost, quality, speed, and noise
+ Computer printer, Producing output
  * Printers are programmed using a programming language. The printer interprets the program, and the outputs the result. A page description language describes what a page should look like. The program in a page description language is sent to the printer, which interprets them. Printer command languages are at a lower level than Page description languages, they contain information that is specific to the printer model.
+ Raster graphics: Computer graphics
  * These languages are based on vectorized images, most of the time. To be printed, these images need to be translated into raster graphics first. This is done by a part called a Raster Image Processor. Most modern printers have those processors inside the printer. Some printers use a special piece of software on the computer to do that job.

### equipment | electronic equipment | peripheral device | printer:

Braille printer
* are significantly noisier than dot matrix or laser printers.
* convert text files into hard-copy braille.
* provide output for blind users.

Color printer
* Most color printers have three or four different color cartridges
  - work on specially designed transparency film
* are very prevalent especially in the ink-jet technology category.
* can come very close to the quality of photographs.
* create color by mixing black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
* use the same networking components as their monochrome cousins.