Data Structure
Networking
RDBMS
Operating System
Java
MS Excel
iOS
HTML
CSS
Android
Python
C Programming
C++
C#
MongoDB
MySQL
Javascript
PHP
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Mathematics
English
Economics
Psychology
Social Studies
Fashion Studies
Legal Studies
- Selected Reading
- UPSC IAS Exams Notes
- Developer's Best Practices
- Questions and Answers
- Effective Resume Writing
- HR Interview Questions
- Computer Glossary
- Who is Who
Difference between Impact and Non-Impact Printers
A printer is an output device that produces information or computer outputs on a paper. Depending upon the technology used, printers are classified into two categories namely, Impact Printers and Non-Impact Printers.
An impact printer is one that operates by striking a printing head (made up of metal or plastic) against an ink ribbon, whereas a non-impact printer is one that prints characters and graphics without direct physical contact between the printing head and the paper.
Read this tutorial to find out more about Impact and Non-impact Printers and how they are different from each other.
What is an Impact Printer?
Impact printers function by creating a direct contact between the ink-ribbon and the paper. These printers are noisy, yet popular. Impact printers have mechanical moving parts to conduct printing. Impact printers print characters and images by striking a print hammer or wheel against an inked ribbon that leaves an image on paper. Hence, the printing in impact printers is done by hammering a metal printing head or character dye on the ribbon.
The major drawbacks of impact printers are: they are slow speed printers and consume a lot of time to print a document. Also, impact printers have very high noise levels because they have several moving parts and also the printing head strikes on ribbon and paper. The quality of print produced by an impact printer is very poor than that of a non-impact printer.
Impact printers use old printing technologies and they are less expensive. Examples include Dot-matrix printers, Daisy-wheel printers, and line printers.
What is a Non-Impact Printer?
Non-Impact Printers don't use any direct contact between ink ribbon and paper. They use laser, xerographic, electrostatic, and chemical or inkjet technology. These printers are less noisy and don't have mechanical moving parts to conduct printing. Non-impact printers print images and characters without any direct physical contact between the printing mechanism and the paper. In non-impact printers, the printing is done by depositing the ink on a paper in any form.
Non-impact printers can operate at high speed and can print many pages per minute, and low noise level. The noise level of non-impact printers is very low or negligible because they do not use striking mechanism in which printing head strikes on ribbon and paper, instead they use a process of laying ink or toner onto a paper which is virtually silent.
Non-impact printers use laser, spray of special ink or heat and pressure to print graphics and characters onto the paper. The quality of print produced by a non-impact printer is higher than that of the impact printer. These types of printers use toner (dry ink) or liquid ink cartridge for printing on paper.
Non-impact printers use latest printing technologies and they are expensive as compared to impact printers. Examples include Inkjet printers and Laser printers.
Difference between Impact Printers and Non-Impact Printers
The following table shows the major differences between impact and non-impact printers −
Key |
Impact Printers |
Non-Impact Printers |
|---|---|---|
Concept |
Characters, graphics are printed on a paper by striking. |
Characters, graphics are printed on a paper without striking. |
Process |
Printing is done by hammering a metal pin or character dye. |
Printing is done by depositing ink on paper in any form. |
Mechanical |
Electro-mechanical devices are used for printing. |
No electro-mechanical device is used for printing. |
Speed |
Slow − covers 250 words per second. |
Fast − covers a page in 30 seconds. |
Noise |
Noisy |
Silent |
Examples |
Dot-matrix printers, Daisy-wheel printers, and line printers. |
Inkjet printers and Laser printers. |
Printing ink |
Impact printers use an inked ribbon. |
Non-impact printers use tonner or cartridge for printing. |
Technology |
Impact printers use old or traditional printing technologies. |
Non-impact printers use modern printing technologies. |
Cost |
Impact printers are less expensive. |
Non-impact printers are expensive. |
Print quality |
Impact printers produce low quality prints. |
Non-impact printers produce high-quality prints. |
Conclusion
Both types of printers have their own advantages and disadvantages. From the above comparison, it is clear that non-impact printers are more efficient and economic as compared to impact printers. The most significant difference that you should note here is that impact printers use inked ribbon and a mechanical printing head to produce prints onto a paper, while non-impact printers use non-mechanical and silent printing technology.
16K+ Views
