What are the 3 types of printers?

Are you interested in learning about some of the different types of printers? If you are in the market for a new printer, you may be in the process of working out the best type of printer for your needs. One good way to figure this out is to learn a little bit about many of the different types of printers out there.

There are many types of printers out there. How many types of printers are there? Lots, but we’ll only be covering a handful of the most popular ones in this blog. Learning a little bit about some of the terms used can help you enter the printer buying process with a little more knowledge. Today, we take a look at a few different types of printers.

Inkjet Printers

Popular and affordable, inkjet printers are a common sight in homes across the country. As the name suggests, these printers use ink to create prints. These droplets of ink are sprayed onto the paper, producing the images and text you select to print. While the printers themselves tend to be very affordable, the ink tends to cost a little more than toner, so it is worth keeping this in mind when going on your printer search. Inkjet printers can also commonly be found in small offices and workplaces. 

Photo Inkjet Printers

A photo inkjet printer is designed to print photographs, as well as with documents. While you can often use regular inkjet printers to print your photos at home, you will likely get better results from an inkjet that is specifically designed for photo printing. 

Laser Printers

Laser printers use toner to create prints. While the initial outlay of purchasing laser printers tends to cost a bit more than inkjet types, toner is generally more economical when it comes to prints over time. The toner cartridge contains a finely powdered ink which is collected by the machine’s drum to make prints. Laser printers generally also print faster than inkjet varieties, so this is worth considering if speed is important for your printing needs. 

Still unsure about whether a laser or inkjet printer is better for your needs? View our blog on Inkjet v Laser Printers. 

Portable Printers

A portable printer is a machine that can easily be moved and relocated, as needed. This can be handy if you frequently change locations for work, or wish to impress clients by printing documents in real-time. Portable printers tend to be lightweight and smaller in size, making them simpler to transport. This type of printer can also include portable photo printers, such as the Polaroid Mint, HP Sprocket, and Canon SELPHY.

Monochrome Printers

Monochrome printers are those that print only in black and white. They tend to be more affordable than printers that can also produce colour pages. Monochrome inkjet and monochrome laser printers are both readily available, and generally cost less than those that can print in colour, too. 

Colour Printers

A colour printer is capable of producing colour pages. Depending on the model, the number of cartridges a colour printer has can differ. Colour printers are ideal for those looking to create bright and vibrant prints. Some colour printers can also create stunning photographic prints.

LED Printers

LED printers are a fair bit less common than laser and inkjet varieties. They are fast printers and can produce prints at a relatively low cost. However, as they are rare, replacing any broken parts may prove a little difficult. 

A3 Printers

These are printers that are capable of producing A3 prints. If you frequently require the printing of A3 documents, then it may be a good idea to purchase an A3 printer. Not all printers can print such large sheets, so it’s essential to keep an eye out for the specification if it’s something you require.

Multifunction Printers 

A multifunction printer – or all-in-one – is a printer that is capable of multiple functions. Along with printing, this can include scanning, copying, and faxing. These printers are handy for those who regularly perform multiple print-related tasks. However, if you simply require a printer for printing, you may wish to skip the multifunction features and opt for a cheaper option.

Single Function Printers

A single-function printer is a printer that simply produces prints. There are both monochrome single-function printers (those that only print in black and white), and colour printers that can produce both black and white and colour pages. Single function printers can be a great way to save money if you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a multifunction machine. 

3D Printers 

3D printers are a relatively new addition to the home printing market. As they become more affordable, more people can buy and set them up at home.  So, what is a 3D printer used for? A 3D printer uses plastic filament to create physical 3D designs. This can be great for printing various objects, from organisers to plant pots, to architectural models. For a range of ideas for what you can print, check out our article on What You Can Make With a 3D Printer.

We hope this blog post has helped explain a little bit about a variety of different types of printers. There are many different varieties and brands of printers out there, and learning about some of the various types can help you work out which printer best suits your requirements.

It isn’t hard to feel overwhelmed when looking at all the different types of printers on the market today.

You’ve got “basic” inkjet style printers than most are familiar with, more advanced laser jet printers, all-in-one and multifunction systems, and then you start to dive into the more “specialty” printers available today – solid ink, LED, and 3D printers (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg)!

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Sifting through your options to find the right one for your specific needs can feel like a bit of a complex task. But that’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide.

Let’s dig a little deeper into 12 different types of printers available in the market right now.

1) Inkjet Printers

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As highlighted above, inkjet printers are pretty much the “standard” printing solution for most homes and small offices.

Super inexpensive (it’s not hard to find great inkjet printers for $50 or so), they offer pretty good print quality for documents, can handle more complex color print jobs with ease, and are a whole lot faster than they ever used to be in the past.

The photo printing capabilities of inkjet printers have come a long way in the last 15 years as well, far surpassing what laser printers are capable of – though not quite as crisp or as crystal-clear as photo specific printer options (something will dive into in just a second).

The only trouble with inkjet printers is that they can get expensive to own over time. When you have to purchase individual ink cartridges at a premium price point those inexpensive printers start to get expensive in a hurry.

2) Laser Printers

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Laser printer technology is lightning fast, making it super popular in office and commercial application – especially if you need to pump out a lot of copies in a ridiculously short amount of time.

Laser printers are capable of applying ink (toner) to much larger sections of a paper at a time, and that’s where the big speed benefits come from.

It used to be that laser printers were only available with monochromatic print capabilities – black-and-white prints – but today’s laser printers are capable of color printing, too.

Almost always more expensive than inkjet printers, these pieces of technology can be more economical to use in the long haul because of how inexpensive toner is compared to individual cartridges.

Combine that with the speed benefits and the high output benefits (though pictures will not be as sharp) it’s easy to see why these are so popular.

3) All-in-One or Multifunction Printers

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All-in-one (AIO) and multifunction printers are very popular for home offices and smaller businesses, mostly because they combine a lot of the individual pieces of technology you would have had to purchase separately into a single unit.

Most of the AIO printers include digital copying and scanning technology, fax machine capabilities, and are almost always built with wireless connectivity options as well.

The more functions and features these kinds of printers include the more expensive they get – and the larger they become – but it’s almost always a better investment to go in this direction than purchasing everything individually.

The print capabilities here are usually on par with traditional inkjet printers. Sometimes you’ll be able to find laser multifunction options, though these are a bit rarer – and usually a little bit more expensive.

If you’re setting up an office, though, you need all of the horsepower and bells and whistles that multifunction options include this is where you want to spend your money.

4) Solid-Ink Printers

A relatively new technology, these kinds of printers are popping up all over the place and quickly becoming a very popular alternative to more traditional inkjet and laser printer options.

Instead of using ink cartridges or toner to print your projects these printers take advantage of a solid ink solution manufactured from non-toxic vegetable oils.

This allows these printers to produce very high quality prints with a much smaller impact on the environment – melting the ink “on-demand” as necessary to improve the overall efficiency of the printer as well.

Thanks to the fact that these “ink sticks” are melted on-demand you’ll be able to get brighter and more brilliant colors, crystal-clear document prints, and a lot of longevity out of each individual solid ink option than you would have with cartridges and toners.

Combine that with the compact form factor and portability of these options and you really have something special here. On the flip side, though, these printed materials cannot be laminated afterwards (heating them up will re-melt the ink and cause it to run) and print projects are going to be delayed while the printer warms up.

5) LED Printers

Whereas traditional laser printers can be a little bit “finicky” and less than reliable, new LED printers offer a lot of the same benefits without those headaches and hassles.

Taking advantage of Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology that they are cheaper to run, cheaper to operate, and a lot more efficient and long-lasting – though they are a whole lot more expensive than traditional laser printers because the technology is still so brand-new.

6) Snapshot Printer (Photo Printers)

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If you’re serious about showcasing your photography with brilliant, crystal-clear, and high definition prints you’ll want to look closely into snapshot printers or photo printers.

The most popular options on the market today use inkjet technology, allowing for more control and more consistency over the color of your prints across the board.

These kinds of printers consume a lot of ink (obviously), but the slower and more methodical approach of these printers definitely produce a better finished result than anything you get out of a laser/LED/solid ink option.

One of the coolest things about photo printers is that many modern options can connect wirelessly to your camera, your phone, or your computer so that you can print your raw or edited photos right out of the gate.

These kinds of printers are also capable of printing in multiple sizes, including large format prints, that traditional printers may not be designed to handle.

7) A3 Size Printers

Incredibly popular with businesses, A3 size printers are (no surprise here) designed to print on up to A3 sized paper.

Businesses very often have the need to printing larger formats than your traditional 8” x 11.5” paper, and these printers are able to knockout those kinds of projects with no difficulty at all.

They can be a little bit on the more expensive side of things – and will definitely take up a lot more space than your standard sized printers – but if you’re printing in large formats on a regular and consistent basis this is the only way to go.

8) Dot Matrix Printers

The odds are pretty good that you would have to look long and hard to find a dot matrix printer on the market today – but if you are able to track one down they’ll definitely save you a mountain of money on operating costs.

These printers use a dot matrix system and the impact method  to “draw” images or text that needs to be printed, saving ink while sacrificing a little bit of the clarity and definition that you would have gotten out of more traditional inkjet and laser printers.

The cartridges for dot matrix systems are very inexpensive (and can last quite a while) and the machines are super reliable. Outside of an office setting where bulk printing is a necessity and skyhigh print resolutions aren’t always important, however, these might not be the best way to go.

9) Plotter

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If you will be printing documents or materials that need a lot of precision in the finished result – the kind of precision that traditional inkjet or laser printers can’t provide – then you’ll want to look closer at plotter printers.

Plotter printers can use tools similar to pens, pencils, and markers and essentially draw multiple lines on a page with the type of precision and accuracy you won’t find anywhere else.

Fantastic for technical documents, CAD drawings and plans, blueprints, and GIS large format printing configurations these are a bit overkill for everyday document printing but work wonders in specific applications that demand a lot of versatility and accuracy in your printing.

10) 3D Printers

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Absolutely red-hot these days (and for good reason) 3D printing technology is finally affordable and accessible.

3D printers allow you to create printed projects that never could have existed in two dimensional formats, quite literally printing objects in 3D using plastic or synthetic materials.

3D scanning technology or digital imaging solutions allow you to craft and create your 3D objects with the printer running off of those documents and printing it exactly as instructed.

This technology is still in its relative infancy and is only going to get better as time goes on, but these machines are already a lot of fun to play around with.

Printers by Usage

11) Home Office Printers

Home office printers usually include some sort of multifunction capabilities as we mentioned above, allowing you to condense down the individual pieces of technology you have in your office without sacrificing functionality.

Before you buy home office printers, though, it’s important to figure out what you want this machine to do really well – and what kinds of features you need it to include – as you’ll have an almost endless amount of options to pick and choose from out there.

12) Big Business Printers

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Laser printers, LED printers, solid ink printers, plotters, and 3D printers all fall under the “big business printers” category – if only because they are usually the more expensive options, the kind of printers that only larger businesses can afford to invest in.

These technologies are becoming more and more affordable on a day-to-day basis, though, and it’s not hard to find smaller scale options designed with home office or residential use in mind, either.

At the end of the day, big business printers usually have to have high output capabilities, prioritize speed and consistency, and need to be affordable and efficient to operate on a pretty much constant basis all year round.

Summary

Hopefully now you have a better idea of the types of printers available on the market today.

There’s more choice in the printer world than ever before, but the most advanced printer technology money can buy is far more affordable and accessible today than it ever used to be, too.

Establish your needs, focus on your budget, and search for a high-quality piece of technology that gives you the functionality and performance you’re looking for and you won’t have any trouble whatsoever getting a printer that you can be really happy with.