Printers: Impact and Non-impact Printers

Impact printers function by making a direct touch between the ink ribbon and the paper.
These printers make a lot of noise, but they're quite popular. To accomplish printing,
impact printers use mechanical moving components

There is no direct contact between the ink ribbon and the paper with non-impact printers.
They work with lasers, xerographic printing, electrostatic printing, chemical printing, and
inkjet printing. These printers are quieter and don't use any mechanical moving parts to
print.

ii. Plotter

A plotter is a printer that uses one or more automated pens to create line drawings on
paper using commands from a computer. The plotter, unlike a conventional printer, can
create continuous point-to-point lines using vector graphics files or instructions. There
are a number of different types of plotters: a drum plotter draws on paper wrapped
around a drum which turns to produce one direction of the plot, while the pens move to
provide the other direction; a flatbed plotter draws on paper placed on a flat surface; and
an electrostatic plotter draws on negatively charged paper with positively charged toner.

iii. Computer Output Microfilm