Digital Printing

Andrew Williams
 Photocopying
• A photocopier (also known as a copier or copy machine) is a machine that
makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and
cheaply. Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a
dry process using heat. (Copiers can also use other output technologies
such as ink jet, but xerography is standard for office copying.)Xerographic
office photocopying was introduced by Xerox in 1959,[1] and it gradually
replaced copies made by Verifax, Photostat, carbon paper, mimeograph
machines, and other duplicating machines. The prevalence of its use is
one of the factors that prevented the development of the paperless office
heralded early in the digital revolution citation needed].Photocopying is
widely used in business, education, and government. There have been
many predictions that photocopiers will eventually become obsolete as
information workers continue to increase their digital document creation
and distribution, and rely less on distributing actual pieces of paper.
 Laser Printing
• A laser printer is a common type of computer
printer that rapidly produces high quality text
and graphics on plain paper. As with digital
photocopiers and multifunction printers
(MFPs), laser printers employ a xerographic
printing process but differ from analog
photocopiers in that the image is produced
by the direct scanning of a laser beam across
the printer's photoreceptor
 Inkjet
• An inkjet printer is a type of computer printer that creates a digital
image by propelling variably-sized droplets of liquid material (ink) onto
a page. Inkjet printers are the most common type of printer[1] and
ranges from small inexpensive consumer models to very large and
expensive professional machines.[2]The concept of inkjet printing dates
back to the 19th century and the technology was first developed in the
early 1950s. Starting in the late 1970s inkjet printers that could
reproduce digital images generated by computers were developed,
mainly by Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon. In the worldwide
consumer market, four manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet
printer sales: Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Lexmark [citation
needed].The emerging ink jet material deposition market also uses ink
jet technologies, typically piezoelectric crystals, to deposit materials
directly on substrates.
 Desk Top Publishing
• Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) combines a
personal computer and WYSIWYG page layout software
to create publication documents on a computer for
either large scale publishing or small scale local
multifunction peripheral output and distribution.The
term "desktop publishing" is commonly used to describe
page layout skills. However, the skills and software are
not limited to paper and book publishing. The same
skills and software are often used to create graphics for
point of sale displays, promotional items, trade show
exhibits, retail package designs and outdoor signs.