Discuss the various categories of a printer.

The various categories of printer are as follows:

1. Impact Printers — In impact printers there is a mechanical contact between printer head and paper.
   
   1. Dot Matrix Printer — A dot matrix printer also known as Serial printer, prints one character at a time. It uses dots to create an image. This printer prints characters by striking an ink-soaked ribbon against the paper which produces sound and is termed as impact printer. It has low operating cost and can be used to generate carbon copies also. This printer prints one line of text at a time and can only print low-resolution graphics.
2. Non-impact Printers — In non-impact printers there is no mechanical contact between printer head and paper.
   
   1. Inkjet/Deskjet/Bubble Jet Printers — An inkjet printer is the most common type of low-cost printer. It uses the technique of spreading quick-dry ink on paper. The ink is stored in the form of cartridges of different colors (red, green, black etc). These printers generate high-quality prints and are ideal for small offices and homes.
   2. Laser Printers — These printers use laser technology to produce printed documents. They use dry form of ink called toner which is made up of tiny particles. They are very fast and are used for high-quality prints.
3. 3D Printers — They are used to build 3D models. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of creating a three-dimensional object layer by layer using a computer-aided design.