Inkjet printers operate by propelling variably-sized droplets of liquid or molten material (ink) onto almost any medium. They are the most common type of computer printer for the general consumer due to their low cost, high quality of output, capability of printing in vivid color, and ease of use.
There are three main technologies in use in contemporary Inkjet printers: thermal, piezoelectric, and continuous.
Typical Inkjet printer includes:
Print head assembly-
Print head - The core of an Inkjet printer, the print head contains a series of nozzles that are used to spray drops of ink.
Ink cartridges - Depending on the manufacturer and model of the printer, ink cartridges come in various combinations, such as separate black and color cartridges, color and black in a single cartridge or even a cartridge for each ink color. The cartridges of some Inkjet printers include the print head itself.
Print head stepper motor - A stepper motor moves the print head assembly (print head and ink cartridges) back and forth across the paper. Some printers have another stepper motor to park the print head assembly when the printer is not in use.
Belt - A belt is used to attach the print head assembly to the stepper motor.
Stabilizer bar - The print head assembly uses a stabilizer bar to ensure that movement is precise and controlled.
Paper Feed Assembly-
Paper tray/feeder - Most Inkjet printers have a tray that you load the paper into. The feeder typically snaps open at an angle on the back of the printer, allowing you to place paper in it.
Rollers - A set of rollers pull the paper in from the tray or feeder and advance the paper when the print head assembly is ready for another pass.
Paper feed stepper motor - This stepper motor powers the rollers to move the paper in the exact increment needed to ensure a continuous image is printed.
Power supply - While earlier printers often had an external transformer, most printers sold today use a standard power supply that is incorporated into the printer itself.
Control circuitry - A small but sophisticated amount of circuitry is built into the printer to control all the mechanical aspects of operation, as well as decode the information sent to the printer from the computer.
Interface port(s) - The parallel port is still used by many printers, but most newer printers use the USB Port.