The Uses of Wideangle Printers and How to Take Care of Them
Not every business will have a need for a wideangle printer/copier but it is surprising how many applications they have.
Wideangle printers, also called large format printers, as their name suggests, can print on large paper, so they are most often used for architectural and construction plans, and large posters and notices.
But they can print on a variety of surfaces, so they can be used for printing designs on fabric, as well as printing on glossy and laminated surfaces and on vinyl.
So they are useful for advertising signs and outdoor signage, copying maps, art and photo prints, posters and displays and for vehicle graphics.
They use the inkjet system of colour delivery and can offer more than the standard four-colour option, offering six colour, eight colour, and even twelve colour options.
Inkjet printing creates a digital image by propelling variable-sized droplets of ink onto the surface, and the technology was first developed in the early 1950s.
However, some care of the machine is needed to prevent the nozzles from clogging with dried ink, if the printer/copier is not one of those that uses replaceable nozzles.
Most printers protect the print head nozzles from this problem by covering them with a rubber cap when the printer is not in use.
However, sudden power losses, or unplugging the printer before it has capped the print head, can cause the print head to be left uncapped.
There have been some advances in printer inkjet technology designed to avoid this problem.
They include a thermal technology, which is used in Canon and HP printers.
It works through ink being heated in a chamber in the 'print head' until a bubble is formed.
As the bubble expands ink is moved and forced through a tiny nozzle onto the paper.
When the bubble bursts it creates a vacuum, drawing more ink from the cartridge into the print head.
Epson has a patented technology called Piezo-electric Inkjet.
It uses a piezo-electric element, which vibrates when an electric current is passed through it.
The element flexes inward to push a droplet of ink out of the nozzle, while outward flexing draws replacement ink in from the reservoir.
There are other ways of protecting the wideangle printer nozzles from clogging.
One of these is to always use the printer's on/off button to power down because most inkjet printers include a function to park the print head, which makes sure that the print head is positioned and sealed correctly to prevent its exposure to the drying effects of ambient air.
Empty print cartridges should only be removed if they can be replaced immediately because leaving the printer without cartridges installed can allow air to enter the print head and cleaning assembly and this can cause the ink to dry out.
Cleaning the print heads when replacing a cartridge can also help keep a printer in good working order and it is worth using the nozzle check and head cleaning procedures installed on most printers.
Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers
Wideangle printers, also called large format printers, as their name suggests, can print on large paper, so they are most often used for architectural and construction plans, and large posters and notices.
But they can print on a variety of surfaces, so they can be used for printing designs on fabric, as well as printing on glossy and laminated surfaces and on vinyl.
So they are useful for advertising signs and outdoor signage, copying maps, art and photo prints, posters and displays and for vehicle graphics.
They use the inkjet system of colour delivery and can offer more than the standard four-colour option, offering six colour, eight colour, and even twelve colour options.
Inkjet printing creates a digital image by propelling variable-sized droplets of ink onto the surface, and the technology was first developed in the early 1950s.
However, some care of the machine is needed to prevent the nozzles from clogging with dried ink, if the printer/copier is not one of those that uses replaceable nozzles.
Most printers protect the print head nozzles from this problem by covering them with a rubber cap when the printer is not in use.
However, sudden power losses, or unplugging the printer before it has capped the print head, can cause the print head to be left uncapped.
There have been some advances in printer inkjet technology designed to avoid this problem.
They include a thermal technology, which is used in Canon and HP printers.
It works through ink being heated in a chamber in the 'print head' until a bubble is formed.
As the bubble expands ink is moved and forced through a tiny nozzle onto the paper.
When the bubble bursts it creates a vacuum, drawing more ink from the cartridge into the print head.
Epson has a patented technology called Piezo-electric Inkjet.
It uses a piezo-electric element, which vibrates when an electric current is passed through it.
The element flexes inward to push a droplet of ink out of the nozzle, while outward flexing draws replacement ink in from the reservoir.
There are other ways of protecting the wideangle printer nozzles from clogging.
One of these is to always use the printer's on/off button to power down because most inkjet printers include a function to park the print head, which makes sure that the print head is positioned and sealed correctly to prevent its exposure to the drying effects of ambient air.
Empty print cartridges should only be removed if they can be replaced immediately because leaving the printer without cartridges installed can allow air to enter the print head and cleaning assembly and this can cause the ink to dry out.
Cleaning the print heads when replacing a cartridge can also help keep a printer in good working order and it is worth using the nozzle check and head cleaning procedures installed on most printers.
Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers
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