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Electrophotographic
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| The electrophotographic process is used by laser printers. Heat and pressure fuse dry toner to paper to form images. Laser printing is known for high resolution, durability, and speed—although print speed varies according to the cost of the printer. Supplies and maintenance can be costly. Because of the heat and pressure, laser printing cannot be used with some applications, such as media with adhesives. |
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Thermal transfer
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| Thermal transfer printing uses heat to melt wax or resin, transferring the substance to the print medium to form text and images. Thermal transfer printers themselves are relatively inexpensive, but the wax or resin ribbons, which must be replaced after each use, make the process costly for frequent printing. Some types of thermal transfer require special paper. |
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Impact printers
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| Impact printers form characters and images by striking a ribbon that presses against the paper or print medium. Typewriters, daisy-wheel printers, and dot-matrix printers are examples. Although noisy, dot-matrix printers are still used for applications where low cost is more important than speed. |
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Commercial printing is growing in diversity, and customers are demanding more from their print providers. They want low cost and high resolution—no matter what surface they are paying you to print on. You have a number of choices, but what's the best option? By comparing the options below, you may find that HP thermal inkjet (TIJ) solutions will be the easiest to use and provide the cleanest, most cost-effective, and most reliable results.
