Ink jet printers fall into the category that so many electronics fall into these days – we depend on them on a daily basis for much of our business and yet we don’t have a clue how it works! Getting the ink onto the paper in exactly the right configuration, quickly and cleanly is a task that most printers perform flawlessly and yet the technology behind it is very interesting.

There are basically two types of ink cartridges used in most printers today. These are thermal and piezoelectric. The most common of these is thermal as it is used by Canon, HP and LexMark. Inside the cartridge of an inkjet printer is a heating element with a small metal plate which acts as a resistor. When activated, a tiny current flows through the resistor, and the ink is then vaporized and is forced out of the nozzle onto the paper. It took considerably more time to type this procedure than it did to perform it!

The second type of inkjet technology is used primarily by Epson. Instead of a heating element in the ink nozzle, this technology uses a piezoelectric crystal. When activated, this piezoelectric crystal changes shape which causes a droplet of ink to flow from the nozzle. There are some inks which are damaged by heat and the piezoelectric system allows these to be used freely. There are also some who believe this technology allows for finer, more precise printing as the ink drop is smaller with a piezoelectric crystal.

Whichever type of cartridge is used, today’s printers are inexpensive, fast, accurate and dependable. And, that is a good thing.