In this post, we will highlight 10 important parts of a printer and their functions. Aside from the fun of learning the essential components that make up your printer, at the end of this article, you will become more familiar with printing machines and their parts.

You will also know what to look out for when planning to buy a new desktop or industrial printer. Here are some of the most important parts of a printer that you need to know.

10 Important Parts of a Printer and Their Functions

1. Print Head
2. Cartridge Cover
3. Paper Support
4. Sheet Feeder
5. Output tray
6. Output Tray Extension
7. Edge Guides
8. Control Buttons
9. Connectors
10. Printer Cover

1. Print Head

What the print head does is very simple; pick the ink and place it on the paper or substrate. In other words, you can’t print anything unless your print head works perfectly. There are two major types of printheads.

Thermal Print Head: This type is commonly used in inkjet printers. It uses heat to vaporize ink and create tiny bubbles. These bubbles will then push the ink through the print head nozzles and onto the paper surface.

Piezoelectric Print Head: This type is usually found in large format printers and some high-end inkjet printers. It uses an electric charge to create pressure. This pressure pushes the ink droplets out of the print head nozzles and onto the paper.

2. Cartridge Cover

Yeah, you guessed right. The cartridge cover protects the ink cartridge in your printer. It also holds the latter in place. Your ink cartridge has small nozzles that dispense ink onto the paper during printing.

If these nozzles are not protected with the cartridge cover, they can become clogged with dust, dirt, or other debris. This will result in poor print quality or even cause damage to the ink cartridge.

3. Paper Support

The main purpose of the paper support is clear; support the paper throughout the process of printing. It also makes sure the paper is aligned properly when entering the printer, which helps to prevent paper jams, misalignments, and other minor printing problems.

In most printers sold in Nigeria, the paper support is usually located at the back of the printer. It can be adjusted to support different paper sizes like letter, legal, A4 or A3.

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4. Sheet Feeder [Paper Tray]

The paper tray is one of the most important parts of a printer that you need to know. It holds the paper and feeds it into the printer as required during printing.

In most printers, the paper tray is located at the bottom or front. It can hold a large number of sheets, although that varies depending on the size and capacity of the printer.

The paper tray can hold different paper sizes, including letter, legal, or A4. It can also be adjusted to hold different paper weights like plain paper, cardstock, or photo paper.

5. Output Tray

Like other important parts of a printer and their functions, the output tray is another important component of a printing machine. It catches and temporarily holds the printed paper as it exits the printer, and keeps doing so until it is retrieved by the user.

The output tray can be found at the front or top of the printer. Some high-end printers have adjustable output trays that can be extended to hold longer or larger sheets of paper.

6. Output Tray Extension

This doesn’t need much explanation, as it’s simply an extension of the output tray we just talked about. Note that it’s an optional component that’s not seen on all printer devices. Besides, it’s only useful when the paper sizes are longer than normal sizes.

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7. Edge Guides

Edge guides have a clear function; to properly align the paper as it enters the printer. They are usually positioned on both sides of the sheet feeder (paper tray).

Edge guides can be adjusted to align different paper sizes. They help to prevent paper jams, misalignments, or other minor printing problems that will take your time.

8. Control Buttons

This part of a printer is pretty straightforward. Control buttons are used to operate various functions of the printer. This includes power on and off, print, scan, copy, cancel and many more.

The control buttons are usually found on the top or front of the printer where it’s accessible to everyone. For the best printing experience, refer to your printer’s user manual which provides detailed instructions on what each button does.

9. Connectors

As the name implies, connectors are used to connect the printer to a computer or mobile device. They can be found at the back or side of the printer. You can connect your printing machine using various methods like USB, Ethernet (LAN), and Wi-Fi (if your printer supports it).

The main function of connectors is to provide a connection between the printer and the file source device. The source device can be a laptop, desktop computer or mobile phone. Once a connection has been made, the user can print physical documents or photos from the source device.

Note that different types of connectors offer various advantages. This can be in form of faster data transfer rates, wireless connectivity, or the ability to connect multiple devices to a single printer.

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10. Printer Cover

You still want to learn more about the important parts of a printer and their functions right? The printer cover is another component used to protect the printer from dust, debris and other potential sources of damage. In the long run, it extends the lifespan of the printer while making sure it functions at peak performance.

The printer cover is always positioned on the top or front of the printer. It can be opened or removed to gain access to the ink cartridges for example, and other internal components of the printer.

The Bottom Line: 10 Important Parts of a Printer and Their Functions

Now you now the important parts of a printer and their functions right? A printer is just like any other machine. It’s made up of several electrical and mechanical components that work together to produce high-quality prints.

Since each component has a crucial role, understanding the important parts of your printer and their functions can help you maintain the machine well and operate it more efficiently.

Whether you use printers for personal, professional or business purposes, or your are a commercial printer, we hope this post helps you get the most out of your printing experience.

Good luck!