Difference Between Impact and Non-Impact Printers (2024)

Impact Printers Vs. Non-Impact Printers

Impact and Non-Impact Printers are two kinds of the printer. When it comes to Impact printers, it involves mechanical components for managing printing, while on the other hand, non-impact printers do not require mechanical moving components.

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What Is an Impact Printer?

Impact printers make a picture by utilizing some tool to press an inked ribbon on the cover, presenting the ink be kept on the page in the shape accordingly. These printers produce so much noise, but people are still using them because of the quality and capability to work with multipart structures.

What Is a Non-Impact Printer?

Non-impact printers create pictures, characters, and figures without any uninterrupted contact between the printing device and the paper.

Laser printers, Inkjet printers and Thermal printers are some examples of Non-Impact printers.

Difference Between Impact and Non-Impact Printers

Parameters	Impact Printer	Non-Impact Printer
Definition	Impact printers create pictures and figures by hitting a device such as a wheel or a print hammer against an inked ribbon.	Non-impact printers create figures and pictures without any connection between the printing device and the paper.
Printing Execution or Mechanism	In impact printers, printing is executed by hammering a character dye or metal pin.	In non-impact printers, printing is executed by dropping ink on paper in any manner.
Speed Of Printers	Impact printers are low in terms of speed.	Non-impact printers are comparatively fast in speed. They can print several pages in one minute.
Noise Of Printers	They produce high-level noise as they have many moving parts.	They have a low level of noise.
Printing Process	Impact printers generally utilize hammers, pins, or wheels to hit against an inked ribbon to print on paper.	Non-impact printers use a spray of ink, laser, or heat and pressure to execute their printing operation.
Print Quality	The print quality of impact printers is lower.	The print quality of non-impact printers is higher.
Printing Ink	When print head strikes, then they prefer special inked ribbons to produce print on paper.	They prefer cartridges or toner for printing on paper.
Technology	They utilize traditional printing technologies.	They utilize contemporary printing technologies.
Value	They are pretty affordable.	They are quite expensive as compared to impact printers.
Paper Sheet Used	They prefer continuous paper sheets.	They prefer individual paper sheets.
Graphic Images	Except Dot matrix printers, no other impact printers can print graphics images.	Printing graphical illustrations are possible in non-impact printers.
Character Style	Except for the dot matrix, the character or figure style cannot be changed in the other impact printers.	It can print various types of figures from carrying the individual printer.

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