What is a printhead on a printer? This question usually appears when printer users are facing problems with the printhead of their printer. Many printers have printhead and it requires maintenance. Before learning how to maintain the printhead, you need to know what it is.
Every inkjet printer like the HP printer and other printers from different manufacturers has a printhead. This is a feature in all inkjet printers that will deposit ink on the printable media by using tiny nozzles. The nozzles will spray out the ink.
What Is A Printhead On A Printer?
You can find printhead primarily in dot matrix and inkjet printers. Usually, this printhead is in the ink cartridge. In many dot matrix printers, a printhead looks like a pin. The pin is going to strike the printer’s ink ribbon to write on a media.
What is a printhead on a printer? In many inkjet printers, the location of this printhead is inside the ink cartridge itself. This printhead is going to receive the printing instructions from your computer’s printing processor.
And then the printhead will evaluate the amount and location of the ink necessary. After that, the printhead will move horizontally, line by line, writing the contents to the locations.
Different Printhead Types In Many Printers
After learning about what is a printhead on a printer? you need to know the two types of the printhead. The printheads may do the same job, however, not all of them are the same. Usually, different manufacturers are using different technology for their printheads.
Right now, two types of the printhead are available. Every type of printhead is using different spraying methods to spread the ink. Two printhead types are thermal and piezo. Both printheads have different ways to move the ink.
After knowing about what is a printhead on a printer? read the two types below.
1. Piezo inkjet printheads
This layer gets an electric charge that makes the film vibrate. And then the vibration makes the film top bend and flex, building up the pressure before forcing the ink to the paper from the nozzle. Piezo printhead has more precise control in pushing the ink out of the nozzle quickly.
It is because of the quick vibration and its ability to flex the film. This printhead type is compatible with various types of ink because piezo doesn’t use heat during the printing process. What is a printhead on a printer? It is a tool that is compatible with water-based, oil, solvent-based, and eco-solvent inks.
2. Thermal inkjet printheads
What is a printhead on a printer? Or precisely, what is the second type of printhead? This is a thermal printhead you can find in many Canon printers and HP inkjet printers. This printhead is using water-based inks and heat for printing.
The thermal printhead is not using any membrane to build the pressure and to force the ink out to write on the paper. it is using heat to boil your ink and then create the ink vapor’s air bubble. Then it explodes the air bubble and forces the air bubble through the nozzle of the printhead.
What is a printhead on a printer? And how does it work? The thermal printhead is going to expel the ink and then the chamber will rapidly cool down the ink. This process will repeat until you finish printing the documents.
The Differences Between Cartridge And Printhead
Modern printers are relatively small. You may now know the differences between the internal parts of those printers. But you should learn about what is a printhead on a printer? and how to distinguish between the printhead and the cartridge of the printer.
The Cartridge
Knowing the definition of a printhead isn’t enough. Make sure that you know what makes it different from a cartridge. Ink cartridges have a special function as the printer’s storage unit. You need to replace the ink cartridges when you can use the cartridges to print anymore.
Unlike printheads, ink cartridges are pricier because they come with a standard toner charge. Some printers have separate ink cartridges and printheads. Those printers are more profitable since you don’t have to pay for both the printhead and cartridge when you need to replace the cartridge.
The Printhead
Printheads are working by getting instructions from your printer as images or text. They will also receive ink from your printers cartridge before finally transferring the ink to your paper media. Unlike ink cartridges, you don’t have to replace the printheads every time you have to replace the cartridges.
You have to replace the printheads only when your printer’s print quality starts to deteriorate. However, before replacing the printhead, you need to try solving the printhead problem by cleaning the printhead. If cleaning your printhead doesn’t help, you need to replace it to fix the problem.
Printheads are also cheaper than ink cartridges. If you want to save more money, choose printers that have separate ink cartridges and printheads. This allows you to replace only the ink cartridges without replacing the printheads.
The Importance of Printheads
Ink cartridges are important since they work as storage to keep your ink in the printer. But printhead is also crucial since it helps your printer to write the ink to the paper media. Without printhead, your printer will not be able to spray the inks to the paper and you won’t get the documents you need.
What is a printhead on a printer? It is a crucial element of every single inkjet printer. Without this element, your printer will not print the documents. Two types of the printhead are available, you can find them in various brands of printers.
