printer
Let an agent explain printer technologies and types, support choosing, setting up and troubleshooting printers, describe consumables, costs and environmental issues, and describe the history of printing devices.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What printers are.
Technologies
Technologies.
Technologies
Technologies.
- How do inkjet, laser, solid ink, thermal and other printing technologies work, and how do they differ in quality and cost? definition
- Which entry fits a specific technology? action
Types
Types.
Types
Types.
- What types of printer exist for home, office, labels, photos, large formats and production? definition
- Which entry fits a specific product? action
Use Choosing and using.
Choose
Choosing a printer.
Choose
Choosing.
- Which printer suits this use, considering volume, colour, cost per page and connectivity? action
- Which entry fits a specific category? action
Fix
Setup and troubleshooting.
Fix
Troubleshooting.
- How can common printer problems such as jams, drivers and connectivity be diagnosed? action
- Which entry fits printer drivers? action
Cost Consumables and environment.
Consumables
Ink and toner.
Consumables
Consumables.
- How do ink and toner costs, cartridges and subscription models work? provenance
- Which entry fits printer consumables? action
Environment
Environmental impact.
Environment
Environment.
- What are the environmental impacts of printers and consumables, and how are they regulated? provenance
- Which entry fits electronic waste? action
Learn History and security.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did computer printers develop from teleprinters and dot matrix to laser and inkjet? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Security
Printer security.
Security
Security.
- What security risks do networked printers pose, and how are they mitigated? provenance
- Which misconceptions arise? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
- Other names and narrower kinds
- Holliger, solid ink, inkjet printer, TEPRA, undulator, reader-printer, tactile printer, PEL P-40, line printer, wide-format printer, photo printer, LED printer
What it is Filled
A peripheral device that produces text and images on paper or other media from digital data, in technologies including inkjet, laser, solid ink, thermal, dot matrix and dye sublimation, and in forms from home and office printers to label printers, large format plotters, photo printers, production presses and microfilm reader-printers that print from digital data; printers connect to computers and networks, use technology-dependent consumables such as ink, toner, ribbons or heat-sensitive media, and are subject to standards for interfaces, quality and environmental impact.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain printer technologies and types, support choosing, setting up and troubleshooting printers, describe consumables, costs and environmental issues, and describe the history of printing devices.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Digital input
- Marking technology
- Consumables
- Connectivity
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Print or keep copies of documents that a user did not send.
- Leave confidential printouts unattended in shared areas.
- Help print counterfeit money, documents or identity papers.
- Expose a networked printer to the internet without access control.
Only with a human decision
- Changing a shared printer's security or network settings.
May
- Print documents a user has sent and is entitled to print.
- Report paper, toner and faults to the printer's administrator.
- Keep printer firmware and access settings as the administrator directs.
Moral aspects Filled
- Printers store and expose documents that can be confidential.
- Counterfeiting with printers harms the public and trust in documents.
Who is affected
- Users
- People named in printed documents
- Administrators
Owners Filled
Steward
The person or organisation that owns it.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q12820205 - registry parent class
- Q178648 - registry parent class
- Q2858615 - registry parent class
related
- peripheral - category
- printing machine - category
- computer keyboard - another peripheral entry
- electrical connector - printer interfaces
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.printer
- Wikidata: Q82 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82)
Direct properties required Filled
- Overall dimensions: mm - Measure external width, depth and height with trays and covers in the stated operating configuration.
- Equipment mass: kg - Weigh the printer and state whether consumables, paper and optional accessories are included.
- Electrical input power: W - Measure power at the electrical supply and identify whether the printer is printing, idle or asleep.
- Supported media width: mm - Determine the supported width limits from the specified paper path and manufacturer documentation.
Recognition required Filled
- Produces text and images on media from digital data
- Inkjet, laser, thermal and other technologies
- A printing press is industrial; a plotter draws lines; a scanner captures images
- Boxes with paper trays and output slots, from desktop to floor-standing.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain technologies and types
- support choice and troubleshooting
- describe consumables and environment
- describe history
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Paper jams and print quality faults
- Consumable cost and waste
- Security risks of networked printers
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Interface and page description standards
- Energy and emissions standards for office equipment
- Electronic waste and consumable recycling rules
Context of use required Filled
- Devices producing documents from digital data.
- inkjet printers
- laser and solid ink printers
- thermal and label printers
- large format and photo printers
- production and specialised printers
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q82: printer - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Printer (computing) - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should each technology be a separate entry?
- How should product databases be linked?
- How should environmental standards be linked?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q82/spec.json