CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

5.1. Learning about Paper Feeder Mechanisms

A printer is useless without something to print on, so how the paper gets into a printer seems like a perfect place to start the discussion. The paper enters the printer through a feeder, technically a paper feeder mechanism. The paper feeder mechanism pulls or pushes the paper into the printer. The two types of paper feeder mechanisms are

• Continuous form feed

• Friction-feed

The following sections take a close look at both of these types of paper feeders.

5.1.1. Continuous form feeders

Continuous form feed printers use a continuous sheet of 8.5″- or 14″-wide paper. The continuous sheet feeds through the printer, and then the sheets are separated after the print operation. The pages are usually perforated to make this easier and to maintain a consistent size.

The paper has holes along both sides that fit over the sprockets located on the feeder wheel. When the wheel turns, it feeds the paper into the printer. The holes are torn off the paper after the printout is complete.

And, yes, printers still use this type of feeder mechanism. One common use is for printing company paychecks. Blank checks are connected as a continuous sheet of paper and fed into the printer. After a check prints, it moves out of the printer, and the next check is fed in. After all the checks have printed, the accountant then separates each check for distribution to the employees.

Dot matrix printers are an example of a continuous form feed printer.

5.1.2. Friction ...