The prediction that the computer would create a paperless office could not have been further from reality. More paper is being consumed as computer printing has become available to the masses. In fact, computers have created a new category of computing—desktop publishing—that produces printed paper of near-publication quality.

Printers provide a permanent paper record of computer output data, graphics, or text and are available in a wide variety of different speeds, features, and capabilities. Printers can also be used with different types of paper forms to print labels, stamps, bank checks, and a wide range of business forms. All printers have some level of variable recurring cost in toner cartridges that must be replaced when the toner is completely used. Printers have both a built-in character set and can download new character set fonts. The output of many printers takes the form...