Example: "Inkjet and laser printers are common types of non-impact printers."
Most modern printers are called non-impact printers since they do not operating by striking a print head against an ink ribbon. Two common types of non-impact printers include inkjet printers, which spray small drops of ink onto each page, and laser printers, which roll ink onto the paper using a cylindrical drum.
Non-impact printers are generally quieter and require less maintenance than impact printers, since they don't physically strike a ribbon against the paper. Of course, as we all know, modern printers can still find other ways not to work properly.
Updated: June 7, 2010