Is your printer legal?

When printing documents it’s important to understand the differences between printers.

The most common types of printers are; Dot Matrix, Laser Jets and Bubble Jets (ink jets). Some printers can be used for legal documents and others should not.

Bubble Jet or Ink Jet printers quite often use a vegetable based ink where as Laser Jet uses a polymer toner (plastic) that is embossed onto the paper. Dot Matrix uses an impact of pins on a ribbon to do its job.

Any printer that actually creates differences in the paper can be used as a legal printer, those that don’t shouldn’t be used for legal documents. The reason why is that the ink type printed documents can be “washed” and reprinted where as the laser & dot matrix leave depressions or emboss the paper. Even if one attempts to wash a laser or dot output it will still leave some non removable impression on the paper.

So next time you go to put that check or contract into your ink jet printer, think twice!