Shop Printer Cables
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What Are Printer Cables?
Printer cables are cables for printers that enable the printer to communicate with computers and other devices on your home or office network. Many printers use specific printer connection cables to receive information from your laptop or computer about what to print, how many copies to print, and if it should print in color or black and white. Even a wireless printer usually requires a USB cable in places where a wireless internet connection is unavailable.
Are There Different Types of Printer Cables?
Printer cable types vary depending on your printer, but there are many printer connector cables available for users to select from. many newer models typically use USB-A connectors. Older printers may require you to use an adapter that converts the printer’s connection type to USB to function properly with your laptop or vice versa. Learn more about the different types of connectors and cables for printers below.
- USB printer cable connectors: USB cables are used to connect laptops and computers to popular peripheral devices like cameras, printers, scanners, and external hard drives. Two common versions of USB cables and connectors are USB Type-A and 2.0.
- Parallel port adapters: Older printer models often have connectors meant for parallel ports. Parallel ports were used on older computers to connect peripherals like printers and scanners. Quill has adapters that can convert your printer’s parallel port connector to work with your USB slot.
- Male and female connectors: Male cables are commonly referred to as plugs and feature a solid pin that goes into a center conductor or female connector. Female cables and printer cable connectors feature a center conductor to facilitate the transfer of data and instructions between two devices.
Which Wire Connects a Printer to a Computer?
The majority of brand-new printer models feature USB cables and wires to provide a direct connection between the printer and your computer every time you print something out. Check your manual to ensure that it is compatible with USB 2.0 cables, the most common iteration of USB connectors. One side of the USB cable can be inserted into the USB port of your computer or laptop, while the other side will plug into the back of the printer.