system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is it about printers that make them so prone to errors?
gpt
Unlike most things attached to computers, they have a lot of moving parts. Additionally, assuming you're talking about consumer printers like ink jets, there are nozzles that can get clogged, requiring constant automated maintenance.

Because printers rely on physical things like the paper being present (and thus requiring a way of detecting that it is), any small misalignment can halt the printing process. Printers live in the physical world, rather than the world of abstract electronic representation, so everything they do is messier and more prone to error.

Beyond that, consumer inkjet printers are designed to rake in money by reporting theoretical problems even when none exist. For instance, saying that because the ink cartridge is old, it must be replaced--even if it still works.

Furthermore, when buying printers, people usually focus of the physical aspects like speed, price, and printing resolution. Few people buy them based on having good drivers. As a result, printer drivers are often only good enough to ensure people don't ask for a refund. This means they tend to be poorly written and prone to errors.