You may, in a hurry, flip a surge protector switch or yank the printer from the wall in order to shut it down. You can turn off other electronic appliances by unplugging them, so a printer is no different, right?

Not quite.

When a printer shuts down, it normally moves its print head back from the middle of the printer to a safe position on the side. It may also briefly clean the print head or perform other quick shutdown processes. Turning off power to the printer without letting it perform these needed procedures, especially if done often, may result in causing damage to its intricate parts. Also, even at best, it may require the printer to perform long diagnostic procedures at next start up, which can drive an impatient person crazy if an important document needs to be delivered.

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