3.7: Printers

Laser printer

Uses laser, high voltage, charged ions, powdered ink, heat, and paper to produce high-quality, fast prints; complex with many moving parts

Imaging drum

Photosensitive drum where laser draws image; picks up toner and transfers it to paper

Fuser assembly

Uses heat and pressure to melt toner onto the paper permanently

Transfer belt and roller

Used in color laser printers to collect images from separate cartridges and transfer to paper

Pickup rollers

Feed paper into printer; must pick one sheet at a time; should be cleaned or replaced regularly

Separation pad

Helps pull only the top sheet from the paper tray

Duplexing assembly

Mechanism that allows printing on both sides of the page; may be built-in or an add-on

Laser printer memory requirement

Needs onboard memory to process print jobs due to complexity

Toner cartridge replacement

Involves replacing toner (sometimes with OPC drum); follow instructions and avoid light exposure

Laser printer maintenance kit

Contains parts like rollers and fuser unit; used to restore print quality and function

Laser printer calibration

Adjusts density and alignment of print output; may be automatic or manual

Laser printer cleaning

Requires specific materials like IPA and damp cloths; avoid standard vacuums and compressed air

Laser printing: Step 1 - Processing

Build the entire page in memory

Laser printing: Step 2 - Charging

Prepare the drum with a negative electrostatic charge

Laser printing: Step 3 - Exposing

Write the image with the laser

Laser printing: Step 4 - Developing

Add negatively charged toner to the imaging drum

Laser printing: Step 5 - Transferring

Move the toner from the drum to the paper

Laser printing: Step 6 - Fusing

Heat and pressure bond toner to paper

Laser printing: Step 7 - Cleaning

Remove excess toner from the drum

Inkjet printer

Sprays ink onto paper using tiny nozzles; inexpensive, quiet, high-resolution but clogs easily

Ink cartridge

Holds CMYK ink; sprays ink in tiny drops onto paper

Print head

Applies ink; may be integrated with cartridge or separate

Feed rollers (inkjet)

Moves paper through printer; must be clean and aligned

Carriage and belt

Moves ink cartridges across paper; belt controls movement

Inkjet calibration

Aligns nozzles to ensure clean lines and accurate color placement

Cleaning inkjet print heads

Clears clogs; can be automatic or manually initiated if streaks/missing colors appear

Replacing inkjet cartridges

Replace individual CMYK cartridges; some printers combine colors into one

Inkjet jam clearing

Remove all loose paper and scraps; pull jammed paper firmly without tearing

Thermal printer

Uses heat to turn special paper black; no ink required

Feed assembly (thermal)

Moves thermal paper through printer

Heating element

Full-width component that activates thermal paper

Thermal paper

Special chemical-coated paper that changes color with heat; sensitive to light and heat

Thermal paper replacement

Easy swap process; must use compatible size and type

Cleaning heating element

Use IPA, cleaning pens or cards as per manufacturer’s instructions

Removing thermal debris

Use compressed air or a damp cloth to remove dust/paper bits

Thermal paper storage caution

Avoid hot environments or fading will occur (e.g., dashboards, heaters)

Dot-matrix (impact) printer

Uses pins to strike ribbon against paper; good for multi-part forms and carbon copies

Printer ribbon

Fabric loop ink source; easy to replace but must match printer model

Tractor feed

Paper with side holes pulled through printer; requires precise alignment

Ribbon replacement (impact)

Replace when output fades; designed for quick swaps

Print head replacement (impact)

Swap worn or damaged heads; caution with heat

Replacing tractor paper

Align holes precisely and ensure smooth feed; can be tricky

3D printer

Builds physical objects layer-by-layer from a digital model; known as additive manufacturing

Filament printing

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM); melts filament and prints one layer at a time

Resin printing

Stereolithography (SLA); UV light hardens liquid resin into detailed layers

3D printer bed

Flat surface where print begins; must be level and clean for good adhesion