Printers

Unit objective:
Identify printing processes, and install
and maintain printers
Topic A
Topic A: Imaging processes
Topic B: Printer installation
Topic C: Printer maintenance
An inkjet printer
Ink dispersion
Forces ink through nozzles
Nozzles are 50 to 60 microns in
diameter
Two methods:
Thermal bubble
Piezoelectric bubble
Inkjet process
Thermal bubble technology
Piezoelectric technology
Ink cartridges
Inkjet cartridge print heads
Print head part of cartridge
New ink cartridge = new print head
Makes cartridge more expensive
Inkjet print quality
Standards measured against:
Laser printer for text
Darkroom photographs for graphics
Affected by:
Resolution (dpi) of printer
Quality of paper
Quality of ink if printed page gets wet
Calibration
Dithering, also known as half-tones
Straight-through paper path
Curved paper path
Photo printers
Good print quality
Quality not quite as good as that of
chemically produced prints
Use special photo paper
Some printers allow you to print
CD/DVD labels
Printing onto a CD
Laser printer
Standard of quality for other printer types
High-quality, high-volume
Black-and-white, and color
Dropping in price
Consumables can cost as much as printer
Laser printer components
Laser scanning assembly
Toner cartridge
Power supplies
Paper control and transport assembly
Transfer corona assembly
Fusing assembly
Electronic control package
 Laser scanning assembly
Laser
Mirror
Lens, or lenses

6-7
 Toner cartridge components
Hopper filled with toner
EP drum
Blade to remove used toner
Corona charging assembly

6-8
 Power supplies
High-voltage power supply (HVPS)
Converts standard 120 volt AC to
high-voltage electricity used by EP
process
DC power supply (DCPS) used to
power components that dont require
high voltages
For example, laser & fuser
+5V and -5V for the printers logic
circuitry
+24V for the paper transport motors
6-8
 Paper control and transport assembly
Paper moves through series of rollers
Rollers
Some guide paper
Some apply pressure to fuse toner

6-8
 Transfer corona assembly
Transfer charging roller charged by
HVPS
Transfer charging roller charges paper
to accept toner
Static charge eliminator strip drains
charge
Creates ozone can cause
respiratory illness
Laser printers employ ozone filters

6-9
 Fusing assembly
Composed of rollers and heating lamp
Applies heat and pressure to adhere
toner to page

6-9
 Electronic control package
Also known as printer control
circuitry or main logic assembly
Communicates with
Printer memory
Control panel
Computer

6-9
Laser printing process

continued
Laser printing process, continued
1. Cleaning and erasing
2. Charging or conditioning
3. Writing or exposing
4. Developing
5. Transferring
6. Fusing

Note: Some sources place the cleaning and erasing stage

at the beginning of the process. Others place it at the end of
the process. In either case, it prepares the drum for
receiving and printing the next image.
Dot-matrix printer
Can print multipart forms
Slow and noisy compared to other
printer types
Impact printer
Use mechanical means to press ink onto
a page
Near letter quality (NLQ)
Dot-matrix printer connections
Serial
Parallel
Rare network interface
Some have both serial and parallel
Other impact printers
Daisy wheel
Band printer
Other printer types
Thermal
Thermal wax transfer
Direct thermal
Solid-ink
Dye sublimation
Plotters
Topic B
Topic A: Imaging processes
Topic B: Printer installation
Topic C: Printer maintenance
Inkjet printer installation
Most local printers connect via USB
Windows autodetects and installs
drivers
Can install additional software from
manufacturer
Ink-level monitoring utility
Inkjet printer interfaces
USB
Parallel
Wired or wireless Ethernet network
connections
Inkjet communications interfaces
Parallel interface USB interface
Configure the connection type
Parallel Specify the correct LPT
port
Usually LPT1
Serial Specify the correct COM port
Usually COM2
COM1 used for modem
Port identified for the printer
Installing an inkjet printer
1. Connect the printer to a computer,
using the correct interface
2. Plug the printer in
3. Power it up
4. Windows will probably recognize the
new device and install drivers for it
5. If drivers arent installed
automatically, do it manually with
materials that shipped with the printer
Upgrading a device driver
Use Device Manager utility
Follow prompts in wizard or use
printer installation file
Configure options for best
performance
Laser printer setup
Unpack from packaging
Remove all packaging materials and
tape
Install toner cartridge
Remove tape insert from toner
Rock from side to side
Might need to install drum or other
components
Laser printer interfaces
USB
Parallel
Serial
IEEE 1394/FireWire
SCSI
Wired or wireless Ethernet network
Communications interfaces

USB interface

Parallel interface
Installing a laser printer
1. Connect the printer to the network or
a computer, using the correct
interface
2. Plug the printer in
3. Power it up
4. Windows will probably recognize the
new device and install drivers for it
5. If drivers arent installed
automatically, do it manually with the
materials that shipped with the printer
Installing a network printer in Windows 7

1. In Windows 7, open Devices and Printers

2. Click Add a printer
3. Click Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth
printer
4. Select the desired printer and click Next, or
click The printer that I want isnt listed
5. If prompted, click Install driver
6. Enter a name for the printer and click Next
7. If desired, set as the default printer and print
a test page
8. Click Finish
Topic C
Topic A: Imaging processes
Topic B: Printer installation
Topic C: Printer maintenance
Printer maintenance
Follow manufacturers guidelines
Common tools
Cleaning solutions and sprays (isopropyl
alcohol, denatured alcohol)
Cleaning equipment (soft cloths, cotton swabs)
Lubricants
Compressed air
Toner vacuums and toner rags or extension
magnet brushes
Screwdrivers (to open compartments)
Chip puller
Safety
Consumables
Inkjet printer maintenance
Change low ink cartridges
Use recommended supplies
Clean print nozzles and recalibrate printer
Adjust ink output calibration for color
matching
Proper ventilation
Remove dust
Test page
Calibrate ink output for color matching if
available
Set up with proper ventilation
Laser printer maintenance
Scheduled maintenance and unscheduled
service calls
Routine maintenance
Replace toner cartridges
Clean and lubricate components
Replace components (parts-life counters)
Check and update firmware
Remove accumulated toner
Maintain adequate ventilation
Test page
Follow safety precautions handling toner
and around high-voltage power supplies
Thermal printer maintenance
Clean heating element
Remove debris
Replace paper
Impact printer maintenance
Compressed air to blow out paper,
dirt, and debris
Mild household cleaners on exterior
Rubbing alcohol to clean roller
Use ESD precautions and remove
neckties, watches, and jewelry; pull
back and secure hair
Unit summary
Identified printing processes, and
installed and maintained printers