3.11 Given a scenario, install and maintain various print technologies. Flashcards
There is a variety of print technologies such as laser, inkjet, thermal, impact, and 3D printers. There are also virtual print options to print to what four file types?
text
XPS
image file.
Name the 7 steps of the laser printing process in order.
Processing Charging Exposing Developing Transferring Fusing Cleaning
This stage builds the entire page in memory.
1 - Processing
This stage prepares the drum with negative charge, creating a “blank slate”.
2- Charging
This stage draws the image with the positively charged laser on the drum.
3- Exposing
This stage adds negative charged toner to the imaging drum, sticking only to spots touched with the laser.
4- Developing
In this stage, the transfer roller/transfer belt transfers the toner from the drum to the paper.
5- Transferring
This stage uses heat and pressure to bond the toner to the paper.
6- Fusing
In this stage, any residual toner is cleaned off of the imaging drum.
7- Cleaning
Processing
Before any actual printing is done, the image of the full page in placed into memory.
Charging
A high negative charge is applied to the imaging drum.
Exposing
The laser “draws” the image of the page onto the imaging drum by exposing it to the laser light.
Developing
The negatively charged toner is transferred to the imaging drum. Since the drum is also negatively charged, the toner will only stick to the areas that have been neutralized by the laser.
Transferring
The transfer roller/transfer belt transfers the toner from the drum to the paper.
Fusing
A fusing roller users heat and pressure to bond the toner to the paper.
Cleaning
Any residual toner is cleaned off of the imaging drum.
After processing, the laser “draws” the page image onto the ___.
imaging drum
The ___ applies pressure and heat to bond the toner to the paper.
fuser assembly
Used in color laser printers, the ___ transfers the page image from the imaging drum to the paper.
transfer belt
Used in black-and-white laser printers, the ___ transfers the page image from the imaging drum to the paper.
transfer roller
Rubber ___ feed paper from the paper tray through the printer.
pickup rollers
The ___ ensures that only one page is fed at a time.
separation pad
To print on both sides of the paper, the ___ will flip the paper over.
duplexing assembly
Other printer types don’t need memory, so ___ might cost a little more because of the additional memory installed.
laser printers
Often the imaging drum is part of what, what must be considered if this is the case?
The toner cartridge. When replacing cartridges, take care not to expose the drum to light as it is photosensitive.
Color printers have how many toners?
4; CMYB
What component do color laser printers have that monochrome laser printers lack?
Transfer belt. Color printers transfer all the color onto the transfer belt first then a transfer roller.
If no pages are being picked up, or too many in a laser printer, what component(s) is likely compromised?
Pickup rollers or the separation pad. Both easy to clean and replaceable.
Not all printers allow you to print on both sides, however some can if you purchase a ___ as an add-on.
duplexing assembly
Laser printers tend to be expensive, so regular ___ must be done to keep them running well for a long time.
maintenance
Printer manufacturers recommend replacing certain parts periodically. They provide these parts in ___.
maintenance kits
What can you expect to find in a laser printer maintenance kit?
May include a fuser assembly, transfer belt, transfer roller, pickup rollers, or separation pads.
____ is done to keep the page image sharp and accurate. This may be done on a periodic basis and when parts are replaced. Each printer will have its own ____ process.
Calibration
Why is it important to make sure laser printers are very clean specifically?
They use toner; it will leave residue in the printer. Keeping the inside of the printer clean will keep it running well and prevent loose toner from showing up on printouts.
How do you know when to perform scheduled maintenance on a laser printer?
Maintenance scheduling is usually based on the number of pages that have been printed through that laser printer. There’s a page counter inside the printer that will help you know when a good time would be to schedule this maintenance.
Once you replace a toner cartridge or perform maintenance on a laser printer, it’s common to…
print out a test page. This can be automated or manual.
You might find that a new toner cartridge prints a little bit differently than the cartridge that was used before. What should the technician do?
Calibrate the printer.
You’re able to adjust the density of colors on the printout by performing a laser printer ___.
Calibration. It will provide you with a set of colors and marks on a page that you can then use to help determine how dense the output should be.
What should you not use to clean laser printers?
Harsh chemicals, compressed air/household vacuum cleaners.
If toner gets on someone wash off with…
cold water or IPA.
___ printers create high-quality printouts, though the resolution can be less than that of laser printers. They are also much less expensive
Inkjet
The ___ draws the ink from the cartridge and ejects it onto the paper, some printers combine this with the ink cartridge into a single unit.
print head
Paper is fed through the inkjet printer by the ___.
roller.
Paper may be fed from either a simple paper tray or a ___. Most ___s have adjustments to allow you to use papers of varied sizes.
feeder
The ____ flips the paper over so that you can print on both sides. It is not found on all inkjet printers.
duplexing assembly
The ___ holds the print heads and gets moved into position by the belt so the print heads can eject the ink onto the proper spot on the paper.
carriage
The ___ moves the carriage into position so the print heads can eject the ink onto the proper spot on the paper.
belt
When should you calibrate an inkjet printer?
The printer should be calibrated whenever a print head or ink cartridge is replaced.
Quiet, inexpensive initial cost, high rez/color are advantages of what kind of printer?
Inkjet
What is a disadvantage of things printed using ink?
They fade over time.
If you find that the paper’s not feeding properly or it’s not being pulled all the way through the system evenly, you may have worn ___ that need to be replaced.
feed rollers
Misalignment of colors is a sign that you need to…
calibrate the printer.
If you see output from an inkjet printer that shows streaks across the page or you’re missing one particular color completely, it may be because…
a print heads has become clogged.
If your printer doesn’t have a daily cleaning process or you’d like to start one on the printer yourself, you can use the ____ to start the cleaning process.
control panel/menu/software etc.
When initiated, the printer will run through a head cleaning process.
The printer should be ____ whenever a print head or ink cartridge is replaced.
calibrated
Paper may get jammed in inkjet printers as it is fed through. It may be cleared by doing what?
It may be cleared manually by simply pulling it out, after removing the paper tray first. Then check for scrap paper inside.
Some printers provide a way to run just the feeder, either manually by turning a wheel or by running the feed motor.
What should be used to clean printheads manually?
soak with water and IPA (isopropyl alcohol) then dab dry
What is thermal printing typically used for?
They are simple and inexpensive. Common uses are for receipts and shipping labels.
What is a disadvantage of thermal paper?
printed images fade over time
The ___ feeds the thermal paper through thermal printers.
feed assembly
The ___ heats specific areas of the thermal paper as it scrolls by.
heating element
Maintaining thermal printers is ___ than other types of printers.
Simpler; there are fewer moving parts and no ink.
___ comes in rolls of various sizes. Replacing is a simple matter of removing the empty roll and inserting the new roll. There is a button or wheel that can be used to feed it into the printer after the new roll is inserted.
Thermal paper
What should be cleaned periodically in thermal printers?
heating element
Isopropyl alcohol is typically used as the cleaning agent. Some printers come with a pen/pad/cleaning card for cleaning.
What will accumulate in thermal printers and how do you remedy it?
Paper fragments and dust will accumulate in the printer over time. A commonly used method is to blow out the debris with compressed air or damp cloth.
What must be noted about storing thermal paper?
It’s very sensitive to light, heat, and clear tape. Must be stored dark and cold.
When replacing thermal paper, you must be sure it is exactly the right ___ for that specific printer.
kind/size/specifications
___ use a matrix of pins to strike an ink ribbon to transfer ink to the paper.
Impact printers
A unique feature of impact printers as compared to other printers is that they can…
print multiple copies simultaneously.
The ___ in thermal printers is a row or rectangular matrix of metal pins. The pins that strike the ink ribbon form the character to be printed.
print head
The ___ holds the ink that is transferred to the paper by the print head during impact printing.
ribbon
The ___ feeds the paper through impact printers.
tractor feed
The most common type of impact printer is __ printers.
dot-matrix
Impact paper may come as It may come as a roll, or fanfold paper in single, duplicate, or triplicate. What is the difference between these?
Duplicate and triplicate paper transfers the image through to all copies simultaneously. Roll and single only print one at a time.
This kind of printer is good for carbon or multiple copies.
impact printer
What is a disadvantage of impact printers?
Very noisy and very low resolution. Only really seen in airports or car dealerships.
If you’re printing with an impact printer and the pages aren’t feeding properly through, what could be an issue?
The holes aren’t properly aligned with the tractor feed.
If your output from an impact printer is too faded, what could be the problem?
ribbon needs replaced. ribbons are proprietary
How do you remove print heads in impact printers?
release lever/bar
Why is replacing impact paper more difficult?
Holes have to be perfectly aligned with tractor feed, forms must be perfectly positioned. Use test sheets first.
A ___ is a printer drive that creates a file rather than a paper copy. The file can take the form of a printer file (PRN), portable document format file (PDF), XML Paper Specification file (XPS), or image file.
virtual printer
When would “print to file” be useful?
You would use to it create a file that a specific printer somewhere else can read, such as converting a PDF on your home computer into a .prn file the printer at your work can read. The .prn file does not function like the original PDF.
What does “print to file” do?
The Windows print to file option creates a file that a specific printer can understand even if the printer driver is not available.
A ___ file stores an image of a file that is identical to a printout of that file. Created by Adobe.
PDF (Portable Document Format )
What is an advantage of PDF files?
They can be shared with other people or computers to be printed regardless of what operating system and application created it.
An ___ file is a Microsoft file format that, like PDF files, stores an image of a file that is identical to a printout of that file.
XPS (XML Paper Specification)
Microsoft provides an ___ printer driver to create XPS files.
XPS Document Writer
To view or print XPS files, Microsoft provides an ___.
XPS Viewer
What are some common “print to image” filetypes?
PNG
GIF
JPEG
HTML
copy filename LPT1:
Is a command you’d use to do what?
It specifies the print interface on your computer when sending a “print to file” filetype to the printer.
A ___ that allows you to print to PDF will show up as a separate printer in your Printers and Faxes inside of Windows.
virtual printer
this is a virtual printing feature not commonly integrated into the operating system
print to image
3D printers create three-dimensional objects from a digital file. 3D printing is also known as ___.
additive manufacturing
The model represented in the file is divided into horizontal cross-sections or slices. The bottom slice is laid down using precisely positioned ___. Then the next slice is laid on top of it. This repeats until the full object is formed.
melted plastic
The plastic used for 3D printing comes in the form of plastic ___.
filament
The filament is fed from spools through a heated nozzle that melts and positions the plastic. It then cools to a solid to form the object.
