3.7 Given a scenario, install and replace printer consumables.

Question 1

Combine a laser, high voltage, charged ions,
powdered ink, heat, and paper
Very high quality
Fast printing speeds
Very complex, many moving parts, requires on-printer
memory and messy on the inside

Answer 1

Laser printer

Question 2

Image is drawn onto a photosensitive drum
–“Painted” with a laser
Picks up toner - Transfers toner to the paper
Can be separate from the toner cartridge or combined

Answer 2

Imaging drum

Question 3

Heat and pressure - Melt plastic toner powder
–Permanently bond toner to paper

Answer 3

Fuser assembly

Question 4

Color laser printers
–Cyan, yellow, magenta, black
Four separate toner cartridges
Image is transferred from all cartridges to the single belt
–And then to a single transfer roller

Answer 4

Transfer belt and roller

Question 5

Pickup paper - Should be a single page at a time
–Problems if no paper is picked up
or multiple sheets are picked
Should be periodically cleaned or replaced

Answer 5

Pickup rollers

Question 6

Pull just the top sheet from the paper tray
–Not multiple sheets
Small and inexpensive - Easy to clean or replace

Answer 6

Separation pad

Question 7

Printers usually print on a single side
–Not both sides simultaneously
Printing on both sides is a two step process
–Print side one, print side two
You need mechanisms to “flip” the page
–Automatically
Can be built-in to the printer
Or available as an add-on

Answer 7

Duplexing assembly

Question 8

Step 1 of laser printers. Data is retrieved by the printer software and the images are rendered for the next. Build the entire page in memory.

Answer 8

Processing

Question 9

Step 2 of laser printers. Prepare the drum with a negative electrostatic charge

Answer 9

Charging

Question 10

Step 3 of laser printer. Laser is turned on and scans the drum from side to side flashing on and off according to bits of information the printer controller sends it as it communicates the individual bits of the image. Write the image with the laser

Answer 10

Exposing

Question 11

Step 4 of laser printer. Add toner to the charged areas of the imaging drum. Discrete electrical charges need to be converted into something that can be transferred to a piece of paper.

Answer 11

Developing

Question 12

Step 5 of laser printer. Move the toner from the drum to the paper.

Answer 12

Transferring

Question 13

Step 6 of laser printer. Heat and pressure. Toner image is made permanent. Registration rollers push the paper towards the fuser rollers.

Answer 13

Fusing

Question 14

Step 7 of laser printer. Remove excess toner.

Answer 14

Cleaning

Question 15

Replacing the toner cartridge

Answer 15

Replacing the toner cartridge
* Look for the messages– Low doesn’t mean empty
* The toner can also contain the OPC drum– Organic Photoconductor drum– Sensitive to light; keep it in the bag
* Power down the printer– Safety first
* Remove packing strips from the new drum. Remove the toner before moving or shipping a printer to avoid spills.

Question 16

Laser printer maintenance kit

Answer 16

Laser printers wear out– All those moving parts– Heat and pressure
Standard maintenance kits– Replacement feed rollers, new fuser unit, etc.
When to perform maintenance?– Check the printer’s page counter
Power down and replace the components– Fuser units are HOT
Reset the page counter when you’re done!

Question 17

Laser printer calibration

Answer 17

Different toner cartridges print with different densities– Some dark, some light
Laser printer calibration can adjust the density– Makes it looks perfect
Can be automated or a manual process– Every printer is different– Check the printer manual

Question 18

Laser printer cleaning

Answer 18

Laser printers are dirty– All that toner and paper dust
Check the manufacturer’s recommendations– Water, isopropyl alcohol (IPA)– Don’t use harsh chemicals!
Outside - Damp cloth
Inside - Wipe dust away– Don’t use a normal vacuum cleaner or
compressed air– Wash off skin with cold water– Clean rollers with IPA

Question 19

Relatively inexpensive technology
Quiet
High-resolution
Expensive ink
–Proprietary
Eventually fades
Clogs easily

Answer 19

Inkjet (ink-dispersion) printer

Question 20

Place drops of ink onto a page
–Pulled from a set of cartridges
CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black)

Answer 20

Ink Cartridge

Question 21

Series of Nozzles from which the ink is sprayed onto the paper. They may be attached to the ink cartridge, or those two components may be separate.

Answer 21

Print Head

Question 22

Pick up and feed paper through the printer
–Must be clean and not worn
Duplexing
–Print on both sides of the paper
–Included with some printers

Answer 22

Feed rollers

Question 23

performs the same function on an inkjet printer that it does on a laser printer, which is to flip a sheet over to print on the back side.

Answer 23

Duplexing assembly

Question 24

Holds the ink cartridge and uses a belt to move the entire piece across the paper as it is printing. As it prints it uses ink from the various cartridges in whatever proportion is necessary to create the desired colors.

Answer 24

Carriage belt

Question 25

Align nozzles to the paper
–Lines should be crisp
–Colors should align
Printer includes a calibration option
–May need to make minor adjustments

Answer 25

Inkjet printer calibration

Question 26

Cleaning print heads

Answer 26

Small droplets of ink - And small holes in a print head
Clogged heads is a big issue
–Many printers automatically clean every day
–Output has streaks or sections of missing color
Cleaning process can be started manually
–Only takes a few minutes
Some print heads/cartridges can be removed
–Manually cleaning may help

Question 27

replace cartridges

Answer 27

Usually separate colors
–Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (CMYK)
–Some cartridges will combine these
Takes seconds to replace
–Takes a few minutes to calibrate and
prepare the cartridge
Recycle the empty cartridge - All plastic

Question 28

calibrate

Answer 28

Align nozzles to the paper
–Lines should be crisp
–Colors should not overlap
Printer includes a calibration option
–May need to make minor adjustments

Question 29

clear jams

Answer 29

Lots of turns and twists
–A jam is inevitable
Remove tray paper
–Any loose paper
Remove paper from the path
–Firm pressure, don’t rip
Check for any scraps of paper
Remove all loose paper

Question 30

Feed Assembly Thermal printer

Answer 30

Pull paper through the printer
–Relatively small paper path

Question 31

heating element Thermal Printer

Answer 31

Generates the heat and does the actual printing. usually most expensive part

Question 32

Paper covered with a chemical
–Changes color when heated
Cash registers, credit card terminals
–And quiet areas
Looks like normal paper
–Feels a bit different

Answer 32

Special thermal paper

Question 33

Replace thermal paper

Answer 33

Relatively inexpensive– But impossible to substitute
Different sizes– Not like laser printer paper - Keep a list
Actual replacement process is easy – Simple paper feed– Small device

Question 34

Cleaning the heating element

Answer 34

Liquid cleaner– Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)– Get a cleaning pen– Check manufacturer’s recommendations
Swab gently - Usually small areas
Use a cleaning card– Cleans the head and paper pathways

Question 35

remove debris

Answer 35

Removing debris
* Relatively small amount– Paper bits and dust– No toner!
* Blow out the printer– Take it outside
* Wipe it out– Damp cloth
* Avoid using a vacuum– Unless it’s designed for computers– Resists static buildup/discharg

Question 36

Heat sensitivity of paper

Answer 36

One must be mindful of the heat sensitivity of the paper. High sensitivity paper will create a better image than a low sensitivity paper when given less heat or energy. Images that need to be dark and rich require a higher sensitivity thermal paper.

Question 37

Moves back and forth– Pins hit ribbon and paper
One matrix - Must move across the page to print

Answer 37

Dot Matrix printer heard

Question 38

Fabric– One long ribbon - Never ending circle
Easy to replace - Once single unit
Proprietary size - Specific to printer model

Answer 38

Printer ribbon

Question 39

Paper pulled through with holes on the side of the paper– Instead of using friction
Continuous paper feed– Perforations between pages
Holes have to line up perfectly– Tractor paper can be perforated to remove holes

Answer 39

tractor feed

Question 40

Printer that uses continuous feed paper fed to it by the tractor feed unit.

Answer 40

Impact paper

Question 41

Replace ribbon

Answer 41

Single ribbon– Self-contained - One long circle
Replace when ink becomes too light– Ink is eventually consumed
Designed to be modular - Replace in less than a minute

Question 42

replace print head

Answer 42

Takes a lot of abuse - Directly hits the ribbon and paper
Gets hot - Watch your fingers– Another modular part - Look for a release lever or bar
Replace with the ribbon for the best effect

Question 43

replace paper

Answer 43

Not as easy as a laser printer– Paper must feed perfectly into holes– Tractor feed
Forms must be positioned correctly– Text needs to fit a predefined space
Paper must feed without constraint
Make sure nothing is in the way

Question 44

“Print” in three dimensions– Create a 3D item based on an electronic model
Additive manufacturing– Build in layers to create the object– No machining process required
Rapid prototyping– Design and create relatively quickly and inexpensively
Deploy designs anywhere in the world

Answer 44

3-D printer

Question 45

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)– Melt filament to print 3D objects– This is probably the printing type you’ve seen
Print a layer, move up,print another layer– Watch the printer create the object
Good all-around printer– Larger print bed than resin printers– Easy to manage filament– Minimum of mess– Fewer disposal issue

Answer 45

Filament printing

Question 46

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing– Smooth and finely detailed 3D prints
Resin is hardened using a light source– Ultraviolet light or a laser– Layers are added to the bottom– Entire print hangs from the build platform
Resin must be handled properly– Wear protective gear– Take unused resin to your local
hazardous materials disposal

Answer 46

Resin printing

Question 47

Are where the material is formed into the eventual shape.

Answer 47

Print bed