3.7 Printer Types Flashcards
Name the main component in a laser printer that creates the image to be applied to the paper.
Imaging drum
Which type of printer creates an entire page at one time during the printing process?
Laser printer
What does the fuser assembly do?
Heats up and melts the toner so it adheres properly to the page
The transfer belt/roller does what?
Transfers the image from the image drum
Which part of a laser printer picks up the paper from the feed tray?
The pickup roller
What is the role of the paper separation pad?
Ensuring the pickup rollers only pick up a single piece of paper at a time
What does the duplexing assembly do?
Flips the paper from the front to the back so you can automatically print both sides
What is a toner cartridge?
A plastic housing that contains toner powder.
Which part of a laser printer lasts longer: the drum or the toner?
Drum
How does the OS translate what’s on the screen to print?
By using a print driver
List the six steps of printing on a laser printer
- Charging
- Exposing
- Developing
- Transferring
- Fusing
- Cleaning
Give a brief overview of how a page is laser printed.
A laser light writes the content to be printed onto the imaging drum, which first receives a negative electrical charge from the corona wire. The laser on the drum discharges it, so the toner is attracted to those areas. Pickup rollers move the paper through the printer, a charge of +600VDC is applied to the paper, which pulls the toner from the drum onto the paper. The fuser then squeezes the paper between a hot roller and pressure roller to melt the toner to the paper
What is the charging voltage for the drum of a laser printer?
-600 VDC
Give the number of pages the two different types of toner cartridges can produce.
Standard cartridge: 2500 pages
High-yield cartridge: 6000 pages
How can you prolong the printer’s life with paper?
- Buy paper rated for the specific type of printer
- Store the paper in a dry area without high humidity or excessive dust
Define calibration.
The process by which the printer determines the print density or colour balance to use.
How many different cartridges do high-end inkjet printers have?
Seven.
What does the printhead (inkjet) do?
Takes the droplets of ink and directs them onto the paper.
Name the two methods that inkjet printers use and give a brief description of each.
Piezoelectric/Charge Method
A nozzle reacts to changes in voltage
Thermal Method
Ink is heated up in the nozzle of the printhead
Which inkjet printing method requries the print head to be replaced when also replacing the cartidge?
Thermal method.
Which three brands use the thermal method?
HP, Canon, and Lexmark
What function does a duplexing assembly provide?
The ability for a printer to print on both sides of a piece of paper.
What component moves the printhead back and forth across the page?
Carriage belt/carriage system
What is unidirectional printing?
The printhead will only apply ink from left to right.
Can laser or inkjet printers print in higher dpi? Give the specs.
Laser: 300-600 dpi
Inkjet: 100-300 dpi
What determines the quality of the printout in thermal printers?
The number of pins on the thermal printhead.
How do you replace thermal paper?
Open the printer case, insert the roll with the shiny part facing outward, place the end of the paper by the printhead and close again.
What is the highest resolution an impact printer can have?
240 dpi
What is the printhead in an impact printer?
A device that has a series of pins that make up the dot matrix that forms the image
What is the ribbon in an impact printer?
Fabric or material held within a plastic housing in front of the printhead
What are tracks?
In an impact printer, they are a series of holes going down the side of the paper with a perforation between the regular paper and tracks
What does tractor feed do?
Pulls the paper through an impact printer
What is the name for one layer of an overall 3D model?
A slice.
Give the name for the sheet placed on top of the base plate that holds the object into position while 3D printing.
Bed/build surface
A printhead is called an _________ in a 3D printer.
Extruder
Why do 3D printers need fans?
To cool down the melted filament so the consistency is retained
What two sizes does 3D filament come in?
1.75mm and 3mm
