What is a Laser Printer?
A laser printer is a common type of computer printer that employs non-impact photocopier technology in which no keys strike the paper.
When a document is sent to the printer, a laser beam uses electrical charges to "draw" the document on a selenium-coated drum. Toner, a dry powder type of ink that adheres to the charged image on the drum, is then applied to the drum. The toner is applied to a piece of paper and fused to it with heat and pressure.
In the mid-1980s, the laser printer became popular as a standalone printer for use with personal computers. It usually took the place of a dot matrix printer or a non-impact inkjet printer. Laser printers are still frequently connected to a single PC, but many are now linked to local area networks (LAN), which support workgroups or entire departments.
In some cases, a laser printer is used as a multifunction peripheral that can print, scan, photocopy, and fax. These printers are referred to as multifunction printers (MFP). Their model numbers typically include MFP or MFC for multifunction center.
Laser printer history
In 1975, IBM released the first laser printer for use with its mainframe computers.
Hewlett-Packard revolutionized laser printing technology in 1984 with the introduction of the HP LaserJet, a compact, fast, and dependable printer that PC users could afford.
Since then, the price of laser printers has decreased while the device and print quality have improved. With competitors such as Brother, Canon, Lexmark, and Xerox, Hewlett Packard remains the market leader.
How does a laser printer work?
Laser printers are suitable for use in both a home office and a small business office. An Ethernet connection is typically used for office connectivity. A cable or Wi-Fi connection is used to connect a printer to computing devices in a home office or small business. Wi-Fi is also used to connect mobile devices to printers in order to print from them.
Color laser printers are more expensive than monochrome laser printers because they can handle both black and white and color printing. Laser printers are typically used for printing, whereas newer all-in-one printers can function as a printer, copier, scanner, and fax machine. Many have easy-to-use touchscreen displays.
The steps below explain how a laser printer works:
- A photo, graphic, or text image is sent to the printer, which starts the process of transferring that image to paper by combining positive and negative static electric charges.
- A positive charge is applied to the revolving drum.
- The image is converted into a laser beam by the system's electronics.
- The laser beam bounces off a mirror and onto the drum, creating an image by burning a negative charge in the shape of the image.
- The drum then absorbs the positively charged toner from the toner cartridge. The toner adheres to the drum's negatively charged image.
- The paper that enters the printer is negatively charged.
- The paper's negative charge attracts toner from the positively charged drum as it passes the drum; the toner literally sits on top of the paper.
- The charge on the paper is removed, and the toner is permanently bonded to the paper by a fuser.
- The printer has released the printed paper.
- The electrical charge from the drum is removed, and the excess toner is collected.
Guidelines for Laser Printer Selection
In addition to price and warranty, some important features to consider when purchasing the best laser printer for a business include the following:
Printing capacity and speed
Personal laser printers are capable of printing 200 pages per week on average. These are low-end and start at $120. They can print between 20 and 25 pages per minute (ppm). If you need to print 1,000 pages per week on average, you'll need a workgroup printer. These can print at speeds of up to 55 pages per minute and cost between $500 and $1,000.
Commercial publishers use production printers to print 50,000 or more pages per week. These are costly and can print between 75 and several hundred pages per minute. They range in price from $25,000 to $150,000. They have the ability to print 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Resolution
Most laser printers today have a standard resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi). This resolution is adequate for general-purpose printing, including small desktop publishing jobs. A high-end production printer's resolution could be 2400 dpi. Some laser printers still use 300 dpi resolution. This resolution can cause jagged lines to appear on the image's outer edge.
To address this, Hewlett Packard developed Resolution Enhancement Technology (RET). RET adds smaller dots to the edges of lines to smooth them out. The resolution is not improved by RET, but the document looks better. If you buy a 300 dpi printer, make sure it has RET.
Languages used by printers
Printer Control Language (PCL) is the standard printer language used by Hewlett Packard and the majority of other laser printers that are HP-compatible. PCL is a programming language that is used to print letters, database printouts, spreadsheets, and simple graphics.
Postscript printers are used in conjunction with desktop publishing and drawing software. Postscript printers are the standard for Apple MacIntosh printers. A laser printer with Postscript installed is more expensive and will most likely be used for high-resolution images.
A PCL laser printer can be upgraded to Postscript by installing a software driver provided by the laser printer's manufacturer. When upgraded to Postscript, the printer may require more memory. This is due to the fact that a laser printer requires the entire image to be in memory before printing, whereas a Postscript printer requires more memory to process than a PCL printer. For the laser printer to print Postscript documents, the application must support Postscript.
Paper Handling
When shopping for a laser printer, consider paper handling. Most laser printers use cut-sheet paper in letter (8.5 by 11-inch) and legal (11 by 14-inch) sizes. Continuous sheet fed paper is used by high-end production printers.
Transparencies, adhesive labels, and lightweight cards can all be printed on with laser printers. A laser printer with automatic duplex printing can print on one side of the paper before turning it over and printing on the other. However, many laser printers use simple printing with manual duplex printing. Manual duplex printing is accomplished by changing the print options in the printer's properties or printing one side and then reinserting the same paper into the printer to print the other side.
Warm-up time and first paper out time (FPOT)
When a laser printer is turned on, it takes some time for the fuser to warm up to operating temperature. Warm-up time is even more important if the printer has a standby mode or is turned off between printing jobs. Warming up large workgroup and production printers can take five to fifteen minutes. This period of waiting can reduce overall productivity.
When looking for a high-quality printer, FPOT is also an important factor to consider. It is the time it takes to print the first page of a print job. When a laser printer receives data to print from a computer, it takes 5-30 seconds to prepare the printer for a new job.
Which is better: laser printers or inkjet printers?
A laser printer differs from an inkjet printer in several ways, including the ones listed below:
- A laser printer's toner or ink is dry. It is wet in an inkjet.
- An inkjet printer costs less to purchase than a laser printer. However, an inkjet printer is about ten times more expensive to operate than a laser printer over time because ink cartridges need to be replaced more frequently than toner cartridges, especially if high-yield toner cartridges are used.
- When wet, the paper from an inkjet printer smears, but a laser-printed document does not.
- Both types of printers run quietly and let you add fonts by using font cartridges or installing soft fonts. If your printing requirements are simple, an inkjet printer will suffice. However, if your printing volume is high, you should consider purchasing a laser printer.
What is laser printer used for?
Laser printers print high-quality images with consistent black tones. They are widely used for printing reports and letters, as well as desktop publishing.
What is the difference between an inkjet and a laser printer?
An inkjet printer prints documents with ink, whereas a laser printer prints documents with a laser. Isn't it straightforward? The various printing processes have an impact on the speed, functions, and image quality of each printer.
What is a laser printer in simple words?
A laser printer is a common type of computer printer that employs non-impact photocopier technology in which no keys strike the paper. When a document is sent to the printer, a laser beam uses electrical charges to "draw" the document on a selenium-coated drum.
Do you need ink for laser printer?
Toner powder, rather than ink, is used by laser printers to produce monochrome and color prints. Understanding the drum, a cylindrical, photosensitive component that allows the laser to pick up toner via static electricity, is critical to understanding how laser printers work.
What are the Pros of a laser printer?
The main benefits of laser printers are their speed, precision, and cost-effectiveness. Because a laser can move very quickly, it can "write" much faster than an ink jet. Furthermore, because the laser beam has a constant diameter, it can draw more precisely without spilling any ink.
What are the cons of laser printers?
Laser printers, unlike inkjet printers, cannot handle a wide range of paper or printing materials. They cannot be used for anything heat-sensitive. Simple graphics can be handled by home laser printers, but smooth photographs are a challenge. Inkjet is the way to go if you want to print photos.
Which of the following documents is unlikely to print well on a laser printer?
Glossy photo paper is typically incompatible with laser printers because the ink simply wipes away after being applied to the surface.
Can a laser printer produce color prints?
Laser printers are classified into two types: color and monochrome. Color laser printers are ideal for photography and creative needs, whereas monochrome printers are less expensive, simpler, and more reliable for everyday printing.
What is the maximum number of pages that a laser printer can print?
An average inkjet printer can print 100-200 color pages before needing to replace the cartridges. Laser printers are more expensive at first, but they do not require cartridge replacement for a long time. Toner cartridges in these printers can print between 2,500 and 10,000 pages before needing to be replaced.
Is special paper required for laser printers?
Inkjet and laser printers do not require different paper. A ream of cheap office copy paper yields results that are adequate for most applications.
How long can a laser printer be used?
The average laser printer lifespan for a small business is two to three years.
Can a laser printer print photos?
The short answer is that yes, laser printers can print photos. Here's a quick look at the world of high-quality color laser printers that print photos beautifully.
What types of paper can you print on with a laser printer?
Laser printers and copiers use toners that adhere to the paper's surface. Uncoated paper can be used in both inkjet and laser printers.
Is laser ink prone to drying out?
Laser printers use toner, which does not dry out like an ink cartridge. Toner, as opposed to ink, is a dry powder composed of plastic components that will not dry out. You can leave an empty toner cartridge in your printer for weeks and it will still print.
How long do laser printer toner cartridges last?
Based on a 5% coverage, a typical toner cartridge will yield between 2,500 and 4,000 pages (roughly third of a page of double-spaced text).
Can inkjet paper be used in a laser printer?
The short answer is no. The long answer is that inkjet photo paper isn't designed to withstand the heat generated by a laser printer while fusing melted toner into the paper.
Do laser printers dry out when not in use?Laser printers use toner, which does not dry out like an ink cartridge. Toner, as opposed to ink, is a dry powder composed of plastic components that will not dry out. You can leave an empty toner cartridge in your printer for weeks and it will still print.