How Do Laser Jet Printers Work?
Are you in the market for your first laser jet printer and curious to learn more about how they work? Or, maybe you’ve had laser jet printers for years but have never really thought much about their mechanics. Keep reading to learn more about how laser jet printers work so that you’ll be up to speed during your next visit to a printer store in Phoenix, AZ or appointment for service or repair.
Though a laser jet printer may look pretty similar to an inkjet printer, it prints in an entirely different fashion. While an inkjet printer relies on heat that is produced from a series of tubes, a laser jet printer does its job due to static electricity that produces toner, a powder from dry ink. You can envision a laser jet printer as being similar to a photocopier. That’s because laser jet printers were originally created using various photocopier components.
After you hit “print,” your computer produces a set of data that it then transfers to your laser jet printer. The printer contains a special type of circuit that makes sense of the data and determines how it should appear on your printout. After setting off a particular wire inside your printer, this circuit then scans in a back and forth, horizontal motion internally, creating static electricity. This static electricity then results in toner that appears on your printed page in the form of ink.
However, there’s still one more step to bond the toner to the paper so that you receive the highest quality printout. A fuser element within the laser jet printer, consisting of two hot roller-like parts, ensures that the toner is imprinted permanently on your printout.
If you’ve ever wondered why the documents you remove from the printer are still warm to the touch, it’s these hot rollers that produce this effect. (The paper isn’t destroyed by the heat because it’s transported through the rollers with enough speed to prevent this from happening.)
Similarly, you might also now be wondering why the toner doesn’t remain on the fuser element, since “fuse” seems to imply that the toner lands there, then stops. How does the toner move from these fuser rolls to the page? These fuser rolls are coated in Teflon, a non-stick material. If Teflon sounds familiar, it’s because it’s also found on the bottom of many pots and pans so that the food you are preparing can be removed easily, without sticking.
Now you know how one of your pieces of equipment that receives the heaviest use actually works! If you find yourself in need of repairs or service for your printers or copiers, you’ll want to turn to a printer store in Phoenix, AZ that you can trust. Arizona Copier Outlet proudly offers the best in new, near new and refurbished commercial copiers and printers at affordable prices. We have one- to three-year warranties available and stock the highest-quality brands, including Ricoh, Savin, Lanier, Canon, Toshiba and Konica Minolta. We believe in shopping local and in leasing and selling only the best products. Come by or call us for more information, to schedule service or for a quote. Also, be sure to ask us about our special offer—make a purchase and receive free color copies for one year!
Categorised in: Printer Store