All about laser printers

In 1938, inventor Chester Carlson held in his hands the first ever image using dry ink and static electricity. But only after 8 years he managed to find someone who would put his invention on a commercial track. This was undertaken by a company whose name is known to everyone today - Xerox. In the same year, the market recognizes the first copier, a huge and complex unit. It was only in the mid-50s that scientists created what today can be called the progenitor of the laser printer.

The first printer model went on sale in 1977 - it was equipment for offices and enterprises. It is interesting that some of the characteristics of that technique even met the current requirements. So, the speed of work is 120 sheets per minute, two-sided duplex printing. And in 1982, the light will see the debut sample intended for personal use.

The image in a laser printer is formed by a dye located in the toner. Under the influence of static electricity, the dye sticks and is absorbed into the sheet. All this became possible due to the design features of the printer - a printed circuit board, a cartridge (responsible for transferring a picture) and a printing unit.

Choosing a laser printer today, the buyer looks at its dimensions, productivity, expected life, print resolution and "brains". It is just as important which operating systems the printer can interact with, how it connects to the computer, whether it is ergonomic or easy to maintain.

You can buy a printer with both a small number of functions and an advanced one. But any device works on the same principle. The technology is based on photoelectric xerography. The internal filling is divided into a number of important blocks.

• Laser scanning mechanism. There are many lenses and mirrors set to rotate. This will transfer the desired image to the drum surface. It is precisely its application that is carried out by a special laser exclusively in targeted places. And an imperceptible picture comes out, because the changes concern only the surface charge, and it is practically impossible to consider this without a special device. The operation of the scanner device is commanded by a controller with a raster processor.

• The block responsible for transferring the picture to the sheet. It is represented by a cartridge and a charge transfer roller. The cartridge, indeed, is a complex mechanism, consisting of a drum, a magnetic shaft and a charge shaft. Fotoval is able to change the charge under the action of a working laser.

• The node responsible for fixing the image on paper. The toner falling from the photocylinder onto the sheet immediately goes to the oven of the device, where it melts under a high thermal effect and is finally fixed on the sheet.

• The dyes found in most laser printers are powder. They are initially positively charged. That is why the laser will "draw" a picture with a negative charge, and therefore the toner will be attracted to the surface of the photogallery. This is responsible for the detailing of the drawing on the sheet. But this is not the case with all laser printers.Some brands use a different principle of operation: toner with a negative charge, and the laser does not change the charge of the areas with the ingress of dye, but the charge of those areas where the ink does not fall.

• Transfer roller. Through it, the property of the paper entering the printer changes. In fact, the static charge is removed under the action of the neutralizer. That is, it will then not be attracted to the photovalue.

• Toner powder, consisting of substances that melt quickly at significant temperature indicators. They are firmly attached to the sheet. Images printed on a laser printing device will not be erased or fade for a very long time.

The photocylinder of the cartridge is coated with a blue or green sensor layer. There are other shades, but this is rare. And then - a "fork" of two options for action. In the first case, a special tungsten filament is used with gold or platinum, as well as carbon particles. A high voltage is applied to the thread, therefore a magnetic field is obtained. True, with this method, contamination of the sheet often occurs.

In the second case, the charge roller works better. This is a shaft made of metal, covered with a substance that conducts electricity. This is usually foam rubber or special rubber. The charge is transferred in the process of touching the photocell. But the resource of the roller is less than that of the tungsten filament.

Let's consider how the process develops further.

• Image. Exposure takes place, the picture occupies a surface with one of the charges. The laser beam changes its charge starting from the passage through the mirror, then through the lens.
• Development. The magnetic shaft with a core inside is in close contact with the photo cylinder and the toner hopper. In the process of action, it spins, and since there is a magnet inside, the dye is attracted to the surface. And in those areas where the toner charge is different from the characteristic of the shaft, the ink will "stick".
• Transfer to sheet. This is where the transfer roller is involved. The metal base changes its charge and transfers it to the sheets. That is, the powder from the photo roll is already supplied to the paper. The powder is retained due to static voltage, and if it is out of technology, it will simply be scattered.
• Anchoring. To firmly fix the toner on the sheet, you have to bake it into the paper. Toner has such a property - melting under high temperature action. The temperature is created by the stove of the inner shaft. On the upper shaft there is a heating element, while the lower one presses the paper. The thermal film is heated up to 200 degrees.

The most expensive part of a printer is the print head. And of course, there is a difference in the operation of a black and white printer and a color one.

Distinguish directly between a laser printer and an MFP. The advantages and disadvantages of laser technology depend on this.

Let's start with the pros.

• Toner is being used effectively. Compared to ink in an inkjet printer, the efficiency is palpable. That is, one page of a laser device prints less than the same page of an inkjet device.
• The print speed is faster. Documents do print quickly, especially large ones, and in this regard, inkjet printers also lag behind.
• Easy to clean.

Of the minuses, several factors can be distinguished.

• The toner cartridge is expensive. Sometimes they are 2 times more expensive than the same element of an inkjet printer. True, they will last longer.
• Big size. Compared to inkjet technology, laser machines are still considered bulky.
• The high cost of color. Printing a photo on this design will be unambiguously expensive.

But for printing documents, a laser printer is optimal. And for long term use too. At home, this technique is rarely used, but for the office it is a common choice.

This list will include both color models and black and white.

If printing often involves color, then you will have to buy a color printer. And here the choice is good, for every taste and budget.

• Canon i-SENSYS LBP611Cn. This model can be considered the most affordable, because you can buy it for about 10 thousand rubles. Moreover, the technique is capable of printing color photos directly from the camera connected to it. But it cannot be said that this printer is mainly intended for photography. It is the optimal solution for printing technical graphics and business documents. That is, it is a good purchase for an office. The unambiguous advantage of such a printer: low price, excellent print quality, easy setup and fast connection, excellent print speed. The downside is the lack of double-sided printing.

• Xerox VersaLink C400DN. The purchase requires a serious investment, but it is, indeed, an advanced laser printer. At home, such a device is not used very often (too smart purchase for modest household needs). But if you don’t mind paying 30 thousand rubles, you can also optimize your home office by purchasing. Among the undoubted advantages of this model are wireless printing, easy replacement of cartridges, high print speed, reliability, excellent functionality and 2 GB of "RAM". Among the disadvantages is the need to start the printer for exactly one minute.

• Kyocera ECOSYS P5026cdw. Such equipment will cost 18 thousand rubles and more. Often this model is chosen specifically for photo printing. The quality will not be such that it would be possible to print photos for commercial purposes, but as material for family chronicles, it is quite suitable. Advantages of the model: prints up to 50,000 pages per month, high print quality, double-sided printing, good cartridge resource, low noise level, high-performance processor, Wi-Fi is available.

• HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M553n. In many ratings, this particular model is the leader. The device is expensive, but its capabilities are expanded. The printer prints 38 pages per minute. Other advantages include: excellent assembly, high-quality color printing, quick wake-up, easy operation, fast scanning. But the relative disadvantage will be the large weight of the structure, as well as the high cost of the cartridges.

In this category, not simple home models, but rather professional printers. They are of high quality, reliable, functional. That is, for those who print a lot of documents at work, such printers are perfect.

• Brother HL-1212WR. 18 seconds are enough for the printer to warm up, the model will display the first print in 10 seconds. The overall speed reaches 20 pages per minute. It is quite compact, works efficiently and is easy to refuel, it can be connected via Wi-Fi. The only serious design flaw, for which they ask about 7 thousand rubles, is the lack of a cable for connecting to a computer.

• Canon i-SENSYS LBP212dw. Prints 33 pages per minute, printer productivity - 80 thousand pages per month. The device supports both desktop and mobile systems. The printing is fast, the resource is quite good, the design is modern, the model is affordable at the price tag.

• Kyocera ECOSYS P3050dn. It costs 25 thousand rubles, prints 250 thousand pages per month, that is, this is an excellent model for a large office. Prints 50 pages per minute. Convenient and reliable technology with support for mobile printing, with high speed of operation, durable.

• Xerox VersaLink B400DN. It prints 110 thousand pages monthly, the device is quite compact, the display is color and convenient, the power consumption is low, and the printing speed is excellent. Perhaps this printer can only be blamed for its slow warm-up.

The inkjet device is lower in price, but the cost price of the printed sheet will be higher. This is due to the high cost of consumables. With laser technology, the opposite is true: it costs more, and the sheet is cheaper. Therefore, when the volume of printing is high, it is more profitable to purchase a laser printer. Inkjet copes better with photo printing, and text information is about the same in print quality for two types of printers.

The laser device is faster than an inkjet device, and the laser print head is quieter.

Almost all modern printers work on a cartridge circuit. The cartridge is represented by a housing, a container with toner, gears that transmit rotation, cleaning blades, a waste bin and shafts. All parts of the cartridge can differ in terms of service life, for example, toner in this sense wins the race - it will run out faster. But the photosensitive shafts are not consumed so quickly. One "long-playing" part of the cartridge can be considered its body.

Black and white laser devices are almost the easiest to refill. Some users are using alternative cartridges that are almost as reliable as the originals. Self-refilling of the cartridge is a process that not everyone can cope with, you can seriously get dirty. But you can learn it. Although usually office printers are run by a specialist.

You should study the specific properties of the printer, the quality of the devices. Here are some selection criteria.

1. Color or monochrome. This is solved according to the purpose of use (for home or for work). A cartridge with 5 colors will be more functional.
2. Cost of a print. In the case of a laser printer, it will be several times cheaper than the same characteristics of an MFP inkjet printer (3 in 1).
3. Resource of cartridges. If you are at home, you will hardly have to print a lot, so a small volume should not be intimidating. Moreover, if the printer is budgetary, and according to all other criteria, you like it. An office printer is usually initially oriented to a large volume of printing, and here this criterion is one of the main ones.
4. Paper size. This is not only a choice between only A4 and A3-A4 variations, it is also the ability to print on film, photo paper, envelopes and other non-standard materials. Again, it depends on the purpose of use.
5. Connection interface. It's great if the printer supports Wi-Fi, it's great if it can print material from a smartphone, laptop, tablet, digital camera.

These are some of the most important selection criteria. It is worth adding to them the manufacturer: brands with a good reputation are always the target of the average buyer. Usually people are looking for a reliable printer with support and photo printing too, with good power consumption and resolution. The speed at which the printer prints is also important, but not for all users. Like the amount of built-in memory - who works a lot with the printer, that is more important. For someone who uses the printer from time to time, this does not really matter.

Brief instructions for use will help you understand how to work with a laser printer.

1. Choose a site where the equipment will stand. It should not be pinched by foreign objects.
2. It is necessary to open the cover of the output tray, pull the shipping sheet towards you. The top cover of the printer opens through a special opening.
3. Pull the shipping paper away from you. The packing material inside the top cover must be removed. This will remove the toner cartridge. Shake it several times.
4. The packing material of the cartridge must also be removed. The unscrewed tab ejects the protective tape from the cartridge. The tape can only be pulled out horizontally.
5. The packing material is also removed from the inside of the top cover.
6. The toner cartridge is reinserted into the printer. It must go in until it clicks, the reference point is on the marks.
7. The top cover can be closed by opening the paper tray from the bottom. Remove the tape that is attached to it.
8. The printer is installed on a prepared surface.When transferring the technique, you need to keep the front part towards you.
9. The power cord must be connected to the printer, plugged into an outlet.
10. The multi-purpose tray is loaded with paper.
11. Installs the printer driver from a dedicated disc.
12. You can print a test page.

Any technique breaks down, and so does a laser printer. You don't have to be a pro to at least partially understand what could be the matter.

Diagnosing problems:

• the printing device "chews up" the paper - probably, the matter is in the rupture of the thermal film;
• faint or poor print - the image drum, squeegee, magnetic roller could be worn out, although it is often the case in the wrong toner;
• faint streaks along the sheet — the toner cartridge is low;
• black streaks or dots along the sheet — drum malfunction;
• duality of the image - failure of the primary charge shaft;
• lack of paper capture (temporary or permanent) - worn out pick rollers;
• capture of several sheets at once - most likely, the brake pad is worn out;
• gray background all over the sheet after refilling - sprinkled toner.

If you purchased a laser MFP, a relatively common malfunction is that the device continues to print, but refuses to copy and scan. The point is a malfunction of the scanner unit. It will be an expensive renovation, maybe even at half the price of an MFP. But first you need to establish the exact reason.

There may also be a reverse malfunction: scanning and copying does not work, but printing continues. There may be a software defect, or a poorly connected USB cable. Damage to the formatting board is also possible. If the user of the printer is not sure of the causes of the malfunction, you need to call the wizard.

Typical printing defects are:

• black background - you need to change the cartridge;
• white gaps - the charge transfer roller is broken;
• white horizontal lines - a failure in the laser power supply;
• white dots on a black background - fuser malfunction;
• bubble printing - either the paper is poor or the drum is not grounded.
• compressed print - incorrect paper setting;
• blurred - the fuser is defective;
• stains on the reverse side of the sheet - the pickup roller is dirty, the rubber shaft is worn out.

If you check the quality of consumables in time, use the printer correctly, it will last a long time and with high quality.