CompTIA A+

Lesson 6Printers

The course CompTIA A+ through ProCert's testing and Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.
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Objectives

At the end of this Identify the different types of printers

lesson, you will be
able to: Describe printing technology

Differentiate between various printer connectivity options

Troubleshoot printer and printing problems

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Types of Printers

A printer is a peripheral device that produces a hard copy of data. Popularly used printers are:

Type of Printers How it Works Where it is used What it looks like

Use lasers to paint an

Used in large
Laser printer electronic image
organizations
onto a rotating drum

Shoots jets of ink in a

coordinated manner Popular in homes
Inkjet Printer
to draw an image on and small offices
paper

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Types of Printers (contd.)

In addition to the laser and inkjet printers, two more commonly used printers are given below.

Type of Printers How it Works Where it is used What it looks like

Used for cash

Heats paper to print
Thermal printer register receipts,
the output
ATM receipts, etc.

Uses pins that work

Used by many
like little hammers to
Impact printer businesses to print
copy ink from a
on forms
ribbon onto paper

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Printer Terminology

The following are some common printer-related terms that are important to know:

The number of dots a printer can print per inch of a paper, vertically and
Dpi (dots per inch) horizontally
Determines the resolution of the printer

Measures the speed of a printer

PPM (pages per minute)
For example, laser printers can print between 10 and 100 PPM

Printers that can print both sides of a sheet

Duplexing assembly
Can turn the page so that the other side is also printed

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Types of Printing Paper

Different types of paper are used for various types of printers.

Used by laser and inkjet printers via a feeder or a tray mounted on the
Single-Sheet Paper printer.

Used by thermal printers.

Thermal Paper It is coated with a chemical that changes its color when exposed to
heat.

Also known as fan-fold or sprocket paper.

The sheets are joined and include holes on each side.
Continuous-Feed Paper
Tractor feed mechanism feeds the paper to the printer using these
holes.

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Laser Printers

Laser printers give very high-quality print and are commonly used in medium-to-large organizations
for good quality prints.
Laser Printer

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Color Laser Printers

Many organizations use monochrome laser printers. Even though there are color laser
printers available, they are very expensive. Some of the characteristics of a color laser
printer are:

Characteristics of Color Laser Printer

The process is more complex than a regular

laser printer.

They produce vibrant images.

Color laser printers use CMYK color model

(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black).

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Laser Printer Components
The pictorial representation of the key
components of a laser printer is shown below.
1. Controller circuitry
2. Light sensitive imaging drum
3. Primary charging roller 5 4
4. Laser beam
3
5. Spinning mirror 7
6. Developer roller 12 11
2 6
7. Toner cylinder 8
8. Pickup roller 10
9 1
9. Paper tray
[Link] charging roller
[Link]
12. Fuser
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Laser Printer Components (contd.)

The key components of a laser printer are as follows:

Controller Circuitry Circuit inside the laser printer that the PC talks to

Light sensitive imaging drum Laser writes the print image onto this drum

Primary charging roller Charges the light-sensitive drum

Laser beam Writes on the charged drum

Spinning mirror Deflects and focuses the laser beam precisely

Developer roller Coated in charged toner particles that are transferred to the drum

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Laser Printer Components (contd.)

The key components of a laser printer are as follows:

Toner cylinder Contains fine black powder that gets written onto paper as ink

Pickup roller Draws paper into the printer from the paper tray

Paper tray Holds sheets of paper

Transfer charging roller Charges paper with voltage

Scraper Cleans the drum

Fuser Is a heat and pressure roller that melts the toner onto paper

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Laser Printer Imaging Process

The laser imaging process involves seven steps which occur in a specific sequence during the rotation
of the imaging drum. The following image is the graphical representation of these steps:

3 Exposing
1
Processing

2 4
RIP I passed Side view of Developing
Charging Imaging drum

7 Cleaning

Fusing 6 Transferring 5

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Step 1Processing

The Processing stage, also called the Raster Image Processing (RIP), is the first step that creates a
raster image. A raster is a single line of dots, and a raster image is a combination of all these lines.

When the Print command is issued, the computer sends the print job to the printer in a format that
RIP understands.

The RIP then creates the raster image.

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Step 2Charging
In this step, a primary charge roller applies a high-voltage negative charge to the light-sensitive imaging
drum.

This voltage is between -500 and -600 VDC or Volts of Direct Current, and can be as high as -1,000 VDC.
Charging has two purposes:

It removes any residual charge from a previous print job.

It prepares the imaging drum to accept the image from the laser.

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Step 3Exposing

At this stage, the laser exposes the imaging

drum with the raster image. This is called
Exposing. Following are the steps involved
here:

A highly focused laser beam is sent through

one or more mirrors.

When the beam hits the photosensitive

drum, it neutralizes the charge applied
previously, forming the image to be printed.

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Step 4Developing

At this stage, a toner is applied to the imaging

drum. This is referred as Developing and
involves the following steps:

The toner is first given a negative charge.

As the imaging drum rotates, the toner

sticks to parts of the imaging drum that
have a neutral charge due to the previous
act of exposing.

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Step 5Transferring

In this stage, the toner is applied to paper.

This is known as Transferring. Following are
the steps involved:

Pickup rollers pick up a paper from the

paper tray.

A transfer roller charges the paper, giving it

a charge opposite to that of the toner.

After the paper is charged, it is rolled on the

drum and the toner from the drum gets
applied to the paper.
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Step 6Fusing

In the previous stage, even though the toner

was applied to the paper, it was not fused (or
written) to the paper.

At this stage, the toner is fused to the paper

and this is known as fusing.

To fuse the toner to the paper, the fuser

assembly heats up the toner so that it melts
onto paper.

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Step 7Cleaning

In this stage, the excess toner is scraped off the imaging drum and is collected for disposal.

After scraping off the toner, the erase lamp neutralizes the charge on the imaging drum.

At this stage, the printer is ready for the next job.

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Inkjet Printers

Many mobile devices can store data in the cloud.

Characteristics of Inkjet Printer Inkjet Printer

These printers can produce very high-quality

color printouts and are very affordable.
They are popular among home users and
some SOHOs.
They work by ejecting colored or black ink
onto paper through microscopic nozzles.

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Inkjet Printer Components
The given image is the pictorial representation of
the key components of an Inkjet Printer:
1. Paper tray
2. Cartridge assembly
3. Print head stepper motor
4. Sliding rod
5. Belt
6. Print head
7. Ink cartridges
8. Nozzle
9. Ink chambers
[Link] droplets
[Link]
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Inkjet Printer Components (contd.)

The key components of the inkjet printer are given below:

Paper tray Holds sheets of paper

Cartridge assembly Holds the inkjet cartridges

Print head stepper motor Is used to move the print head and ink cartridges across the paper

Sliding rod Cartridge assembly is moved horizontally on this rod

Belt Is used by the stepper motor to move the cartridge assembly horizontally

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Inkjet Printer Components (contd.)

The key components of the inkjet printer are given below:

Print head Applies ink onto paper

Come in many combinations, such as one black and one color cartridge or
Ink cartridges
a separate cartridge for every ink color

Nozzle Outlets on the cartridges for firing ink out

Ink chambers Reservoirs of ink

Ink droplets Drops of ink

Resistor Heats the ink and pushes it out onto paper

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Inkjet Cartridges

The location of the cartridge varies from printer to printer. In most printers, the
cartridge is near the print head or may even have the print head built-in. Ink cartridges
are easy to replace.

Some features of ink cartridges used in Inkjet

printers are:

Inkjet printers use the CMYK model used by color laser

printers.

Some models use two ink cartridges, one for all the three
CMY colors, and one for black ink.

Most models use four ink cartridges, that is, a separate

cartridge for each CMYK color.

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Inkjet Calibration

Inkjet print heads may develop alignment issues over time, resulting in blurry printouts or lines that
are not straight. Manufacturers generally include software tools to check the printer and recalibrate it
if required. Calibration Check

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Thermal Printers

Thermal printers are commonly used to print

cash receipts, ATM slips, fax machine output, etc.

Thermal Printer
Characteristics of Thermal printers

They use thermal paper that is coated with a

chemical.

Most printers can print only one color, but some

can print two colors.

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Thermal Printer Components

The key components of thermal printers are given below:

Thermal print head It generates heat for printing.

Spring It applies pressure on the thermal head to connect with the paper.

Platen It is a roller that feeds the paper.

Controller It controls the printing mechanism.

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Impact Printers

Impact printers are still used by organizations

that need to print multipart forms. They are also
known as Dot Matrix printers.
Impact Printer

Some characteristics of Impact printers are:

They normally use a tractor-feed and

continuous-feed paper.

They can be very noisy because the pins have to

strike the ribbons with force.

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Impact Printers Components

The key components of an impact printer are as follows:

Platen Roller that feeds the paper

Ink ribbon Strip of cloth dipped in ink

Print head Component that applies ink onto paper

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Types of Printer Connections

Printers usually receive print commands from the computer. They can be connected to PCs through
wired and wireless mechanisms. Some important connection types are listed below:

Printer Connections

Wired Printers Wireless Printers

USB connected Printers

Network Printers

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Wired Printer Connections

A wired printer connection is when the printer is plugged into the computer using a cable. There are
two types of wired printer connections:

Most printers are connected to a PC using a USB connection through a USB Type B port.

USB-connected Printers use a USB cable with Type A connector on one end and a USB Type B connector
Printers
on the other end to connect the printer to the PC.
When a printer is directly connected to a computer, it is known as a local printer.

Designed for connecting to a computer network (LAN) rather than to a single computer.
Network
Printers They are similar to other types of printers but they have an Ethernet port.
Multiple users on a network being able to access it is its main advantage.

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Wireless Printers

Many new printers are wireless capable, which allows

them to connect to a network or a PC wirelessly.

Common types of wireless protocols used by printers

are:

Wireless printers may use any of the WIFI

protocols, such as 802.11a, b, g, or n, to connect to
a LAN network through a WIFI router.

Bluetooth: it is used to create personal area

networks (PANs), such as with a phone and a
headset. Some printers support Bluetooth.
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Windows Printer Sharing

Besides network printers, local printers can

also be shared by using the Windows
Printer Sharing feature.

When a printer is shared on a computer

that is part of a LAN network, other users
on the network will be able to print
through the shared computer.

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Safety Considerations

Use caution while opening a printer for maintenance. The following are some important electrical and
heat precautions:

Electrical Safety Heat Safety

Laser printers have a The fuser assembly in a

high-voltage power laser printer melts toner
supply built into them onto paper and can
(ranging as high as reach up to 180 degrees
-1,000 VDC ). Celsius.

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Laser PrinterPower Preferences

The best practices to be followed during plugging a laser printer are:

Laser printers should not be plugged into a UPS.

Laser printers should not be plugged into power strips that have other devices plugged into them.

They operate at very high voltages and can draw a large volume of power in a short time, which can
damage a UPS.

The best option for a laser printer is to use a surge protector that does not have other equipment
plugged into it.

The next best choice is to plug a laser printer directly into a grounded AC socket.

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Laser Printer Maintenance

There are many models of laser printers, but they all share common maintenance tasks.

When the toner runs low, the print quality goes down.
Toner Replacement: Many laser printers give an alert when the toner is low.
The solution is to replace the toner cartridge.

Color laser printers can sometimes produce misaligned colors or lines.

Calibration: Run the calibration program provided by the printer manufacturer.
This will ensure that printer heads are correctly aligned.

Clean pickup rollers whenever you are replacing the toner.

Cleaning: Using isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab is the best method of cleaning
the rollers.

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Troubleshooting1

Some common symptoms, causes, and solutions for a printer problem are:
No connectivity
Paper not feeding
(local printer)

Sometimes re-plugging the Check the rollers and make sure

connectivity cables will solve the they are working. Rollers may be
problem. dirty.

No connectivity
Printer not printing
(network printer)

Make sure that printer is plugged

Make sure that the printer is on,
in, switched on, and properly
connected, and configured
connected.
correctly.
Garbled characters on paper

Possibly using the wrong print

driver.

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Troubleshooting2

Some common symptoms, causes, and solutions for a printer problem are:

Blank pages Streaks on a laser printout

On a laser printer, this could Streaks are most likely a result of

indicate that the toner is empty. scratches on the imaging drum.
Replace toner or ink. Replace drum.

Vertical lines on page Streaks on an inkjet printout

Streaks are caused by misaligned

The toner is probably clogged.
or dirty print heads. Clean and align
Remove the toner cartridge
them.
and shake it. Faded print

This again indicates printer is low

on toner or ink. Replace toner or
ink.

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Troubleshooting3

Some common symptoms, causes, and solutions for a printer problem are:

Error codes Low memory errors

Printers give error codes. They are Raster image is larger than the
numbers you can look up in the printer available memory. Add memory to the
manual. printer if possible. Or, use low
resolution to print.

Color prints in wrong print

color Toner not fused to paper

Toner or ink cartridges inserted in Replace the fuser assembly in the laser
the wrong slot. printer to resolve the problem.

Backed-up print queue

Sometimes the Windows print spooler

service hangs, and the only way to fix
this problem is to restart the Print
Spooler service.
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Troubleshooting Paper Jams

One of the most common problems with printers is paper jams.

Reasons for paper jams

Humidity is the chief cause of jams.
When paper absorbs humidity, it looses its
stiffness.
It becomes difficult for the printer to move
this type of paper inside.
Paper jams can be minimized by storing the
paper in humidity-free areas.

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Tools for Printer Maintenance

The most important maintenance task is cleaning the printer. There are several tools listed below that
are used in printer maintenance.

Compressed air Compressed air from a can or a blower can be used to dust off the insides of the printer.

Vacuum cleaners can be used to suck up the resultant dust from the blower.
Computer vacuum Regular vacuum cleaners cause electrostatic discharge (ESD) problems, so use only ESD-
safe vacuums.

Rollers within printers get dirty quickly.

Isopropyl alcohol
Using isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab is the best method of cleaning the rollers.

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Quiz

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QUIZ
Which among the following types of printers uses chemical-coated paper to print?

a. Laser printer
b. Thermal printer
c. Inkjet printer
d. Impact printer

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 QUIZ
Which among the following types of printers uses chemical-coated paper to print?

a. Laser printer
b. Thermal printer
c. Inkjet printer
d. Impact printer

Answer: b.
Explanation: Thermal printers print on a chemical-coated paper that changes color when
heat is applied to it.

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QUIZ
Dpi is a measure of printer resolution.
2

a. True
b. False

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 QUIZ
Dpi is a measure of printer resolution.
2

a. True
b. False

Answer: a.
Explanation: Dpi, or dots per inch, is the resolution of a printer, or how many dots the
printer can print on every inch of paper.

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QUIZ
The Exposing stage in laser printing comes after the ___________ stage.
3

a. charging
b. processing
c. developing
d. cleaning

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 QUIZ
The Exposing stage in laser printing comes after the ___________ stage.
3

a. charging
b. processing
c. developing
d. cleaning

Answer: a.
Explanation: Exposing is done by sending a focused laser beam to the imaging drum. This is
the step that follows the charging stage where the drum is charged with negative voltage.

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QUIZ
This type of printer uses a tractor feed and continuous-feed paper.
4

a. Thermal
b. Laser
c. Inkjet
d. Impact (Dot Matrix)

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 QUIZ
This type of printer uses a tractor feed and continuous-feed paper.
4

a. Thermal
b. Laser
c. Inkjet
d. Impact (Dot Matrix)

Answer: d.
Explanation: Only the Impact (or Dot Matrix) printer type uses tractor feed and continuous-
feed paper.

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QUIZ
A laser printer is printing pages that are quite faded. What could be the likely cause?
5

a. The computer is not sending the printer the correct file to print.
b. The electric cable to the printer is faulty.
c. Toner is running low.
d. Printer paper is not of good quality.

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 QUIZ
A laser printer is printing pages that are quite faded. What could be the likely cause?
5

a. The computer is not sending the printer the correct file to print.
b. The electric cable to the printer is faulty.
c. Toner is running low.
d. Printer paper is not of good quality.

Answer: c.
Explanation: Usually a printer will print faded pages when the toner is getting low. The
solution is to replace the toner cartridge.

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Summary
There are several printing technologies such as laser, inkjet, thermal, and
Let us summarize
what was covered others.
in this lesson:
Different types of printers use different kinds of paper, ink, and other
materials.

Different types of printers are suited for different users and organizations.

Laser printers use a seven-stage printing process to print.

Inkjet printers are cheaper and more affordable but also slower.

There are several wired and wireless ways to connect printers to computers.

Printers work with high voltages and temperatures. Safety is important

especially when working with laser printers.

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 Thank You

The course CompTIA A+ through ProCert's testing and Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.
certification process is now accredited by CompTIA.
Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.