Laser Printers 101

Anyone who’s worked in an office has heard of a laser printer. But few people know how they work. It’s important to know how laser printers function in case something goes awry. What happens if your laser printer needs maintenance? How will you know what help to ask for if you don’t know how it works? This article will serve as a rundown of the basics of a laser printer.

Laser Toner Cartridges

The toner cartridge is arguably the most important part of a laser printer. Each one is comprised of multiple sections that hold different components.

The first section holds a drum that helps transfer toner powder onto paper to create text and images. Next, you’ll find a wiper blade that sweeps excess toner off the drum. The last section holds a powder made up of ink pigments, which we’ll teach you about later.

Other Important Parts of a Laser Printer

Now, let’s move on to the actual printer. Obviously, the machine has a laser. This component projects images or text onto the drum during the printing process. Then, the toner is drawn off the drum with a very fine laser called a corona laser. Finally, laser printers contain a fuser unit. This component is made up of two heated rollers that press prints onto paper using melted toner powder. Don’t worry if you can’t understand exactly how the process works just yet – we’ll give you the rundown in the next section.

Using a Laser Printer

Let’s walk you through the process of how laser printers turn plain sheets of paper into crisp, clean images and documents.

First, the printer collects the necessary information for the document you want to copy or print. The corona wire is activated, creating a positive electrical charge that reaches the drum located inside the toner cartridge. The paper receives this same positive charge.

Next, the charge from the corona wire gives the toner a negative charge, which causes the powder to coat the drum. The laser then moves across the drum, and light manipulates the electrical charge of the toner. The positive-charged powder is then released from the drum, resulting in a mirror image of the document you fed through the printer.

The paper then enters the toner cartridge, with the drum powering it through. Here, the negative-charged powder is attracted to the positive-charged paper. So, the image or text on the drum is transferred onto the sheet. However, it won’t adhere forever since these charges will eventually disappear.

That’s where the fuser unit comes into play. The paper travels between the two hot rollers, melting the plastic and ink powder onto the paper. This ensures the printed result will stay stuck on the paper forever.

Shop Copylite for All Your Printing Accessories

At Copylite, we have over 50 years of experience in providing top-of-the-line printing supplies to businesses everywhere. Our team of experts will help you find any products you may need, including quality ink and toner cartridges that are sure to give you the best results with each print.