As you can see from this list, toner is a lot more than just dried ink. These ingredients
maketonerworkinthelaserprinter,buttheyareextremelydifficulttoworkwithoutside
of the printer. If you’ve ever spilled toner on the floor, you know how tough it can be
to clean u p. One ti pis that you never want to vacuum u ptoner with a standard vacuum
cleaner. Typically, the airflow in a conventional vacuum cleaner passes over or through
the motor, which can be hot. As the toner is heated by the vacuum cleaner’s motor, it
melts and clogs up the motor and all else it strikes.
Toners are usually matched to the capabilities of particular printers. Some printers
have hotter or cooler fusing rollers that can affect how well the toner adheres to the page.
Newer printers use what is called “micro-fine” toner, which has smaller particles and
produces sharper text and graphic images.LED Printers
LEDprintersuselight-emittingdiodes(asemiconductorthatilluminateswhenanelectri-
cal charge is applied to it) instead of a laser. The LED printhead uses a micro-miniature
battery of LEDs in two staggered parallel rows that have tiny spaces between them. Each
LED, which is about the size of a human hair, is attached to an IC (integrated circuit or
chip) that controls the on and off of the LED.
The LED rows are positioned behind two rows of precision-ground optical lenses that
are positioned to create one continuous line of LEDs that stretches across the width of the
drum. The light emitted from the LEDs is a special wavelength near the infrared range
that is invisible to the human eye but easily detected by the photosensitive drum. The
LEDs are used to discharge dots on the drum; after that, the print process is the same as
on a laser printer.
One advantage the LED printer has over the laser printer is the elimination of moving
parts in the light source mechanism. The laser and the rotating mirrors can get out of ad-
justment and impact the quality of the printed document. Another advantage is price.
LED printers are available for less than two hundred dollars.Thermal Printers
Essentially, a thermal printer uses a heating element to cause a thermal change in a chem-
ically treated paper to print information on the paper.
Two types of thermal printers are available: Direct thermal This type of thermal printer uses heat to change the chemical
coating that has been directly applied to the thermal printer paper. The thermal
paper used in this printer can be expensive.
Thermal transfer This type of thermal printer includes a ribbon or carrier that
is used to apply the thermally reactive chemicals to the paper. This process allows
the printer to use less expensive paper.Chapter 17: Printers^433