Laser Printer Information

Question: How do laser printers work?

(Posted by: *Rachita* on 2010-01-22 12:16:02)

Do you have to buy ink for them and how often? is the ink more expensive than ink for jet printers?

Posted by: Wooworld on 2010-01-22, 13:12:08

Laser printers use toner (it is kind of like a powder) they do not use ink. Typically laser toner is more expensive than ink cartridges, but if you do they math of how many pages you print compared with how often you replace the toner, laser jet printers usually end up being a few cents cheaper per page than ink jets. Depending what you are using the printer for, if you just a home user that does not print that ofter a laser jet printer is a good buy. If you own a business and do lot of printing you want to look at a higher end printer model, ink or laser, so you are not replacing ink all the time. Hope this answered your question.

Posted by: Nieblung on 2010-01-22, 19:18:48

Most laser B &W printer toner cartridges last 1500 sheets or more. Typically 1000-3000, depending on the model of printer and what you print. If you print just text, it will last longer. If you print more pictures and clip-art, it lasts less. I've even seen some high-yield toner cartridges last around 10,000 pages on certain models. (Usually not at the consumer level.) Yes, toner cartridges will cost you more up front, but ink cartridges wear out quicker. So you really end up spending more in the long run. I'm still on my toner cartridge that I installed 2 years ago. :) Just think about it, do you really get 500 pages out of an ink cartridge? Or are you replacing them @ $50 a pop for around 400 pages or so? See where I'm going? Ink Jet printers are like disposable razors, spend a little money on the razor handle, and a whole lot of money on the blades over time. ;) Now do you really want to know the image formation process for a Laser Printer? In Layman's Terms: The drum (Green part in a toner cartridge) get's cleaned and prepped with a uniform negative charge, by a special roller inside the toner cartridge. The laser light cancels this negative charge where the image/ text is supposed to be as the drum spins around. (There's a laser scanner motor and mirrors / prisms located in the printer.) The toner, which is made up of Iron Ore Particles and Black Plastic Resin, is attracted to these "canceled out areas " and sticks to the drum. As the paper is fed into the printer, the drum rotates. Along the bottom there is this black spongy roller called the Transfer Roller. The Transfer Roller is positively charged. The Transfer Roller applies a positive charge on the back side of the paper, and the negatively charged toner falls to the paper. (Opposites attract, just like two ends of a magnet.) The paper is then fed through a device called a Fuser, which is a device that has a heat roller and pressure roller. The heat roller is around 356 degrees Fahrenheit or so, depending on the model of printer. (Some heat up more and other models use different methods to bond the toner, but let's keep things simple.) As the paper goes through the Fuser, the loose toner is "Fused " or "Steamrolled " onto the paper and then it hits the exit assembly, which feeds the paper out of the printer.