Working With Printers

Chapter 18
Objectives
 Identify the different parts of a printer
 Differentiate between impact printers and non-
impact printers
 Explain the working of dot matrix printers
 Explain the working of inkjet printers
 Explain the working of laser printers
 Assembling a printer
 Connect a printer to a computer
 Install a printer driver
 Troubleshoot printers
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Printers
 Prints text documents and images on paper
 Different types of printer are:

Printers

Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers

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Impact Printers
 Prints documents as well as graphics
 Functions similar to electronic typewriters
 Physical contact is established between print head, ribbon cartridge and paper
 Dot matrix printer is a type of Impact Printer

 Dot matrix printer uses a matrix of metal pins on print head to create
dots
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Non-impact Printers
 Known for quite operation as physical contact is not established between
head, cartridge and paper
 Different types of non-impact printers are:

Non-Impact Printers

Inkjet Printers Laser Printers

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Inkjet Printers
 Places extremely minute amount
of electrically charged ink on
paper to create images or text
 Drops of ink are sprayed through
a series of nozzles
 Uses monochrome as well as
color cartridges
 Can be connected to LPT or
USB port
 Provides high quality print

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Laser Printers
 Uses a beam of laser for printing
 Uses static electricity to combine ink
powder and paper
 Consists of a revolving drum/cylinder that
is made up of photoconductive material
 Drum is charged with the help of a charging
wire called the charge corona wire

Laser Printer

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Attributes of Printer
 Printers are classified on the basis of the following
characteristics
• Speed – Defines speed at which a printer prints the
documents
• Dots Per Inch (DPI) – Specifies the number of pixel or
dots of ink that the printer uses while printing a document

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Structure of Printer
 Contains parts that accept, support and move
paper during the process of printing

Printer
Parts

Output
Edge Output
Feeder Support Cover Try
Guides Try
Extension

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Printer Installation
 Assemble the printer – Connect internal and
external parts of the printer
 Set up printer – Connect printer to the appropriate
port on computer
 Install Printer Drivers – Install printer driver
(software that controls operation of printer) in the
computer
 Configure the Printer – Set different settings for
the printer

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Printer Ports
 Standard Parallel Port (SPP) – An obsolete port
for printers and was available for the IBM PC and
compatible computers built prior to 1995
 Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) – Allows faster data
transfer between computer and printer
 Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) – Compresses
the data and provides faster data transfer between
computer and printer compared to EPP

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Preventive Maintenance - I

 Preventive Maintenance ensures that a printer will

 Inkjet Printers
• Turn OFF the printer before cleaning
• Never spray cleaner on the printer itself
• Use compressed air or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust
• Remove the tape on the ink cartridge before inserting
• Ensure the ink cartridge is secure in the cartridge cradle
• Clean the face of the ink cartridge using a clean swab dipped
in isopropyl alcohol
• Use a swab that has isopropyl alcohol and rub on the
underside of the cartridge cradle to clean it

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Preventive Maintenance - III
 Laser Printers
• Turn OFF the printer before cleaning
• Never spray cleaner on the printer itself
• Use a lint-free dry cloth for cleaning the inside of the printer
and the Paper feed guide
• Store toner in a cool, dry place
• Clean the corona wire and the roller every time when
changing the print cartridge
• Refilled toner cartridges work fine and save money, as long
as they have only been refilled once
• Do not use envelopes and address labels in laser printers

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Troubleshooting
 You may encounter different problems when working with
the printer such as:
• General Troubleshooting
• Printer Driver is not functioning properly
• Troubleshooting Dot Matrix Printers
• Troubleshooting Inkjet Printers
• Troubleshooting Laser Printers

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Summary - I
 A printer is a peripheral output device that prints images and
text on paper
 Printers are classified into two main groups such as impact
printers and non-impact printers
 The main characteristics of a printer that a buyer generally
looks for are:
• Speed
• Dots Per Inch
 Dot matrix printers produce low-quality text and graphics at
affordable prices

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Summary - II
 Impact printers work by banging a print head against an ink-
soaked ribbon that is placed over paper that is being printed
 Carbon-copy printing is an application that requires dot
matrix printers
 Non-impact printers are noiseless as compared to impact
printers
 Inkjet printers and laser printers are the most widely used
non-impact printers
 An inkjet printer functions by placing minute drops of ink on
the paper that is being printed

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Summary - III
 Laser printers function on the basis of static electricity
 A fine ink powder called toner is used for printing in laser
printers
 Printer driver is a software that controls the operation of the
printer

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