Before knowing about the computer and its operating systems, knowledge on the various parts of the computer and their different tasks will always be very helpful in preceding for the further more functions. While moving on that approach only let us today discuss and try to know a little bit about the printers and its task. In printers also we can take the laser printers specifically as the main subject of todays discussion.



The function of the laser printer is to an extent similar to that of the general printer, but still there is something that differentiates the laser printer from the usual printers. The laser printer is a device that is used for the production of high quality text materials. Also the quality of the graphics on the plain paper is standard in case of the laser printers. The task it performs is to produce the photocopies of the texts and images but that is very different from the usual methods. The result here can be expected at a very fast rate due to the laser scanning over the object. Let us move further to trace the writing, charging, cleaning and maintenance procedures of the laser printer.

The processes of working of the laser printer are very systematic. The images that are to be printed through the printer are created by the Raster Image Processor and this is built in the printer only. The source or the original materials to be printed are encoded in a variety of languages like the unformatted text form, HP printer Command Language, Abode PostScript etc. Once the page is rendered in the memory of the raster, the printer is all set to send all the material on to the paper. The charging procedure is stated in the following words - a type of wire known as the corona wire plants an electrostatic charge on the charging point of the printer.

Now comes the writing procedure for which it is differentiated from the other types of printers. In this process the laser ray is pointed on the polygonal mirror which keeps rotating. The laser ray falls in it through lenses. After this the beam of laser sweeps across the page in a very straight line. The main reason behind the use of the laser beam for this process is that they can take hold of a long distance through a very narrow beam. Thus the laser ray photocopies the original material.

After this takes place the developing procedure in which the image are exposed to the toner. The darkness of the page is also controlled by the laser beams only. Then takes place the process of transferring of the data or images.

Thus we can see that the copying, charging, writing, developing and then transferring; all these processes overall makes the process of printing through the laser printer possible. These few but significant words thus make us find out the difference between the usual and that of the laser printer very easily.