Printers

Unit objectives: Compare and contrast printing

technologies Install printers Optimize printing and perform routine

maintenance tasks for printers Troubleshoot printer problems

Topic A

Topic A: Printing technologies Topic B: Printer installation Topic C: Printer optimization and

maintenance Topic D: Printer troubleshooting

Dot-matrix printer

Can print multipart forms Slow and noisy compared to other

printer types Impact printer

– Use mechanical means to press ink onto a page

Near letter quality (NLQ)

Dot-matrix printer components

9- or 24-pin print head Pins pushed forward in patterns to strike ink

ribbon 9-pin quality not as good as 24-pin Tractor feed and friction feed Horizontal and vertical perforations in paper Banners Preprinted forms require careful alignment Friction feed primarily for envelopes and

single-sheet papers

Dot-matrix printer connections

Serial Parallel Rare network interface Some have both serial and parallel

Dot-matrix options

Font card slots Memory Paper feeders

Other impact printers

Daisy wheel Band printer

Activity A-1

Examining the dot-matrix printing process

An inkjet printer Ink dispersion Forces ink through nozzles Nozzles are 50 to 60 microns in

diameter Two methods:

– Thermal bubble– Piezoelectric bubble

Inkjet process

Thermal bubble technology Piezoelectric technology Ink cartridges

Inkjet cartridge print heads

Print head part of cartridge New ink cartridge = new print head Makes cartridge more expensive

Inkjet print quality

Standards– Laser printer for text– Darkroom photographs for graphics

Affected by:– Resolution (dpi) of printer– Quality of paper– Quality of ink if printed page gets wet

Dithering, also known as half-tones

Straight-through paper path

Curved paper path

Photo printers

Good print quality Quality not quite as good as that of

chemically produced prints Use special photo paper Some printers allow you to print

CD/DVD labels

Printing onto a CD

Activity A-2

Examining how inkjet printers work

Laser printer

Standard of quality for other printer types High-quality, high-volume Black-and-white, and color Dropping in price

– Consumables can cost as much as printer

Laser printer components

Toner cartridge Laser scanning assembly Power supplies Paper control and transport assembly Transfer corona assembly Fusing assembly Electronic control package

Toner cartridge components

Hopper filled with toner EP drum Blade to remove used toner Corona charging assembly

Laser scanner assembly

Laser Mirror Lens, or lenses

Power supplies

High-voltage power supply (HVPS) Converts standard 120 volt AC to

high-voltage electricity used by EP process

DC power supply (DCPS) used to power components that don’t require high voltages– For example, laser & fuser– +5V and -5V for the printer’s logic

circuitry– +24V for the paper transport motors

Paper control and transport assembly

Paper moves through series of rollers Rollers

– Some guide paper– Some apply pressure to fuse toner

Transfer corona assembly

Primary charge roller charged by HVPS

Primary charge roller charges paper to accept toner

Static charge eliminator strip drains charge

Creates ozone – can cause respiratory illness– Laser printers employ ozone filters

Fusing assembly

Composed of rollers and heating lamp Applies heat and pressure to adhere

toner to page

Electronic control package

Also known as “printer control circuitry” or “main logic assembly”

Communicates with – Printer memory– Control panel– Computer

Laser printing process

continued

Laser printing process, continued

1. Cleaning and erasing

2. Charging or conditioning

3. Writing or exposing

4. Developing

5. Transferring

6. Fusing

Note: Some sources place the cleaning and erasing stage at the beginning of the process. Others place it at the end of the process. In either case, it prepares the drum for receiving and printing the next image.

Activity A-3

Examining how laser printers work

Other printer types

Solid-ink Dye sublimation Thermal

– Thermal wax transfer– Direct thermal– Thermal autochrome

Plotter

Creates line images Uses pens Often available in large format for CAD

drawings Draws smooth lines and curves

Additional printer types

Snapshot printers Large-format printers

Activity A-4

Identifying other printer technologies

Topic B

Topic A: Printing technologies Topic B: Printer installation Topic C: Printer optimization and

maintenance Topic D: Printer troubleshooting

Main Windows print processes

Client – includes GDI Spooler Printer – print language is translated to

hardware directions for printing the job

Activity B-1

Examining the Windows printing process

Inkjet printer installation

Most local printers connect via USB Windows autodetects and installs

drivers Can install additional software from

manufacturer

Ink-level monitoring utility

Printer interfaces

USB Parallel SCSI Serial Wired or wireless Ethernet network

connections

Inkjet communications interfaces

Parallel interface USB interface

Configure the connection type

SCSI — Assign a unique device ID Parallel — Specify the correct LPT

port– Usually LPT1

Serial — Specify the correct COM port– Usually COM2– COM1 used for modem

Port identified for the printer

Installing an inkjet printer

1. Connect the printer to a computer, using the correct interface

2. Plug the printer in

3. Power it up

4. Windows will probably recognize the new device and install drivers for it

5. If drivers aren’t installed automatically, do it manually with materials that shipped with the printer

Upgrading a device driver

Use Device Manager utility Follow prompts in wizard or use printer

installation file Configure options for best

performance

Laser printer setup

Unpack from packaging Remove all packaging materials and

tape Install toner cartridge

– Remove tape insert from toner– Rock from side to side

Might need to install drum or other components

Printer interfaces

Parallel SCSI USB Serial IEEE 1394/FireWire Wired or wireless Ethernet network

Communications interfaces

USB interface

Parallel interface

Installing a printer

1. Connect the printer to the network or a computer, using the correct interface

2. Plug the printer in

3. Power it up

4. Windows will probably recognize the new device and install drivers for it

5. If drivers aren’t installed automatically, do it manually with the materials that shipped with the printer

Installing a network printer in Windows 7

1. In Windows 7, open Devices and Printers

2. Click Add a printer

3. Click Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer

4. Select the desired printer and click Next, or click The printer that I want isn’t listed

5. If prompted, click Install driver

6. Enter a name for the printer and click Next

7. If desired, set as the default printer and print a test page

8. Click Finish

Installing a network printer in Vista

1. Open Printers2. Click Add a printer3. Click Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer4. Select the desired printer and click Next, or click The

printer that I want isn’t listed.5. If the printer isn’t listed, you can:

– Browse for it– Enter its share name– Enter TCP/IP address – Enter host name

6. If the print drivers are available on the network, Windows will prompt you to install them. Click Install driver.

7. Enter a name for the printer and click Next8. If desired, set as the default printer and print a test

page9. Click Finish

Activity B-2

Installing a local printer

Topic C

Topic A: Printing technologies Topic B: Printer installation Topic C: Printer optimization and

maintenance Topic D: Printer troubleshooting

Printer configuration settings example

Printer configuration options

Orientation Collation Copies Quality Color Order Switch print trays Spool settings Some configuration can be done

through buttons on printer itself

Print queue

Queue - waiting to be output on the printer To view - double-click printer’s icon in the

Printers utility Users with Print permissions can, for their

own documents:– Pause– Resume– Restart– Cancel

Administrator can restart printer spooler service

Separator pages

Printer priorities

Give priority to printouts of particular users or groups

Configure on the Advanced tab of the printer’s Properties sheet

In Windows Vista and Windows 2000 Professional, secure printer using Security tab of printer’s Properties sheet

Activity C-1

Optimizing printing

Printer options

Dot-matrix printer options and upgrades– Paper park– Input/output trays– Font cartridges– Paper cutter

Inkjet printer options and upgrades– Vary by manufacturer– Scanner head– Multifunction devices– Additional paper trays – Alternative media holders– PostScript upgrade kit continued

Printer options, continued Inkjet printer options and upgrades,

continued– Batteries– Bluetooth adapter– Network card

Laser printer options and upgrades– Page description languages– Input and output trays– Network connection– Internal hard disk– Duplexers

Other types of printers options and upgrades

Activity C-2

Installing printer add-ons and upgrades

Printer maintenance

Follow manufacturer’s guidelines Common tools

– Cleaning solutions and sprays (isopropyl alcohol, denatured alcohol)

– Cleaning equipment (soft cloths, cotton swabs)– Lubricants– Compressed air– Toner vacuums and toner rags or extension

magnet brushes– Screwdrivers (to open compartments)– Chip puller

Safety

Follow ESD safety precautions Keep dangling jewelry, neckties and

long hair away from printer Handle components carefully Don’t damage components or self

when clearing paper jam Document maintenance steps in log

Dot-matrix printer maintenance

Compressed air to blow out paper, dirt, and debris

Mild household cleaners on exterior Rubbing alcohol to clean roller Use ESD precautions and remove

neckties, watches, and jewelry; pull back and secure hair

Inkjet printer maintenance

Change low ink cartridges Use recommended supplies Clean print nozzles and recalibrate printer Adjust ink output calibration for color

matching Proper ventilation Remove dust Test page Calibrate ink output for color matching if

available Set up with proper ventilation

Laser printer maintenance

Scheduled maintenance and unscheduled service calls

Routine maintenance– Replace toner cartridges– Clean and lubricate components– Replace components (parts-life counters)– Check and update firmware– Remove accumulated toner– Maintain adequate ventilation– Test page

Follow safety precautions handling toner and around high-voltage power supplies

Consumables

Keep adequate supply on hand Store in cool, dry locations

Activity C-3

Performing inkjet and laser printer maintenance tasks

Topic D

Topic A: Printing technologies Topic B: Printer installation Topic C: Printer optimization and

maintenance Topic D: Printer troubleshooting

Printer troubleshooting

Application trying to print Printer Operating system and drivers Connection

Testing the application

Close down and restart the application If you can print other files from that

application, troubleshoot the file that wouldn’t print

If other files won’t print, try printing from another application

If you can print from another application, troubleshoot the application that’s causing problems

If you can’t print from any applications, test the printer

Testing the printer

Verify that it’s online and ready Check service error messages

– “Add media” – “Add supplies” or “Add toner”– “Regular maintenance”– “Paper jam”– “Incorrect media”

HP uses numerical error codes Engine test page

Operating system and drivers

Print test page from printer’s Properties dialog box

If test page prints, troubleshoot the application and driver settings

If test page doesn’t print, check:– Printer status– Driver– Port settings– Accessories and options– Event logs

Connections

Network– Verify Internet/intranet access or access

to another network server– Test TCP/IP connectivity– Consult with network technician

Local– Cable– Different computer

continued

Connections, continued

Connectivity issues– Loose, broken, damaged, or improperly

wired cables– Broken or malfunctioning network

devices– Incorrect protocol, network settings, or

TCP/IP settings– Bad network cards– Firmware– EMI– Wireless connection problems

Power supply

Use multimeter to test J210 Pins:

– Pin 1: +5V– Pin 5: -5V– Pin 9: +24V

Dark images

Light or weak images

Repetitive image defects

Ghosting and shadows

Smearing

Banding

Focus

Voided areas

Registration, jitters, skew

Misaligned color registration

Weak color, missing color

Vertical and horizontal lines

Black or blank pages

Transport/feed issues

Media jamming Skewing Creasing, wrinkling, folding, and

tearing Multiple sheets feeding in at one time

(multifeeding); misdirected media (misfeeding)

Burning

Transport/feed causes

Foreign objects Damaged media Media feed problems Media feed timing Separation Duplex Fusing Media exit and delivery Faulty sensors

Activity D-1

Troubleshooting printer problems

Unit summary

Compared and contrasted printing technologies

Installed printers Optimized printing and performed

routine maintenance tasks for printers Resolved printer problems