PRINTERS
Printer
- A device that prints text or illustrations on paper. There are many
different types of printers. In terms of the technology utilized,
printers fall into the following categories:
Dot matrix: A type of impact printer that produces
characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon
to print closely spaced dots in the appropriate shape. Dot-matrix
printers are relatively expensive and do not produce high-quality
output. However, they can print to multi-page forms (that is, carbon
copies), something laser and ink-jet printers cannot do.
Dot
Matrix Printer Manufacturers include Epson, Panasonic, NEC, Okidata
and Brother
Dot-matrix printers vary in 3 important characteristics:
Speed: Given in characters per second (cps), the
speed can vary from about 50 to over 500 cps. Most dot-matrix printers
offer different speeds depending on the quality of print desired.
Print
quality: Determined by the number of pins (the mechanisms
that print the dots), it can vary from 9 to 24. The best dot-matrix
printers (24 pins) can produce near letter-quality type, although
you can still see a difference if you look closely.
Ink:
Dot Matrix Printer use ribbon for ink
In addition to these characteristics, you should also consider the
noise factor. Compared to laser and ink-jet printers, dot-matrix printers
are notorious for making a lot of noise.
Ink-jet: A type of printer that works by spraying
ionized ink at a sheet of paper. Magnetized plates in the ink's path
direct the ink onto the paper in the desired shapes. Ink-jet printers
are capable of producing high quality print approaching that produced
by laser printers. A typical ink-jet printer provides a resolution
of 600 dots per inch, although some newer models offer higher resolutions.
Ink
Jet Printer Manufacturers include Canon, Epson, HP and Lexmark
Speed: Given in Pages per Minute (PPM) the
higher the PPM the more pages they can print. Most ink-jet printers
offer different speeds depending on the quality of print desired.
Print
quality: Determined by the DPI Dot Per Inch
Example 2440 x 1220 DPI (Vertical and Horizontal DPI) The higher the
DPI the better in terms of print quality.
Ink:
Ink-Jet Printers use Ink Cartridges (hidden cost)
In
general, the price of ink-jet printers is lower than that of laser
printers. However, they are also considerably slower. Another drawback
of ink-jet printers is that they require a special type of ink that
is apt to smudge on inexpensive copier paper.
Because ink-jet printers require smaller mechanical parts than laser
printers, they are especially popular as portable printers. In addition,
color ink-jet printers provide an inexpensive way to print full-color
documents.
Laser: A type of printer that utilizes a laser beam
to produce an image on a drum. The light of the laser alters the electrical
charge on the drum wherever it hits. The drum is then rolled through
a reservoir of toner, which is picked up by the charged portions of
the drum. Finally, the toner is transferred to the paper through a
combination of heat and pressure. This is also the way copy machines
work.
Laser
Printer Manufacturers include HP, Lexmark, NEC, Xerox and Ricoh
Speed: Given in Pages per Minute (PPM) the higher
the PPM the more pages they can print. Most ink-jet printers offer
different speeds depending on the quality of print desired.
Print
quality: Determined by the DPI Dot Per Inch Example
4880 x 2440 DPI (Vertical and Horizontal DPI)
Ink:
Laser Printers use Toner Cartridges
Laser
Printer Parts
• Toner Cartridge Components
• EP Photosensitive Drum
• Erase Lamp
• Primary Corona Wire
• Toner
• Transfer Corona
• Fuser
• Power Supplies
• Turning Gears
• Motherboard
• Ozone Filter
• Sensors
• Switches
Because
an entire page is transmitted to a drum before the toner is applied,
laser printers are sometimes called page printers. There are two other
types of page printers that fall under the category of laser printers
even though they do not use lasers at all. One uses an array of LEDs
to expose the drum, and the other uses LCD's. Once the drum is charged,
however, they both operate like a real laser printer.
One of the chief characteristics of laser printers is their resolution
-- how many dots per inch (dpi) they lay down. The available resolutions
range from 300 dpi at the low end to 1,200 dpi at the high end. By
comparison, offset printing usually prints at 1,200 or 2,400 dpi.
Some laser printers achieve higher resolutions with special techniques
known generally as resolution enhancement.
In addition to the standard monochrome laser printer, which uses a
single toner, there also exist color laser printers that use four
toners to print in full color. Color laser printers tend to be about
five to ten times as expensive as their monochrome siblings.
Laser printers produce very high-quality print and are capable of
printing an almost unlimited variety of fonts. Most laser printers
come with a basic set of fonts, called internal or resident fonts,
but you can add additional fonts in one of two ways:
Font cartridges: Laser printers have slots in which
you can insert font cartridges, ROM boards on which fonts have been
recorded. The advantage of font cartridges is that they use none of
the printer's memory.
Soft fonts: All laser printers come with a certain
amount of RAM memory, and you can usually increase the amount of memory
by adding memory boards in the printer's expansion slots. You can
then copy fonts from a disk to the printer's RAM. This is called downloading
fonts. A font that has been downloaded is often referred to as a soft
font, to distinguish it from the hard fonts available on font cartridges.
The more RAM a printer has, the more fonts that can be downloaded
at one time.
In addition to text, laser printers are very adept at printing graphics.
However, you need significant amounts of memory in the printer to
print high-resolution graphics. To print a full-page graphic at 300
dpi, for example, you need at least 1 MB (megabyte) of printer RAM.
For a 600-dpi graphic, you need at least 4 MB RAM.
Because laser printers are no impact printers, they are much quieter
than dot matrix. They are also relatively fast, although not as fast
as some dot-matrix printers. The speed of laser printers ranges from
about 4 to 20 pages of text per minute (ppm). A typical rate of 6
ppm is equivalent to about 40 characters per second (cps).
Laser printers are controlled through page description languages (PDL's).
There are two de facto standards for PDL's:
PCL: Hewlett-Packard (HP) was one of the pioneers of laser printers
and has developed a Printer Control Language (PCL)
to control output. There are several versions of PCL, so a printer
may be compatible with one but not another. In addition, many printers
that claim compatibility cannot accept HP font cartridges.
PostScript: This is the de facto standard for Apple
Macintosh printers and for all desktop publishing systems.
Most software can print using either of this PDL's. PostScript tends
to be a bit more expensive, but it has some features that PCL lacks
and it is the standard for desktop publishing. Some printers support
both PCL and PostScript.
The 6 steps laser printing process
NOTE
* easy way to remember this is CLEAN CARS WILL DRIVE TO FAST
1. Cleaning – The Photosensitive drum is cleaned
before it can take on a new image
2.
Conditioning or Charging – To make the drum
receptive to new images, it must be charged. The EP drum is given
a negative charge by the primary corona wire around -600 and -1000
volts
3.
Writing - A laser beam is use to write to the EP drum causing
dots on the drum to lose some of the negative charge
and become relatively positive charge
4.
Developing - A toner is transferred from the toner
cylinder to the EP drum by attracting the area of the drum that has
a
Relative positive charge
5.
Transferring - The transfer corona wire puts a highly
positive charge on the paper once the paper has a positive charge
the negatively charge toner particle leaps from the drum into the
paper
6.
Fusing - The compression roller and fusing roller
press and melts the toner into the paper the fuser gets very hot
Other Types of Printers
Photo Printer – Is a type of printer use for
printing photographs.
Dye-Sublimation Printer – Is a type of printer which
employs a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye to a medium
such as a plastic card, printer paper or poster paper.
Thermal Printer- Is a type of printer that produces
a printed image by selectively heating coated thermo chromic paper,
or thermal paper as it is commonly known, when the paper passes over
the thermal print head. The coating turns black in the areas where
it is heated which then produce an image.
Types of Printer Cables
USB – Standard USB Printer Cable speed is around
12Mbps.
Parallel – IEEE 1284 Standard Cable speed is
around 1.5 to 2.77Mbps
IEEE
1284 standard supported the following:
Supports
5 modes of operation (Compatibility, Nibble Mode, Byte Mode, EPP and
ECP)
Supported a standard physical interface
Supported impedance and termination
Supported a standard method of connecting a host PC and peripheral
device
Serial – RS232 Standard Printer Cable speed
is around 57Kbps
Printer Connections
Network, or commonly Ethernet, connections are commonplace on network
laser printers, though some other types of printers do employ this
type of connection. Generally, network printers are designed to be
shared using a central file/print server, though you can share them
off a workstation in a “workgroup” environment.
RJ45
Parallel is the original standard for printers and
a lot of basic printers still rely on the parallel port connection.
A parallel (also called LPT port) sends and receives data simultaneously,
transmitting data in parallel. Parallel uses a DB25 connection on
the computer side and an oddly shaped 36 pin connection on the printer
called the centronics port.
Parallel Port 
Centronics
USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is a very common connector
type for personal printers being sold today. USB is sold as the next
generation of standard ports for computers. USB allows mice, keyboards,
scanners, printers, most peripherals to connect to a computer. It
supports up to 12 Mbps transfer rate and is hot swappable.
USB_A 
USB_B
Infrared is not very commonly used. An Infrared acceptor
allows your devices (laptops, PDAs, Cameras, etc) connect to the printer
and send print commands via infrared signals.
Serial allows your printer to connect to your computer via the serial
port.
Firewire is a high speed connection commonly referred
to as IEEE1394, its “standard”. Though not specifically
mentioned in the preparation outline for the exam, you should be aware
that a printer may connect via Firewire. Firewire is a high speed
connection typically used for digital video editing or other high
bandwidth requirements.
6pin Firewire port
Wireless
connection such as Bluetooth is also popular for connecting printers
in a network environment
An HP Jet direct (or Printer Server Box) is a device
which allows a non-networkable printer to be networked. For example,
we have an Epson color inkjet printer in our office which has a standard
parallel port connection on it. The Jet Direct box allows the printer
to be connected into our network and allows the printer to be shared
off of our file/print server.
Scanner
– A device use to scan text and images.
Types of scanners
Nowadays there are different types of scanners depending on user’s
purposes. Find below the most common and used scanners that can be
found in the market:
Drum scanners
Drum scanners capture image information with photomultiplier tubes
(PMT) rather than the charged coupled device (CCD) arrays found in
flatbed scanners and inexpensive film scanners.
Flatbed scanner
A
flatbed scanner is usually composed of a glass pane (or platen), under
which there is a bright light (often xenon or cold cathode fluorescent)
which illuminates the pane, and a moving optical array, whether CCD
or CIS. Color scanners typically contain three rows (arrays) of sensors
with red, green, and blue filters. Images to be scanned are placed
face down on the glass and the sensor array and light source move
across the pane reading the entire area. An image is therefore visible
to the charge-coupled device only because of the light it reflects.
Transparent images do not work in this way, and require special accessories
that illuminate them from the upper side.
Hand
scanner|
Hand scanners are manual devices which are dragged across
the surface of the image to be scanned. Scanning documents in this
manner requires a steady hand, as an uneven scanning rate would produce
distorted images. They typically have a "start" button which
is held by the user for the duration of the scan, some switches to
set the optical resolution, and a roller which generates a clock pulse
for synchronization with the computer. Most hand scanners were monochrome
and produced light from an array of green LEDs to illuminate the image.
A typical hand scanner also had a small window through which the document
being scanned could be viewed
You
will now learn how to install a printer in Windows 2K/XP Environment
How
to Install a Printer
Procedure Reference: Install a Local Printer
To install a printer that is attached to the local computer:
1.
From the Start menu, choose Settings>Printers\Printer and Faxes
to open the Printers dialog box.
2.
Double-click the Add Printer icon to start the Add Printer Wizard.
3.
Click Next.
4.
Select Local Printer.
5.
Click Next. (if USB printer it will do a PnP detection)
6.
Click Next.
7.
From the Available Ports list box, select the port your printer is
connected on.
?In
most cases, this will be an LPT# port.
8.
Click Next.
9.
From the Manufacturers list box, select the manufacturer of your printer.
10.
From the Printers list box, select the model of your printer
11.
In the Printer Name text box, type a name for your printer.
12.
Under Do You Want Your Windows-based Programs To Use This Printer
As The Default Printer, select one of the following:
?You’ll
be prompted as to whether you want to make this printer the default
printer only if you have other printers defined in the Printers folder.
If this is the first printer in the Printers folder, Windows automatically
makes the printer the default printer.
•
Yes, if you want all Windows programs to use this printer as their
default printer.
• No, if you want this printer available to Windows programs
to use, but it is not their default printer.
13.
Click Next.
14. Do not share this printer or share name (if you want to share
your printer for networking put the share name of the printer that
you’ve just installed
15. Location: \\computer_name\share_name (this is what we called the
UNC universal naming convention)
16.
Do you want to print a test page select one of the following:
•
Yes, (Recommended), if you want to print a test page to verify the
printer is set up properly.
• No, if you want to skip printing the test page.
17.
Click Finish.
18.
Close the Printers window.
To install a printer that is shared on the network:
1.
Log on to Windows with a user account and password that is valid for
the print server.
2.
From the Start menu, choose Settings>Printers\Printer and faxes
to open the printer dialog box
3.
Double-click the Add Printer icon to start the Add Printer Wizard.
4.
Click Next.
5.
Select Network Printer.
6.
Click Next.
7.
Browse for a printer or location: \\computer_name\share_name (UNC)
Universal Naming Convention
8.
next
Install a Scanner in a Windows Environment
1. Attach the power to the Scanner
2.
Attach the USB or Parallel Cable to the back of the Scanner
3.
Install the Driver of the Scanner
4. Configure Options and Default Settings
5.
Print/Scan Test Page
6.
Verify compatibility with the OS and Applications
7.
Start Scanning
General Printer Troubleshooting Issues
Print
Job Never Prints – Check connection, it is plugged in, printer
online, AC outlet, cables, does it have paper and spooler
Problems with Feed Mechanisms – Either user error or too much
paper
Spooler Problems – Print Directly to Printer
Crazy Characters or Code – Driver Issues with Printer or loose
printer cable
Wrong Settings – Check settings and use correct paper
Low Ink and Toner – Replace the Ink and Toner cartridge immediately
Connection Errors – LPT error, COM error and USB cannot detect
PnP
No Printout – Check ribbon, toner cartridge or ink cartridges
Out of Paper Errors – No paper in the printer
Maintenance, Alignment and Settings – Right Click Printer Icon
and click on properties
Networking problems – rights, permissions, network connections
Printer Hardware Failure – unless it’s a high end laser
printer it’s better to replace and get a new one
Input/output
Errors
This happens when the computer is unable to communicate with the printer:
Is
the printer plugged in?
Is the printer turned on?
Check the cable connection?
Is the printer driver installed?
Is there any system resource conflict (IRQ or DMA)?
Dot
Matrix Printer Troubleshooting
No
Printout – Check Ribbon
Bad Looking Text, White bars or Chopped Text – Print Head
Smudges or Dirty Printout – Clean Platen with denatured alcohol
Uneven Printout – Adjust Platen
Ink-Jet
Print Quality Issues
Unclear
Images – Running low on ink and needs to be replaced
Blank Printouts – No Ink or Nozzle is clogged
Smudges on Printouts – User Error (touch the printout before
the ink is dried)
Wrong Colors in Printouts – Low Ink or Dirty Nozzle
Alignment Issues – Check printer properties and run the alignment
program
Laser
Printer Troubleshooting
Unlike with PCs, laser printer maintenance follows a fairly well established
procedure. Follow these steps to insure a long, healthy life for your
system.
Keeping
it Clean
Laser printers are quite robust as a rule. A good cleaning every time
you replace the toner cartridge will help that printer last for many
years. .
Periodic
Maintenance
Although keeping the printer clean is critical to its health and well
being, every laser printer has certain components that will need to
be replaced periodically. Your ultimate source for determining the
parts that need to be replaced (and when to replace them) is the printer
manufacturer. Following the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines
will help to ensure years of trouble-free, dependable printing from
your laser printer.
Some ozone filters may be cleaned with a vacuum and some can only
be replaced-follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. The fuser
assembly may be cleaned with 90 percent or better denatured alcohol.
Check the heat roller (the Teflon coated one with the light bulb inside)
for pits and scratches. If there is surface damage on the rollers,
replace the fuser unit. Most printers will give you an error code
when the fuser is damaged or overheating and needs to be replaced;
others will produce the error code at a preset copy count as a preventative
maintenance measure. Again, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
The transfer corona can be cleaned with 90 percent denatured alcohol
on a cotton swab. If the wire is broken, you can replace it; many
just snap in, or are held in by a couple of screws. Paper guides can
also be cleaned with alcohol on a fibrous towel.
Laser Printer Problems
Blank
Paper - Blank sheets of paper usually mean the printer is out of toner
or transfer corona wire
Black Paper – primary corona wire
Dirty Printouts – Clean Printer and Fuser using maintenance
program
Ghosting, Vertical White Lines, Blotchy Print or No Printout usually
you need to shake the toner
Paper Jams – To much paper, misalignment, wrong paper and check
sensors if no paper causing paper jam
Pulling Multiple Sheets
If the printer grabs multiple sheets at a time, first try opening
a new ream of paper and loading that in the printer. If that works,
you’ve got a humidity problem. If the new paper angle doesn’t
work, check the separation pad on the printer. The separation pad
is a small piece of cork or rubber that separates the sheets as they
are pulled from the paper feed tray. A worn separation pad will look
shiny and well, worn! Most separation pads are easy to replace.
Warped, Overprinted, or Poorly Formed Characters
Poorly formed characters can indicate either a problem with the paper
(or other media), or a problem with the hardware.
Wavy Image – Defective Laser Scanner
Strange Sizes – User mistake (printer settings) or wrong paper
Reverse Power Up – Turn on Laser Printer first before you turn
on PC
Troubleshooting
Scanners
the main problem with scanners is usually the parallel port itself.
If you do not have the port configured correctly in the BIOS you can
run into problems scanning. Another problem is simply the software.
Some of the software bundles are a little less than desirable. If
so try uninstalling software and reinstalling it again. This can help
any corrupted files and drivers. I will explain how to do both below.
BIOS
Take a peek into your BIOS. This is done usually by hitting the delete
key while boot up. Make sure and hit it while the memory is counting
so not to make it to windows. When in BIOS look at some of your system
resources for the parallel port. You may want to set this port for
bi-directional. This can help with your problems. Also note that trying
to use the printer and scanner at the same time will not work. If
this seems to be a problem get a parallel switch. Look for the Belkin
brand.
Uninstall and Install
Now if you want to try re-installing the software you can do it in
two ways. You can uninstall the old software or simply go through
the scanners setup program again. This is preferred so not to lose
valuable data you may have. Make sure your scanners software is in
the CD-Drive prior to installing.
1. Go to start button and click settings
2. click control panel
3. click add/remove programs
4. choose scanner software in list to remove or choose install at
top of display to reinstall scanner software
5. simply choose the D:\ or CD-ROM drive and hit next
6. this will usually bring up a setup.exe
7. install program
8. if asked to reboot, do so.
If you couldn't get it to work this way you can try it manually by
using the Run command under the start button. If still lost on this
one refer to the documentation of scanner.
Drivers
Make sure your scanner has the right and up to date driver installed
System
Resources Problems- Make sure there are no IRQ or DMA conflicts
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