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Printers Flashcards

1
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Testing the printer

A
  • Print or scan a test page
    – Built into Windows, not the application
  • Use diagnostic tools
    – Web-based utilities built into the printer
    – Vendor specific
    – Generic utilities
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2
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Bad output

A
  • Lines down the printed page
    – Inkjet: Clean print heads
    – Laser: Check for scratched photosensitive drum
  • Faded prints, blank pages - Low toner or ink
  • Double/echo images or speckling
    – Laser printer optical drum not cleaned properly
    – Ghost or “shadow” from previous drum rotation
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3
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Garbled print

A

Bad printer driver / wrong model
– Incorrect page description language
(PCL or PostScript?)
* Verify the printer functionality
– Check with a test page
* Bad application
– Check the output
– Upgrade the application

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4
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Toner not sticking to the paper

A
  • Laser printer output smudges everywhere
    – Toner sticks to everything
  • Toner not fused to the paper
    – Toner should be permanently melted and pressed
    – May not be hot
  • Fuser problem - Replace the fuser assembly
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5
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Incorrect paper size

A

Print a letter size page
– Accidentally send it to a legal size paper tray
Printer stops and shows a message
– Gives you a chance to fix the issue
* Tray selection is provided during the printing process
– Try printing again
– Change the defaults in the printer configuration

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6
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Paper jam

A

Careful when removing
– Don’t rip the paper
– Don’t damage internal components
* Paper not feeding or misfeeds multiple pages
– Check the tray
– Pickup rollers are part of a laser printer maintenance kit
* Creased paper
– Problems in the paper path
– Check the paper weight

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7
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Multiple prints pending in queue

A
  • Corrupted print jobs
    – Print spooler will crash
    – Most spooler configuration will automatically restart
  • Problems are logged
    – Windows Event Viewer,Windows-PrintService
  • One job may be causing the issue
    – Monitor the queue for details
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8
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Incorrect color settings

A
  • The output colors aren’t the same as the display
    – Important for publishing and color printing
  • Calibrate the monitor
    – A third-party calibration tool will help
  • Check the paper
    – Bright white paper provides good color representation
  • Calibrate the printer
    – The proper amount of ink and toner
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9
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Grinding noises

A
  • Never a good sound from your printer
    – The ink is already manufactured
  • Something is not operating properly
    – Paper jam - Carriage is stalled or jammed
  • Each printer has a different process
    – Check the manuals for removing paper jams
    – Some inkjet printers have a particular process
  • May require additional maintenance
    – Or replace the printer
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10
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Finishing issues

A
  • Finishing happens after the ink or
    toner has been applied
    – Collate, binding, etc.
  • Staple jams
    – Larger printers will collate and staple groups of papers
    – Each printer manufacturer has a different removal
    process
  • Incorrect hole punch location
    – Verify with the printer driver
    – May require a driver update
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11
Q

5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers – Incorrect page orientation

A

Print a portrait page - Get a landscape print
* Check the settings when printing
– Controlled by the print driver
– May require a driver update
* The printer also has a default setting
– Check the settings on the printer console

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12
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers

A

Laser printer
* Combine a laser, high voltage, charged ions,
powdered ink, heat, and paper
* Very high quality
* Fast printing speeds
* Very complex, many moving parts, requires on-printer
memory and messy on the inside

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13
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Imaging drum

A

Image is drawn onto a photosensitive drum
– “Painted” with a laser
* Picks up toner - Transfers toner to the paper
* Can be separate from the toner cartridge or combined

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14
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Fuser assembly

A

Heat and pressure - Melt plastic toner powder
– Permanently bond toner to paper

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15
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Transfer belt and roller

A

Color laser printers
– Cyan, yellow, magenta, black
* Four separate toner cartridges
* Image is transferred from all cartridges to the single belt
And then to a single transfer roller

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16
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Pickup rollers

A
  • Pickup paper - Should be a single page at a time
    – Problems if no paper is picked up
    or multiple sheets are picked
  • Should be periodically cleaned or replaced
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17
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Separation pad

A
  • Pull just the top sheet from the paper tray
    – Not multiple sheets
  • Small and inexpensive - Easy to clean or replace
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18
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Duplexing assembly

A
  • Printers usually print on a single side
    – Not both sides simultaneously
  • Printing on both sides is a two step process
    – Print side one, print side two
  • You need mechanisms to “flip” the page
    – Automatically
  • Can be built-in to the printer
  • Or available as an add-on
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19
Q

3.7 - Laser Printers – Steps

A

Step 1: Processing
* Build the entire page in memory
Step 2: Charging
* Prepare the drum with a
negative electrostatic charge
Step 3: Exposing
* Write the image with the laser
Step 4: Developing
* Add toner to the charged areas
of the imaging drum
Step 5: Transferring
* Move the toner from
the drum to the paper
Step 6: Fusing
* Heat and pressure
Step 7: Cleaning
* Remove excess toner

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20
Q

3.7 - Laser Printer Maintenance – Replacing the toner cartridge

A
  • Look for the messages
    – Low doesn’t mean empty
  • The toner can also contain the OPC drum
    – Organic Photoconductor drum
    – Sensitive to light; keep it in the bag
  • Power down the printer
    – Safety first
  • Remove packing strips from the new drum
    – Replace it with the old
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21
Q

3.7 - Laser Printer Maintenance – Laser printer maintenance kit

A

Laser printers wear out
– All those moving parts
– Heat and pressure
* Standard maintenance kits
– Replacement feed rollers, new fuser unit, etc.
* When to perform maintenance?
– Check the printer’s page counter
* Power down and replace the components
– Fuser units are HOT
* Reset the page counter when you’re done!

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22
Q

3.7 - Laser Printer Maintenance – Replacing the toner cartridge

A
  • Look for the messages
    – Low doesn’t mean empty
  • The toner can also contain the OPC drum
    – Organic Photoconductor drum
    – Sensitive to light; keep it in the bag
  • Power down the printer - Safety first
  • Remove packing strips from the new drum
    – Replace it with the old
23
Q

3.7 - Laser Printer Maintenance – Laser printer calibration

A
  • Different toner cartridges print with different densities
    – Some dark, some light
  • Laser printer calibration can adjust the density
    – Makes it looks perfect
  • Can be automated or a manual process
    – Every printer is different
    – Check the printer manual
24
Q

3.7 - Laser Printer Maintenance – Laser printer cleaning

A
  • Laser printers are dirty
    – All that toner and paper dust
  • Check the manufacturer’s recommendations
    – Water, isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
    – Don’t use harsh chemicals!
  • Outside - Damp cloth
  • Inside - Wipe dust away
    – Don’t use a normal vacuum cleaner or
    compressed air
    – Wash off skin with cold water
    – Clean rollers with IPA
25
3.7 - Inkjet Printers
Inkjet (ink-dispersion) printer * Relatively inexpensive technology * Quiet * High-resolution * Expensive ink – Proprietary * Eventually fades * Clogs easily
26
3.7 - Inkjet Printers -- Ink cartridge
Place drops of ink onto a page – Pulled from a set of cartridges * CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black)
27
3.7 - Inkjet Printers -- Print head
* Some consumer printers integrate the print head into the ink cartridge – Change the cartridge, get a new print head * Others separate the ink cartridge from the print head
28
3.7 - Inkjet Printers -- Feed rollers
* Pick up and feed paper through the printer – Must be clean and not worn * Duplexing – Print on both sides of the paper – Included with some printers
29
3.7 - Inkjet Printers -- Carriage and belt
* Ink cartridges are moved over the paper – Carriage may include its own print head * Belt moves the carriage back and forth – Another moving part
30
3.7 - Inkjet Printers -- Inkjet printer calibration
* Align nozzles to the paper – Lines should be crisp – Colors should align * Printer includes a calibration option – May need to make minor adjustments
31
3.7 - Inkjet Printer Maintenance -- Cleaning print heads
* Small droplets of ink - And small holes in a print head * Clogged heads is a big issue – Many printers automatically clean every day – Output has streaks or sections of missing color * Cleaning process can be started manually – Only takes a few minutes * Some print heads/cartridges can be removed – Manually cleaning may help
32
3.7 - Inkjet Printer Maintenance -- Replacing inkjet cartridges
* Usually separate colors – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (CMYK) – Some cartridges will combine these * Takes seconds to replace – Takes a few minutes to calibrate and prepare the cartridge * Recycle the empty cartridge - All plastic
33
3.7 - Inkjet Printer Maintenance -- Inkjet printer calibration
* Align nozzles to the paper – Lines should be crisp – Colors should not overlap * Printer includes a calibration option – May need to make minor adjustments
34
3.7 - Inkjet Printer Maintenance -- Clearing jams
* Lots of turns and twists – A jam is inevitable * Remove tray paper – Any loose paper * Remove paper from the path – Firm pressure, don’t rip * Check for any scraps of paper * Remove all loose paper
35
3.7 - Thermal Printers
* White paper – Turns black when heated – No ink! * VERY quiet – Almost silent * Paper is sensitive to light and heat – And clear tape
36
3.7 - Thermal Printers -- Feed assembly
Pull paper through the printer – Relatively small paper path
37
3.7 - Thermal Printers -- Heating element
* Full-length heating element – No moving print head
38
3.7 - Thermal Printers -- Thermal paper
* Paper covered with a chemical – Changes color when heated * Cash registers, credit card terminals – And quiet areas * Looks like normal paper – Feels a bit different
39
3.7 - Thermal Printer Maintenance -- Thermal paper replacement
* Relatively inexpensive – But impossible to substitute * Different sizes – Not like laser printer paper - Keep a list * Actual replacement process is easy – Simple paper feed – Small device
40
3.7 - Thermal Printer Maintenance -- Cleaning the heating element
Liquid cleaner – Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) – Get a cleaning pen – Check manufacturer’s recommendations * Swab gently - Usually small areas * Use a cleaning card – Cleans the head and paper pathways
41
3.7 - Thermal Printer Maintenance -- Removing debris
Relatively small amount – Paper bits and dust – No toner! * Blow out the printer – Take it outside * Wipe it out – Damp cloth * Avoid using a vacuum – Unless it’s designed for computers – Resists static buildup/discharge
42
3.7 - Impact Printers
Dot-matrix (impact) printers * Print head with a small matrix of pins – Presses against a ribbon to make a mark on paper * Good for carbon/multiple copies * Low cost per page * NOISY * Poor graphics * Relatively niche use cases
43
3.7 - Impact Printers -- Dot-matrix printer head
* Moves back and forth – Pins hit ribbon and paper * One matrix - Must move across the page to print
44
3.7 - Impact Printers -- Printer ribbon
* Fabric – One long ribbon - Never ending circle * Easy to replace - Once single unit * Proprietary size - Specific to printer model
45
3.7 - Impact Printers -- Tractor feed
Paper pulled through with holes on the side of the paper – Instead of using friction * Continuous paper feed – Perforations between pages * Holes have to line up perfectly – Tractor paper can be perforated to remove holes
46
3.7 - Impact Printer Maintenance -- Printer ribbon replacement
Single ribbon - Self-contained - One long circle * Replace when ink becomes too light – Ink is eventually consumed * Designed to be modular - Replace in less than a minute
47
3.7 - Impact Printer Maintenance -- Print head replacement
* Takes a lot of abuse - Directly hits the ribbon and paper * Gets hot - Watch your fingers – Another modular part - Look for a release lever or bar * Replace with the ribbon for the best effect – The output should look perfect
48
3.7 - Impact Printer Maintenance -- Printer ribbon replacement
* Single ribbon – Self-contained - One long circle * Replace when ink becomes too light – Ink is eventually consumed * Designed to be modular - Replace in less than a minute
49
3.7 - Impact Printer Maintenance -- Print head replacement
Takes a lot of abuse – Directly hits the ribbon and paper * Gets hot - Watch your fingers – Another modular part – Look for a release lever or bar * Replace with the ribbon for the best effect – The output should look perfect
50
3.7 - Impact Printer Maintenance -- Replacing paper
* Not as easy as a laser printer – Paper must feed perfectly into holes – Tractor feed * Forms must be positioned correctly – Text needs to fit a predefined space * Paper must feed without constraint * Make sure nothing is in the way
51
3.7 - 3D Printers
3D printers * “Print” in three dimensions – Create a 3D item based on an electronic model * Additive manufacturing – Build in layers to create the object – No machining process required * Rapid prototyping – Design and create relatively quickly and inexpensively * Deploy designs anywhere in the world – Or into space
52
3.7 - 3D Printers -- Filament printing
* Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) – Melt filament to print 3D objects – This is probably the printing type you’ve seen * Print a layer, move up,print another layer – Watch the printer create the object * Good all-around printer – Larger print bed than resin printers – Easy to manage filament – Minimum of mess – Fewer disposal issues
53
3.7 - 3D Printers -- Resin printing
Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing – Smooth and finely detailed 3D prints * Resin is hardened using a light source – Ultraviolet light or a laser – Layers are added to the bottom – Entire print hangs from the build platform * Resin must be handled properly – Wear protective gear – Take unused resin to your local hazardous materials disposal
54
3.7 - 3D Printers -- The print bed
* A flat adhesive surface – The foundation of a 3D print – Everything builds on that first layer * Needs to be level and clean – Prints “stick” to the bed * Filament printing – The print bed is the printing surface – Many different print bed options * Resin printing – The “bed” is the location where the resin is hardened by the UV light

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