How Laser Printers Work? 

A lot of consumers are switching to laser printers from traditional inkjet ones for their offices and homes. This is because laser printers are proving to have many more benefits than their alternative. The secret lies in how laser printers work and their minimal requirements for a high-quality print.

Read on to find out how laser printers work and how they differ from inkjet printers.

What Do You Need to Use a Laser Printer?

Before learning how laser printers work, it’s important to know the requirements. Here are the necessary things you’ll need to use your laser printer:

• A power source
• An electronic device with a stable internet connection
• USB cable to connect your device to the printer or Bluetooth/Wi-fi for wireless printing
• Toner cartridges
• Driver software for printing
• Paper

Do Laser Printers Need Ink? 

No, unlike inkjet printers, laser ones do not require ink. Instead, they use toner cartridges. A toner is basically a fine powder substance that is fused onto the surface of a paper. So, whatever content you see on a laser-printed document is actually toner.

How Laser Printers Work? 

How laser printers work may seem simple to an observer. However, the work that goes on inside the machine is pretty complex. Here is a step-by-step of what goes on during a laser print:

• Data Storage: When clicking print on your PC or phone, the data you want printed is transferred to the laser printer. Here, it is stored temporarily until the printing process is completed.
• Corona Wire Heating: Now, you’ll have to wait for the corona wire in the printer to heat up. This is necessary for the wire to transfer static positive charges to the drum.
• Drum Starts to Roll: A drum is a metal-coated cylinder in the printer that begins rolling as the wire is heated. The rolling allows the whole surface to be covered in positive charges.
• Laser Activation: Next, the laser in the printer activates with a negative charge. Using a series of mirrors, the laser is reflected off the drum to imprint the required pattern on paper.
• Release of Toner Particles: Next to the drum, there is a toner cartridge and hopper. They work together to release positively charged toner powder particles onto the drum. From there, the particles are attracted to the negatively charged laser particles.
• Toner is Fused: Once the toner is laid out on paper according to the laser’s pattern, it is heated. The heat fuses the toner powder onto the paper, printing the data that was stored in the first step.

Laser Printers vs Inkjet Printers: Which is Better?

Choosing between laser printers and inkjet printers can be a difficult decision. However, the choice of the two mainly depends on your printing requirements. For example, inkjet printers are great if you want to print multi-colored, high-resolution graphics. However, moderate use will require you to change the ink cartridge every 2-6 months.

In comparison, laser printer toner cartridges need to be changed less often and get through way more number of papers. In addition to being cost-effective, laser printing is also very fast, making it more suitable for a fast-paced office environment.

Conclusion

Now that you know how laser printers work, you can easily decide if the machine is for you or not. These work best for busy environments in which you need quick prints pretty often. That being said, no matter what printer you use, the paper should always be of high quality for the best results.

So, check out our wide range of papers at PaperPapers today. We have diverse types of papers available in various colors and textures for the best prices. These include cardstock, metallic, cotton, linen, fiber, and many more.