What are Laser Printers?
If you’ve searched the keyword “printers” in Google, it’s most likely that you have stumbled upon articles comparing inkjet printers and laser printers. These are the two types of printers you can find in the market; inkjet printers are those printing machines that use inks to print while laser printers are printing machines that use toner powder instead. Although we’d love to make a comparison between these two printing machines, we only want to focus our attention on laser printers first.
Most laser printers are designed for office and business use. This is because these printing machines can print a large volume of documents in a month, being able to deliver 10,000 pages to 150,000 pages per month. Another thing that makes them an excellent choice for working environments is that they run on low costs, thanks to the fact that their toner cartridges can print up to thousand pages, unlike inks.
A brief history of laser printers
The first laser printer in the market was introduced by IBM in 1975, designed for mainframe computers. But it was Hewlett-Packard (HP) which revolutionized the way the market sees laser printers. In 1984, HP introduced the first compact laser printer compatible to personal computers called LaserJet. These laser printers were smaller than the previous models but can print as fast and as reliable as the other laser printing machines, and the best part is they are affordable. Since then, known companies like Xerox, Okidata, Lexmark, Sharp, and Brother have been releasing laser printers to cater both home and working environments.
How does laser printers work?
Laser printers work similar to photocopier machines. Once the end user sent a printing command to the machine, a laser beam draws the document or image on a selenium-coated drum by using electrical charges. After the drum is charged, it is then rolled in the toner. The toner will then adhere to the charged image on the drum before transferring it onto the paper. The toner powder is then fused onto the paper by heat and pressure. The printed document then emerges into the paper tray.
Are laser printers for you?
Laser printers come in different sizes, each designed for a specific use. There are the smaller ones that are perfect for home use. There are also the multifunction printers which can also copy, scan, and fax documents. Then there are the workgroup printers and production printers; these are large printing machines that can print a large volume of documents and are used by big companies. Last but not least are the wide-format printers, which are used to print banners and posters, technical and engineering reports, architectural renderings, maps, and manufacturing plans and schematics.
Before buying laser printers, know which features you need. You can also check review websites to know which printer is perfect. While if you’re looking for a large printing machine, several office machine suppliers can give you free printer quotes. What you need to do is provide a few details about the features you want, and they will be the one to recommend you with a list of printers and their prices.