The laser printer is used as an output device for a computer, giving clean and quick hard copies of screen generated information. The laser printer is the most popular of all computer printers due to its print quality and quietness of operation.
The laser printer operates in a very similar way to the photocopier. Both generate their pictures by fusing toner powder on to paper. Within a photocopier, light reflected from the white regions of an image, makes a rotating and static-charged drum lose its charge, causing a duplicate to be created. With the laser printer, a microprocessor constructs an image of the page. Rather than reflected light, a laser which is controlled by the microprocessor withdraws the charge from the pre-charged drum. The drum gathers toner particles by way of static pull, and these are then deposited on to the surface of the paper. The paper is then heated to melt the toner powder into the paper, thus creating a replica of the original screen-based document.
