ITCNA1-12

Chapter 9
Supporting Print Devices
Supporting print devices:
Objectives

• Deploy printer and multifunction devices.

• Replace print device consumables.
• Troubleshoot print device issues.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Unboxing and Setup Location
• A printer type or printer technology is the mechanism used to
make images on the paper.
• The most common types for general home and office use are
inkjet (or ink dispersion) and laser, though others are used for
more specialist applications.
• Some of the major print device vendors include HP, Epson, Canon,
Xerox, Brother, OKI, Konica/Minolta, Lexmark, Ricoh, and
Samsung.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Unboxing and Setup Location
• The following criteria are used to select the best type and model of
printer:
• The basic speed of a printer is measured in pages per minute (ppm).
• You will see different speeds quoted for different types of output. For
example, pages of monochrome text will print more quickly than
colour photos.
• The maximum supported resolution, measured in dots per inch (dpi),
determines output quality.
• Printer dots and screen image pixels are not equivalent. It requires
multiple dots to reproduce one pixel at acceptable quality.
• Pixel dimensions are typically quoted in pixels per inch (ppi) to avoid
confusion.
• Vertical and horizontal resolution are often different, so you may see
figures such as 2400x600 quoted.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Unboxing and Setup Location
• The horizontal resolution is determined by the print engine (that is, either the laser
scanning unit or inkjet print head); vertical resolution is determined by the paper
handling mechanism.
• Paper handling means the sizes and types of paper or media that can be loaded.
• It may be important that the printer can handle labels, envelopes, card stock,
acetate/ transparencies, and so on.
• The amount of paper that can be loaded and output is also important in high-volume
environments.
• Overloaded output trays will cause paper jams.
• If the output tray is low capacity, this could happen quite quickly in a busy office.
• Options add functionality: Examples include an automatic duplex unit for double-
sided printing and a finisher unit for folding, stapling, and hole punching.
• These may be fitted by default or available for purchase as an add-on component.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Unboxing and Setup Location
Setup Location
• When deploying a new print device, consider the following factors to select an
optimum setup location:
• The print device must have a power outlet and potentially a network data port.
Ensure that cables are run without being trip hazards and that the print device
is placed on a stable, flat surface that can bear the device weight with no risk of
toppling.
• As with a PC, ensure that the print device is not exposed to direct sunlight and
that there is space around it for air to flow. The area should be well-ventilated
to ensure dispersal of fumes such as ozone generated during printer operation.
Printer paper and most consumables should be stored where there is no risk of
high humidity or temperature extremes. Consult the material safety data sheet
(MSDS) accompanying the print device to check for any other special
installation considerations.
• The print device should be accessible to its users, but take account of noise and
foot traffic that might be disruptive to employees working at nearby desks. If a
print device is used to output confidential information, it may need to be
installed in an access-controlled area.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Unboxing and Setup Location
Unboxing
• When you have selected an installation location, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions to unbox and set up the printer. Be aware of the following general
factors:
• Many print devices are heavy and may require two persons to lift safely. Make sure
you use safe lifting techniques and bend at the knees to avoid damaging your back.
Identify handle locations on the device, and use only those to grip and lift it. If
carrying a bulky device, ensure the path is free from trip hazards.
• Printer parts will be secured using packing strips and supports. Ensure that these are
all removed before the printer is switched on. Remember to check for strips on
removable components that are concealed by panels.
• A print device should normally be left to acclimate after removing the packaging
materials. Leave the device unboxed and powered off for a few hours to reduce risks
from condensation forming within an appliance that has moved from a cold
storage/transport environment to a warmer installation environment. Similarly,
printer paper should be stored for a day or more before use to allow it to adjust to
the temperature and humidity of the installation location.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Print Device Connectivity
• Each print device supports a range of wired and wireless
connection interfaces.
• For example:
• USB Print Device Connectivity
• Ethernet Print Device Connectivity
• Wireless Print Device Connectivity
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Drivers and Page Description Languages
• Applications that support printing are typically what you see is what
you get (WYSIWYG), which means that the screen and print output are
supposed to be identical.
• To achieve this, the printer driver provides an interface between the
print device and the operating system.
• If a networked print device is used by clients with different OSs, each
client must be installed with a suitable driver.
• Note that if the client OS is 64-bit, a 64-bit driver is required.
• The appropriate print driver will normally be selected and installed
when the print device connection is detected.
• This is referred to as Plug and Play (PnP).
• In some circumstances, you might need to add the driver manually or
choose a driver version with support for a particular page description
language (PDL).
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Drivers and Page Description Languages
• A PDL is used to create a raster file from the print commands sent by
the software application.
• A raster file is a dot-by-dot description of where the printer should
place ink. In general terms, a PDL supports the following features:
• Scalable fonts
• Originally, characters were printed as bitmaps.
• A bitmap font consists of dot-by-dot images of each character at a
particular font size.
• This meant that the character could only be printed at sizes defined in the
font.
• Scalable fonts are described by vectors.
• A vector font consists of a description of how each character should be
drawn.
• This description can be scaled up or down to different font sizes.
• All Windows printers support scalable TrueType or OpenType fonts.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Drivers and Page Description Languages
• Vector graphics
• As with fonts, scalable images are built from vectors, which describe
how a line should be drawn rather than provide a pixel-by-pixel
description, as is the case with bitmap graphics.
• Colour printing
• Computer displays use an additive red, green, blue colour model.
• The subtractive model used by print devices uses the reflective
properties of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks.
• A PDL’s support for a particular colour model provides an accurate
translation between on-screen colour and print output and ensures
that different devices produce identical output.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Drivers and Page Description Languages
• The choice of which PDL to use will largely be driven by
compatibility with software applications.
• Adobe PostScript is a device independent PDL and often used for
professional desktop publishing and graphical design output.
• HP’s Printer Control Language (PCL) is more closely tied to
individual features of printer models and can introduce some
variation in output depending on the print device.
• PCL is usually a bit faster than PostScript, however.
• Many Windows print devices default to using Microsoft’s XML
paper specification (XPS) PDL.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Properties
ACTIVITY:
• You are to go through the printing configurations, printing
preferences, and printer sharing practically during your class time.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Security
• Use of printers raises several security issues, including access to print services
and risks to the confidentiality of printed output.
User Authentication
• It may be necessary to prevent unauthorized use of a network printer.
• User authentication means that the printer sharing server or print device will
only accept print jobs from authorized user accounts.
• User authentication can be configured on a print share.
• For example, in Windows, the Sharing and Security tabs can be configured with
a list of users or groups permitted to submit print jobs.
• The print device might support user authentication options for clients who
connect directly.
• A local authentication option means that a list of valid usernames and
passwords is stored on the print device itself.
• A network option means that the print device can communicate with a
directory server to authenticate and authorize users.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Security
Secured Print and Badging
• A secured print is held on the print device until the user authenticates directly
with the print device.
• This mitigates the risk of confidential information being intercepted from the
output tray before the user has had time to collect it.
• Authentication to release the print job might be supported using different
formats:
• PIN entry requires the user to input the correct password or code via the
device control panel.
• Badging means the print device is fitted with a smart card reader.
• The employee must present his or her ID badge to the reader to start the print
job.
• The secured print option may be selected as a default option or configured for
a particular print job.
• Secured prints may only be cached for a limited time and deleted if not printed
in time.
• The print device might require a memory card or other storage to cache
encrypted print jobs.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Printer Security
Audit Logs
• A printer share server or print device can be configured to log
each job.
• This provides an audit record of documents that were sent to the
printer by given user accounts and client devices.
• An audit log could be used to identify documents that were
printed and have gone missing or to identify unauthorized release
of information.
• If the log is generated on the print device, a log collector such as
syslog can be configured to transmit the logs to a centralized log
server.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Scanner Configuration
• Many office printers are implemented as multi-function devices
(MFDs).
• An MFD typically performs the functions of a printer, scanner /
copier, and fax machine.
• A scanner is a digital imaging device, designed to create
computer file data from a real-life object.
• Typically, scanners handle flat objects, like documents, receipts,
or photographs.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software can be used to
convert scanned text into digital documents, ready for editing.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Scanner Configuration
Scanner Types
• Scanners are available in two basic formats: A flatbed scanner works
by shining a bright light at the object, which is placed on a protective
glass surface.
• A system of mirrors reflects the illuminated image of the object onto
a lens.
• The lens either uses a prism to split the image into its component
RGB colours or focuses it onto imaging sensors coated with different
colour filters.
• This information is used to create a bitmap file of the object.
• An automatic document feeder (ADF) passes paper over a fixed scan
head.
• This is a more efficient means of scanning multi-page documents.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Scanner Configuration
Network Scan Services
• An MFD or standalone scanner can be configured as a network
device in the same way as a basic print device.
• When configured on the network, one or more services is used to
direct the scan output to a particular media:
• Scan to email
• The scan is created as a file attachment to an email message.
• The MFD must be configured with the IP address of an SMTP server.
• The SMTP server would typically authenticate the user account
before accepting the message for delivery.
Deploy printer and
multifunction devices:
Scanner Configuration
Network Scan Services
• Server Message Block (SMB) or scan to folder
• The scan is created as a file on a shared network folder.
• The MFD must be configured with the path to a suitably configured file server
and shared folder.
• Each user must have permission to write to the share.

• Scan to cloud
• The scan is uploaded as a file to a document storage and sharing account in the
cloud.
• Cloud services such as OneDrive or Dropbox will generally be available as
options on the MFD, or there may be the ability to configure a custom service
via a template.
• The scan dialogs will allow the user to authenticate to a given cloud account.
Replace print device consumables:
Laser Printer Imaging Process
• Laser printers are one of the most popular printer technologies for
office applications because they are inexpensive (both to buy and to
run), quiet, and fast, and they produce high-quality output that does
not smear or fade.
• ACTIVITY: Critically discuss and evaluate the laser print process:
• Processing Stage
• Charging Stage
• Exposing Stage
• Developing Stage
• Transferring Stage
• Fusing Stage
• Cleaning Stage
Replace print device consumables:

Inkjet Printer Imaging Process

• Inkjet printers are often used for good-quality color output, such
as photo printing.
• Inkjets are typically cheap to buy but expensive to run, with costly
consumables such as ink cartridges and high-grade paper.
• Compared to laser printers, they are slower and often noisier,
making them less popular in office environments, except for low-
volume, good-quality colour printing.
• ACTIVITY: Critically discuss and evaluate the:
• Inkjet Printer Imaging Process
• Carriage System
Replace print device consumables:
Inkjet Printer Maintenance
• Inkjets do not usually handle such high print volumes as laser printers, so
maintenance focuses on paper stocking and replacing or refilling ink
cartridges, which always seem to run down very quickly.
• Manufacturers recommend not trying to clean inside the case as you are
likely to do harm for no real benefit.
• The outside of the printer can be cleaned using a soft, damp cloth.
• ACTIVITY: Critically evaluate and discuss:
• Paper Handling and Duplexing Assembly
• Replacing Inkjet Cartridges
• Other Inkjet Maintenance Operations
Replace print device consumables:
Thermal Printer Maintenance
• A thermal printer is a general term for any device that uses a heating
element to create the image on the paper.
• There are several types of thermal printers that use significantly
different technologies and are intended for different uses, but
the most common type that you are likely to have to support is the
direct thermal printer.
• Portable or small form factor direct thermal transfer printers are used
for high-volume barcode and label printing and to print receipts.
• Such devices typically support 200–300 dpi, with some models able to
print one or two colours.
• Print speeds are measured in inches per second.
• ACTIVITY: Critically evaluate and discuss the Direct Thermal Printer
Imaging Process
Replace print device consumables:

Impact Printer Maintenance

• An impact printer strikes an inked ribbon against paper to leave
marks.
• One common type is the dot matrix printer, which uses a column
of pins in a print head to strike the ribbon.
• Desktop dot matrix devices are no longer very widely deployed for
document printing, but they are still used for specialist functions
such as printing invoices or pay slips on continuous, tractor-fed
paper.
• ACTIVITY: Critically evaluate and discuss Impact Printer Paper
and Impact Printer Components
Replace print device consumables:
3-D Printer Maintenance
• A 3-D print process builds a solid object from successive layers of
material.
• The material is typically some sort of plastic, but there are printer
types that can work with rubber, carbon fiber, or metal alloys too.
• 3-D printing has very different use cases to printing to paper.
• It is most widely used in manufacturing, especially to create proof-of-
concept working models from designs.
• The range of other applications is growing, however.
• For example, 3-D printing can be used in healthcare (dentistry and
prosthetics), the clothing industry, and to make product samples and
other marketing material.
• ACTIVITY: Have group discussions regarding the latest developments
in different areas where 3D printing is making an impact. Discuss the
3D imaging process and components in relation to your findings.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Printer Connectivity Issues
• A printer connectivity issue might arise either because the device cannot be
located when trying to install it or because the OS reports an installed device as
offline or unavailable.
• In many cases there will be an error message or code displayed on the print
device’s control panel.
• You may need to look the error code up in the printer documentation to
confirm what it means.
• In the absence of any error code or descriptive error log, remember to test
obvious things first:
• Verify that the printer is switched on and online. A printer can be taken offline
quite easily by pressing the button on the control panel. Often this happens by
accident. A printer may also go offline because it is waiting for user
intervention, it has detected a network error, or because it has received corrupt
print job data.
• Check that all components and cartridges are correctly installed, that all
service panels are closed, and that at least one tray is loaded with paper.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Printer Connectivity Issues
• Print a test page using the printer’s control panel. If this works,
the issue lies with the connection to the computer/network.
• Cycle the power on the print device. If this does not solve the
issue, consider performing a factory reset.
• Inspect the USB/Ethernet cable and connectors. Consider
replacing with a known good cable to test for a cable or connector
problem. If possible, attempt a different connection type. For
example, if a wireless printer is not detected, try connecting to a
computer via USB or using an Ethernet cable.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Print Feed Issues
• If there is connectivity with the print device but multiple jobs do
not print, there is likely to be a mechanical problem with the
printer.
• Investigate:
• Paper Jam Issues
• Paper Feed Issues
• Grinding Noise Issues
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Print Quality Issues
• If a job prints but the output is smudged, faded, or arrives with
unusual marks (print defects), the problem is likely to be a printer
hardware or media fault.
• The causes of print defects tend to be specific to the technology
used by the imaging process.
• Always consult the manufacturer’s documentation and
troubleshooting notes.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Print Quality Issues
Laser Printer Print Defects
• Faded or faint prints—If a simple cause such as the user choosing an option for low
density (draft output) can be discounted, this is most likely to indicate that the toner
cartridge needs replacing.
• Blank pages—This is usually an application or driver problem, but it could indicate
that a toner cartridge has been installed without removing its packing seals.
Alternatively, if these simple causes can be discounted, this could also be a sign that
the transfer roller is damaged (the image transfer stage fails).
• White stripes—This indicates either that the toner is poorly distributed (give the
cartridge a gentle shake) or that the transfer roller is dirty or damaged.
• Black stripes or whole page black—This indicates that the primary charge roller is
dirty or damaged or that the high voltage power supply to the developer unit is
malfunctioning. Try printing with a known good toner cartridge.
• Speckling on output—Loose toner may be getting onto the paper. Clean the inside
of the printer using an approved toner vacuum.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Print Quality Issues
Laser Printer Print Defects
• Vertical or horizontal lines—Marks that appear in the same place (referred to as
repetitive defects) are often due to dirty feed rollers (note that there are rollers in
the toner cartridge and fuser unit too) or a damaged or dirty photosensitive drum.
• Toner not fused to paper—Output that smudges easily indicates that the fuser needs
replacing.
• Double/echo images—This is a sign that the photosensitive drum has not been
cleaned properly. The drum is smaller than the size of a sheet of paper, so if the
latent image is not completely cleared, it will repeat as a light “ghost” or dark
“shadow” image farther down the page. Images may also appear from previous
prints. Try printing a series of different images and see if the problem resolves itself.
If not, replace the drum/toner cartridge.
• Incorrect chroma display—If prints come out in the wrong color (for example, if the
whole print has a magenta tint), ensure that the toner cartridges have been installed
in the correct location (for instance, that a magenta cartridge hasn’t been installed in
the cyan slot). Also ensure that there is sufficient toner in each cartridge. If there is a
cast or shadow-like effect, the transfer belt or one or all of the cartridges or rollers
are probably misaligned. Try reseating them, and then run the printer calibration
utility and print a test page to verify the problem is solved.
• Colour missing—If a colour is completely missing, try replacing the cartridge. If this
does not solve the issue, clean the contacts between the printer and cartridge.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Finishing Issues
• A finisher unit can be installed on laser printers and MFDs to
perform various functions, including stapling the pages of a print
job or punching holes in the sheets so that they can be placed in a
binder.
• The printer settings must be configured to select the finisher as an
installed output option.
• Incorrect page orientation—The paper size and orientation must
be set correctly for the print job or the finishing/binding will be
aligned to the wrong edge. It can be tricky for users to paginate
the source document and select the correct output options,
especially when using a booklet print option to apply staples to
the middle of the sheet. The icon in the printing preferences
dialog will show which edge is selected for binding. Test settings
on a short document first.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
Finishing Issues
• Hole punch—The main issue with hole punching is exceeding the
maximum number of sheets. This can cause the finishing unit to
jam. Make sure print jobs are sent in batches of less than the
maximum permissible sheet count for the finisher unit. Be aware
that the maximum number of sheets may depend on the paper
weight (sheet thickness).
• Staple jam—An excessive number of sheets is also the primary
cause of staple jams. One staple will become bent and stuck
within the punch mechanism. Remove the staple cartridge and
release the catch at the end to allow removal of stuck staples.
Troubleshoot print device
issues:
ACTIVITY: Critically discuss and evaluate the following Print Job
Issues:
• Print Monitors
• Garbled Print Issues
End of Chapter 9.

• Lecturer to complete group discussions in

relation to the objectives of this chapter.