Domain 3 of 5 · Chapter 3 of 4

Peripheral Devices

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Included in this chapter:

  • Install any peripheral: connect, driver, configure
  • The laser imaging process, step by step
  • Inkjet, thermal, impact, and 3D printers
  • Drivers, page description languages, and the spooler
  • Connecting and sharing a printer
  • Consumables, maintenance kits, and calibration
  • Scanners, webcams, and KVM switches
  • How the exam frames peripheral devices

Page print technologies compared

AttributeLaserInkjetThermalImpact
How the image formsLaser writes a drum, toner fuses to paper by heatSprays liquid ink droplets onto paperHeat darkens thermal paper or melts a ribbonPins strike an inked ribbon against paper
Main consumableToner cartridge and imaging drumLiquid ink cartridgesHeat-sensitive thermal paper (or ribbon)Ink ribbon and tractor-feed paper
Best fitHigh-volume office textLow-volume color and photosReceipts and shipping labelsMultipart carbon-copy forms
Key maintenanceReplace toner; maintenance kit; calibrateClean and align the printheadClean the heating element; feed paperReplace ribbon; replace worn print head
Signature traitFast, crisp, low cost per pageCheap unit, costly ink, can smear when wetNo ink, but the print fades over timeNoisy; the only carbon-copy printer

Decision tree

Carbon-copy multipart forms?YesImpact (dot-matrix)multipart carbon copiesNoReceipts or labels?YesThermalreceipts, labels, no inkNoHigh volume, low cost per page?YesLaserhigh-volume office textNoInkjetcolor and photos, low volume
Cheat sheet

Cheat sheet

  • Every peripheral installs in the same order: connect, driver, configure
  • Memorize the laser imaging steps in order: processing, charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing, cleaning
  • Fusing, not transferring, is the heat step that makes toner permanent
  • Charging conditions the drum with a uniform charge before the laser writes
  • Laser prints with dry toner powder, not liquid ink
  • A laser maintenance kit replaces the fuser and rollers on a page-count schedule
  • Inkjet sprays liquid ink and its printhead can clog when idle
  • Calibrate an inkjet with head alignment so lines and colors register
  • Thermal printers use heat on special paper and need no ink
  • Impact (dot-matrix) is the only printer that makes carbon copies
  • An impact printer's consumables are the inked ribbon and tractor-feed paper
  • 3D printing is additive: FDM melts filament, resin (SLA) cures resin with light
  • PCL is HP's fast everyday PDL; PostScript is Adobe's for precise graphics
  • A printer spitting pages of code is a PDL or driver mismatch, not hardware
  • The print spooler queues jobs; restart it when the queue is stuck
  • Connect a printer three ways: local USB, wired network, or wireless
  • A print server shares one printer's queue among many users
  • Use a flatbed for bound or delicate originals, an ADF for loose stacks
  • A KVM switch runs several PCs from one keyboard, monitor, and mouse
  • Run the color-calibration utility when laser colors shift or fringe
  • Laser feed jams trace to worn pickup rollers or a worn separation pad
  • Printer firmware updates fix bugs and patch security, from the maker's site

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References

  1. CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201) certification and exam objectives
  2. Introduction to Spooler Components (Windows print spooler)