Domain 4.0: Printers

Which of the following best describes printing in duplex? ❍ A. Printing on both sides of the paper ❍ B. Printer collation ❍ C. Full-duplex printer communication ❍ D. Printing to file

Answer: A. When printing "duplex," it means that you are printing on both sides of the paper (if the printer has that capability). Some laser printers can do this, but it creates a longer total paper path, which leads to more frequent paper jams. Collation is when documents are printed in a standard order, usually numerically. Full-duplex in networking is when information can be sent and received simultaneously. A printer can have a full-duplex connection to the network, but this question is referring to printing in duplex. Printing to file is a process that can be performed by Windows. Instead of selecting a physical printer when printing a document, Windows prints to a special file and saves that file to a location of your choice with a .prn extension.

A color laser printer is producing images that seem to be tinted blue. What should you do? ❍ A. Clean the toner cartridge ❍ B. Calibrate the printer ❍ C. Change the fusing assembly ❍ D. Clean the primary corona

Answer: B. After installing a printer, it is important to calibrate it for color and orientation, especially if you are installing a color laser printer or an inkjet printer. These calibration tools are usually built in to the printer's software and can be accessed from Windows. Or, you can access them from the printer's display. If a toner cartridge needs to be cleaned, it probably has a leak and should be replaced. The fusing assembly needs to be changed only when it fails. Many printers will give you an indication of when the fuser is at 20% life and needs to be replaced soon. If the fuser fails, the toner will fail to stick to the paper. The primary corona wire can be cleaned; it is near the drum. This can help with other types of print quality problems such as lines and smearing.

Which type of printer uses a toner cartridge? ❍ A. Ink jet ❍ B. Laser ❍ C. Dot matrix ❍ D. Thermal

Answer: B. Laser printers use toner cartridges. Inkjet printers use ink cartridges. Dot matrix printers use a ribbon. Thermal printers use specially coated paper that is heated.

Terri finishes installing a printer for a customer. What should she do next? ❍ A. Verify that the printer prints in Microsoft Word ❍ B. Print a test page ❍ C. Restart the spooler ❍ D. Set up a separator page

Answer: B. Print a test page after installation. If the test page prints properly, it should be unnecessary to print a page in Word. Restarting the spooler is not needed if the printer has just been installed. The spooler should already be running. If that has failed, that would be a separate troubleshooting scenario. Separator pages are not necessary; they are optional and can be configured in the Printer Properties window.

Special paper is needed to print on what kind of printer? ❍ A. Dot matrix ❍ B. Thermal ❍ C. Laser ❍ D. Inkjet

Answer: B. Regular paper can be used on all the listed printers except for thermal printers, which use specially coated paper that is heated to create the image. A dot matrix might use tractor feed paper, but that is standard for many dot matrix printers; it is also still considered regular paper. A laser printer or dot matrix printer might use two-part paper, but two-part paper isn't necessary for laser printers or dot matrix printers to operate; thermal printers won't work unless you use specially coated paper. Inkjet printers normally use standard copy paper for printing.

How can you take control of a network printer from a remote computer? ❍ A. Install the printer locally and access the Sharing tab ❍ B. Install the printer locally and access the spool settings ❍ C. Install the printer locally and access the Ports tab ❍ D. Connect to the printer via FTP

Answer: C. After you install the driver for the printer locally, you can then take control of it by going to the properties of the printer and accessing the Ports tab. Then click the Add Port button and select the Standard TCP/IP Port option. You will have to know the IP address of the printer or the computer that the printer is connected to.

Which of the following should not be connected to a UPS? ❍ A. PCs ❍ B. Monitors ❍ C. Laser printers ❍ D. Speakers

Answer: C. Laser printers use large amounts of electricity, which in turn could quickly drain the battery of the UPS. They should be plugged into their own individual power strips.

Which of the following is not a connector you might find on a printer? ❍ A. RJ45 ❍ B. USB ❍ C. PCIe ❍ D. Centronics

Answer: C. Printers might connect via RJ45, USB, or Centronics. However, PCIe is an internal expansion bus that printers do not use. USB is the most common for local printers, meaning ones that connect directly to the computer. Centronics is an older printer connector; a printer cable would have a centronics connector on the printer side and a 25-pin parallel connector for the computer side (which would connect to the LPT port). If the printer is network-ready, it will have a built-in RJ45 port.

This type of printer uses impact to transfer ink from a ribbon to the paper. ❍ A. Laser ❍ B. Inkjet ❍ C. Dot matrix ❍ D. Thermal

Answer: C. The dot matrix is a type of impact printer. It uses a printhead to physically impact the ribbon and transfer ink to the paper. Laser printers apply toner to paper through varying voltages. Inkjet printers spray ink from a cartridge onto the paper. Thermal paper is specially coated and forms text when it is heated properly.

Which environmental issue affects a thermal printer the most? ❍ A. Moisture ❍ B. ESD ❍ C. Dirt ❍ D. Heat

Answer: D. Heat is the number-one enemy to a thermal printer. If a thermal printer or the thermal paper is kept in a location where the temperature is too high, it could cause failure of the printer and damage to the paper. Excessive moisture can cause rubber rollers and separation pads to fail over time. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is always a foe, but only if you are working inside the printer. Dirt can clog up the works over time in any device. But by far, heat is what you have to watch for with thermal printers.

What happens last in the laser printing process? ❍ A. Charging ❍ B. Exposing ❍ C. Developing ❍ D. Fusing

Answer: D. Of the listed answers, the fusing stage happens last. It is typically considered to be the last stage of the laser printing process before paper exits the printer. The laser printing process includes the following steps in order: cleaning, charging, writing (or exposing), developing, transferring, and fusing.