Cisco Chapter 7

Optimize Printer Performance

With printers, most optimization is completed through the software supplied with the drivers (Print spool, calibration, orientation).

Printer calibration

You can adjust settings to match the colors seen on the screen and the colors on printed sheet

Paper orientation

You can select landscape or portrait image layout.

Print spool settings

You can store documents that are prepared for printing in a file in RAM called the print spool. You can cancel or pause print jobs in the printer queue. Spooling programs allow the application you are printing from to finish faster. You may also print directly to the printer

Several Main Components Contained Within a Laser Printer:

• Toner cartridge • Laser scanner • High-voltage power supply • Paper transport mechanism • Transfer corona • Fuser assembly • Control circuitry • Ozone filter

The laser beam draws an electrostatic ______ on the drum.

Image

Technology Used for Dot Matrix Printers

Impact Technology. Used in applications that require carbon copies.

___ USB devices cans attach to a single bus.

127

SCSI uses _______ communication to receive high data transfer rates.

Parallel

Firewire allows...

Peripheral device to seamlessly plug into the computer

Two Types of Inkjet Nozzles

• Thermal • Piezoelectric

Scan an image using a drum scanner

1. Attach the image to a revolving drum or load it into a supporting canister. 2. Drum is rotated at high speed across optical scanners. 3. Optical scanners move slowly across the drum surface until the entire image is captured. 4. The captured image is then reproduced by the computer as a digital image file.

Laser Printing Process

1. Cleaning 2. Conditioning 3. Writing 4. Developing 5. Transferring 6. Fusing

USB Printer Cable

4 wire cable with two unique ends, labeled A and B. Rectangular A connector usually connects with the computer. Square shaped B connector connects to the printer

Firewire has data transfer rate up to ___ Mbps.

400

Max Length of a Serial Cable

50 ft (15 m)

Firewire has a single plug-and-socket connection that can attach of to __ devices.

63

Thermal Nozzle

A pulse of electrical current is applied to heating chambers around the nozzles. The heat creates a bubble of steam in the chamber which forces ink out through the nozzle.

Print-job buffering

Ability of the printer to capture as much of the print job into its internal memory as possible The computer can focus on other tasks instead of waiting to send the remaining data of the print job to the printer. Buffering is common on laser printers, and plotters, as well as on high-end inkjet and dot-matrix printers.

Parallel Printer Port Cable Length

Allow length up to 30 ft (10 m) For data reliability: 15 ft (4.5 m) are recommended

Printers

Allow people to produce paper copies of electronic documents

Firewire

Also known as i.Link or IEEE 1394 High speed, communication bus that is platform independent

Serial Ports

Are D shell and are either male or female ports

Printer Colors

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

Scanned Image

Can Be: saved, modified, and e-mailed like any other files

PM STEP 4- Implement a Solution

Check: • Helpdesk repair logs • Other techs • Manufacturer FAQs • Technical websites • News groups • Computer manuals • Device manuals • Online forums • Internet search Divide larger problems into smaller problems that can be analyzed and solved individually

When laser light strikes the drum, it becomes a _________ at the point where the light strikes.

Conductor

Power and Connect the Printer

Connect the appropriate data cable to the communication port on the back of the printer.

Scanners

Convert electronic documents of paper copies

Piezoelectric Nozzle

Crystals are located in the ink reservoir at the back of each nozzle. A charge is applied to the crystal causing it to vibrate. This vibration of the crystal controls the flow of ink onto the paper.

All-in-one Device

Device combines the functionality of multiple into one physical piece of hardware (scanner, printer, copier and fax) (may also include media card readers and hard drives for storage)

Printer Quality Measured In...

Dots per Inch (DPI)

Computer Colors

Dots produce an RGB range (RED, GREEN, BLUE)

Central Part of a Laser Printer...

Electrophotographic Drum

Technology Used for Laser Printers

Electrophotographic Technology

Two Different Modes for Parallel Printer Ports

Enhanced Parallel Ports (EPP) and Enhanced Capability Ports (ECP): two modes that allow bi-directional communication

Impact Printer

Form characters when the print head impacts a printer tape or inked ribbon to create characters

A _____ melts the toner into the paper.

Fuser

Laser Printer

High quality fast printer that uses a laser beam to create an image

Network Printers typically have ____ _____ output.

High speed

Devices allowed by Firewire are...

Hot-swappable

Current Standard for Parallel Printer Ports

IEEE 1284

Wi-Fi

IEEE 802.11 Standard wireless communication

To access a printer the computer must have an _________ with it.

Interface

Ethernet

Interface for network printers

Interfaces and Cables of Scanners

Interfaces and cables used for scanners are typically the same as those used for printers: Parallel, USB, SCSI, and Firewire

Color calibration

Is important so that you see true representations of color

Different Types of Printers

Laser, Inkjet, Dot Matrix printers

Scanner head

Lies beneath the glass and moves along the item, capturing the image

An advantage of a thermal printer

Longer life because there are few moving parts

Measurement of a Speed of a Printer

Pages per Minute (PPM)

PM STEP 1- Printer or scanner information

Manufacturer, model, OS, network environment, connection type

Paper selection

Many types of printer paper are available, including inkjet and laser. Paper packages are usually labeled with the type of printer for which it is intended. The manufacturer may recommend the type of paper that should be used for best results.

Number of Pins of a Serial Port

May have either a 9 pin connector or a 25 pin connector at either end

Parallel Data Transfer

Movement of multiple bits of information in a single cycle

Serial Data Transfer

Movement of single bits of information in a single cycle

Scanner Driver

Once the scanner is connected and started, the computer operating system may be able to discover the scanner through the Plug and Play (PnP) process. Scanners that do not include a printer can connect using an AC power adapter, much like a laptop. Some scanners can draw all the power they need from the USB or FireWire connector.

Some scanners can create text documents using ___________________________ (___).

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

PnP USB Support

Plug and Play USB support. Automatically detects the device and installs the driver.

Printer Maintenance

Printers have many moving parts and require more maintenance than most electronic devices.

PM STEP 2- Establish a Theory of Probable Causes

REASONS WHY ERROR MIGHT BE OCCURRING: • Loose cable connections • Errors on equipment display • Errors on computer screen • Equipment power • Out of paper • Printer queue • Paper jams • Low ink warning PROBLEM MAY BE SIMPLER THAN THE CUSTOMER THINKS.

____________ (________) generally follow the color receptors of the human eye

RGB Channels (Red Green Blue)

Most Network Printers have an _ _ - _ _ interface for an Ethernet connection.

RJ-45

Price of a Printer

Reflects its capacity or speed

The more DPI the Higher the ...

Resolution

PM STEP 5- Verify Solution and System Functionality

STEPS: • Reboot the computer • Reboot the printer • Print a test page from the printer control panel • Print a document from an application • Reprint the customer's problem document. • Have the customer verify the solution and system functionality

To calibrate a scanner...

Scan a graphic that contains specific colors. A calibration application compares the output of the scanner against the known colors of the sample graphic on the display. The software will adjust the color of the scanner accordingly. When your scanner, monitor, and printer treat the same colors in the same way, the image you print will match the image you scan.

Power and Connect the Scanner

Scanners can connect to a computer using a USB, FireWire, network, parallel port or a SCSI interface

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) pronounced...

Scuzzy

Printer Driver

Software program that enables the computer and the printer to communicate with each other.

Use Following Path to print a test page manually

Start > Printers and Faxes (Windows XP) Start > Printers (Windows Vista)

Bluetooth...

Technology uses an unlicensed radio frequency for short-ranged communication

PM STEP 3- Determine the Exact Cause

Testing your theories of probable causes one at a time, starting with the quickest and easiest.

Computer Monitor Produces Colors...

Through an additive mixture of dots displayed on the screen. The eye will pick up the colors differently.

The undeveloped image is passed by a supply of dry ink or _____ that is attracted to it.

Toner

Scanners

Typically create an RGB image that can be converted into image formats such as JPEG, TIFF, Bitmap, and PNG.

_________ ______ ___ is a common interface for printers and other devices

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

OCR Software

Used to convert a scanned printed page into text that can be edited with a word processor. Resolution of a scanner is measured in dots per inch (dpi). Like printers, the higher the dpi, the better the quality of the image

Thermal Transfer Printer

Uses heat-sensitive ribbon, which the print head melts onto the paper

Printer Produces Colors...

Using subtractive mixing. The eyes sees a color that reflects from the combination of colors on the paper.

Network Printers...

Usually a resource shared on a network

Inkjet Printer Speed

Usually slower but they are adequate for home or office

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Printer

• Printer Capacity • Speed

Solid-ink Printers

• Use solid sticks of ink rather than toner or ink cartridges • Produce high-quality images • Ink sticks are nontoxic and can be handled safely • Solid-ink printers melt ink sticks and spray the ink through nozzles • Ink is sprayed on a drum which is then transferred to the paper

Dye Sublimation Printers (Thermal Dye Printers)

• Used in producing photo-quality images for graphic printing

Thermal Printer

• Uses chemically-treated paper that becomes black when heated • Most thermal printer print heads are the width of the paper. Areas of the print head are heated as required to make the pattern on the paper • Paper is supplied in the form of a roll. Some retail cash registers or older fax machines contain thermal printers

Steps of Printer Installation

1. Check the box to ensure all required cables are provided. 2. Remove packing materials from the printer and plastic inserts from the consumables. 3. Place printer in position. Ensure that the printer location will not cause overheating. 4. Install the toner or ink cartridge in the printer. 5. Install paper trays. 6. Install paper. 7. Read and follow the instruction manual. 8. Connect cables. 9. Test print from computer.

Solid-Ink Printers Printing Process

1. Cleaning 2. Spraying 3. Transferring

Laser Printing Process:

1. Cleaning 2. Conditioning 3. Writing 4. Developing 5. Transferring 6. Fusing **Continuous Care Will Delay Trouble Forever.** (Mnemonic Device)

Updating a Printer Driver

1. Find out if a newer driver is available on the manufacturer's website. 2. Download the driver files to your computer. 3. Install the driver automatically or manually. 4. Test the new printer driver.

Advantages of Inkjet Printers

1. Low cost 2. High resolution 3. Quick to warm up

Disadvantages of Inkjet Printers

1. Nozzles are prone to clogging 2. Ink cartridges are expensive 3. Ink is wet after printing

Inkjet Printer Steps

1. Paper passes by the print head where ink is sprayed onto it 2. Paper leaves the printer through the discharge mechanism 3. Wet for about 15 seconds

Will display the Printers and Faxes window.

1. RIGHT CLICK THE DESIRED PRINTER Properties > General Tab > Print Test Page. A dialog box will open, asking if the page printed correctly. If it did not, then built-in Help will assist you in troubleshooting the problem.

Upgrade Printer Memory

1. Turn off the printer. 2. Disconnect all cables. 3. Open the memory compartment. 4. Replace memory modules or add new modules. 5. Close the memory compartment. 6. Reconnect all cables. 7. Power on printer. 8. Run a self-test. 9. Print a test page.

How Dye-Sublimation Printers Work

1. Uses solid sheets of ink that change directly from solid to gas when heated, in a process called sublimating 2. Gas passes through the paper, where it turns back to a solid 3. Print head passes over a sheet of cyan, magenta, yellow, and a clear overcoat (CMYO). There is a pass for each color.

Parallel Interface Cable Ends

1284 Type A 25 pin DB 25 connector at one end (Connects to the computer) 36-conductor Centronics connector on the other end (Connects to the printer)

Technology Used for Impact Printers

Electrostatic Spray Technology

Parallel Data Transfer is ______ then Serial Data Transfer.

Faster

A _______ __________ draws paper in and the paper passes by the print head where ink is sprayed onto it. (Inkjet Printers)

Feeding Mechanism

Ink selection

If the wrong type of ink is installed, the printer may not work or the print quality may be reduced. You should avoid refilling the ink cartridges because the ink may leak.

Inkjet Printers

Produce high quality print. Easy to use and inexpensive compared to laser printers

2 Common Standards of Wi Fi:

• 802.11b transfers data at a rate of 11 Mpbs • 802.11g transfers data at a rate of 54 Mpbs. 802.11g products are backwards compatible with 802.11b

Handheld Scanners

• A handheld scanner is small and portable. • Pass the scanner head across the surface you want to scanner. • When you want to scan an item larger than the head of the handheld scanner, you must make more than one pass to capture the full image (hard to put together multiple images to re-create the full image)

Advantages

• All devices are built in • Low cost • One upgrade for all devices • Easy connection and setup • Uses one port for all devices

Printer Selection Criteria

• Capacity and Speed • Color • Quality • Reliability • Warranty • Scheduled Servicing • Meat time between failures (MTBF) • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Sheet feeders

• Device that can be attached to some flatbed scanners to hold multiple sheets and feed them into the scanner, one at a time. This feature allows for faster scanning; however, the image quality is usually not as good as a flatbed scanner that does not use a sheet feeder • Can be used with flatbed scanners to scan multiple pages automatically

PM STEP 6- Document Findings

• Document the process • Problem description • Solution • Components used • Amount of time spent in solving the problem • Discuss the solution with the customer • Have the customer confirm that the problem has been solved

Examples of Impact Printers...

• Dot Matrix • Daisy Wheel

High Resolution

• Higher resolution means text and images are usually clearer • To take advantage of high resolution, use high-quality ink or toner and high-quality paper

Scanner Maintenance

• If the glass becomes dirty, consult the manufacturer's user manual for cleaning recommendations. • To prevent liquid from leaking into the scanner case, do not spray glass cleaner directly on the device. Dampen a cloth with cleaner, and then apply gently to the glass. • If possible, clean both sides of the glass. • When the scanner is not in use, keep lid closed. • Never lay anything heavy on a scanner. • Store handheld scanners in a safe place.

PM STEP 1- Close Ended Questions

• Is the printer under warranty? • Can you print a test page? • Is this a new printer? • Is the printer powered on?

Maintenance

• Keep flatbed scanning glass clean. • Avoid placing items in the scanner that can scratch the glass surface, for example, staples.

Network Printers Have Options Such As...

• LAN fax • Duplex • Finishers

Disadvantages of dye-sublimation printers

• Media can be expensive • They are better for color than for grayscale (black and white)

Disadvantages of an impact printer:

• Noisy • Low resolution graphics • Limited color capability • Slow printing, normally 32 to 76 characters per second (cps)

Flat-Bed Scanners

• Often used to scan books and photographs for archiving • Image is acquired by placing the document face down on the glass

Disadvantages:

• One problem effects all devices • Not designed for heavy use

A disadvantage of a thermal printer

• Paper is expensive • Paper has a short shelf life • Images are poor quality • Paper must be stored at room temperature

Common Configurations Available for Printers

• Paper type - standard, draft, gloss, or photo • Print quality - draft, normal, photo, or automatic • Color printing - multiple colors are used • Black-and-white printing - only black ink is used • Grayscale printing - color image printed with shades of black ink • Paper size - standard and nonstandard paper sizes • Paper orientation - landscape or portrait • Print layout - normal, banner, booklet, or poster • Duplex - normal or two-sided printing

Aspects of Bluetooth

• Popular for wireless headsets and synching PDAs to computers • Bluetooth adapter will allow a Bluetooth device to connect to a printer usually by a USB port

Dot-matrix printer

• Print head contains pins that are surrounded by electromagnets • When the electromagnets are energized, the pins push forward onto the ink ribbon in patterns, forming a character • Number of pins on a print head, 9 or 24, indicates the quality of the print • Highest quality of print that is produced by the dot matrix printer is referred to as near letter quality (NLQ) • Use continuous feed paper with perforations between each sheet

Printer Memory

• Printer memory is used to buffer print jobs, create pages, or draw images for documents. • Adding printer memory can improve printing speed and allow the printer to handle more complex print jobs.

Techniques for maintaining Printers

• Printer monitoring and diagnostic software from the manufacturer can run various maintenance tasks. • Dot matrix printers have roller surfaces that you should clean with a damp cloth. • Inkjet printers have paper-handling mechanisms that may collect particles of paper over time. Wipe the area with a damp cloth. • Clean a laser printer with a special vacuum cleaner (not a household type) if you spill the toner. Toner particles will go through the filter of a household vacuum and into the air. • Unplug a laser printer before cleaning it due to the high voltages.

PM STEP 7- Common Problems and Solutions

• Printer or scanner problems can be attributed to hardware, software, networks, or some combination of the three. You will resolve some types of printer and scanner problems more often than others. • Other common printer problems and possible causes to consider: • Problem: Page is blank Possible causes might be toner is empty, transfer corona assembly is malfunctioning, or the high voltage power supply which powers the charging and corona assemblies is malfunctioning • Problem: Page is completely black Possible cause might be charging corona wire is malfunctioning • Problem: Recurring marks on page Possible causes might be damage to the drum or toner spilled on one of the rollers. • Problem: Vertical black lines on page Possible causes might be damage to the drum and dirty charging corona wire • Problem: Vertical white lines on page Possible cause might be spilt toner on the charging corona wire • Problem: Smudging of image Possible cause might be fuser is malfunctioning • Problem: Ghosting of image Possible cause might be damaged cleaning scraper • Problem: Unintelligible text Possible causes might be printer driver is malfunctioning or formatter board is malfunctioning

Inkjet Printer Components

• Printer paper is drawn into the printer by a feeding mechanism • Inkjet printers use plain paper to make economical prints • Special-purpose paper may be used to create high-quality prints of photographs • Print quality of an inkjet printer is measured in dots per inch (dpi). A higher dpi rating provides greater image detail.

Disadvantages of solid-ink printers

• Printers are expensive • Ink is expensive • They are slow to warm up

Drum Scanners

• Produce a high-quality scanned image Usually used in commercial operations • Being replaced by lower priced, high-quality flatbed scanners • Still in use for high-end reproductions, such as archiving photographs in museums

Advantages of solid-ink printers

• Produces vibrant color prints • Easy to use • Can use many different paper types

PM STEP 3- Procedure

• Restart the printer or scanner • Disconnect and reconnect the cables • Restart the computer • Check printer for paper jams • Reseat paper in paper trays • Open and close printer trays • Ensure printer doors are closed • Install a new link or toner cartridge If the exact cause of the problem has not been determined after you have tested all your theories, establish a new theory of probable causes and test it.

Types of SCSI

• SCSI 1- 50 pin connector • SCSI 2 (fast SCSI)- 50 pin connector • SCSI 2 (wide SCSI)- 68 pin connector • SCSI (fast/wide SCSI)- 68 pin connector

Common Interface Types

• Serial • Parallel • Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) • Universal Serial Bus (USB) • Firewire • Ethernet • Wireless • Infrared • Blue Tooth • Wi-Fi

Firmware

• Set of instructions stored on the printer to control how the printer operates. • If printing problems occur or you need new features, consider upgrading the printer's firmware.

Print a test page to verify the following

• The printer is operating properly • The driver software is installed and working correctly • The printer and computer are communicating

For an Infrared communication to take place between a printer and a computer...

• Transmitters and Receivers are required on both devices • Must be a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver • Max distance of 15 ft (4.5 m) • Infrared light must be invisible to the human eye

Advantages of an impact printer:

• Uses inexpensive consumables (ink ribbons) • Uses continuous feed paper • Has copy printing ability ("carbon copies")

Advantages of dye-sublimation printers

• Very high quality images • Overcoat layer reduces smearing, increases moisture resistance

PM STEP 1- Open Ended Questions

• What problems are you experiencing with your printer or scanner? • What software or hardware has been changed recently on your computer? • What were you doing when the problem was identified? • What error messages have you received?

Daisy-wheel printer

• Wheel contains the embossed letters, numbers, and special characters • Rotated until the required character is in place, and an electromechanical hammer pushes the character into the ink ribbon and against the paper

Firewire connects devices such as:

• printers • scanners • cameras