CompTIA A+ Core 1: Activity 10-3

What types of paper/stationery can dot matrix printers use that laser and inkjet printers cannot?

1) Multi-part or continuous tractor-fed stationery and 2) Carbon copy paper.

A thermal printer used to create labels for parts bins, kits, and boxes is jammed due to a label coming loose during printing. How should you resolve this problem?

1) Open the printer and locate the label that came off the backing. 2) Remove the label and 3) If there is any sticky residue, clean it with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) applied to a swab. 4) Ensure the roll of labels is properly loaded and 5) Make sure that there are no loose labels that might come loose again.

What considerations for locating a 3D printer do you have to make?

1) The 3D print process is sensitive to movement and vibration, so the printer must be located on a firm and stable surface. 2) The process can also be affected by dust and the ambient temperature and humidity (especially variations and drafts). 3) Finally, some printer types are fully exposed so there is some risk of burns from the highheat elements. 4) Ideally, the printer should not be accessible to untrained staff.

Where are you most likely to encounter thermal printers?

A) Direct thermal printers are typically used as handheld receipt printers. X) There are other thermal printer types. X1) Dye sublimation printers are often used for photo printing.

What do you need to create objects with an FDM-type 3D printer?

A) You will need spools of filament to create 3D objects on a print bed or build surface. A1) This is usually made of some type of plastic,

What type of printer technology is a dot matrix printer?

It is commonly described as an impact printer.

You have been asked to perform basic maintenance on a printer in the Research and Development area. The dot matrix printer used to create shipping documents seems to be printing lighter than normal, and one of the pins seems to not be connecting near the center of the print head as there are blank areas in some letters and images. What maintenance should you perform?

Using the steps in the printer documentation: 1) Replace the ribbon in the printer and 2) Clean the print head. 3) If this does not fix the problem, replace the print head.