How to print photography by laser printer!

Released on = April 12, 2005, 12:48 am

Press Release Author = Norman Chen / DotPoint Technology Ltd

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = Discuss about paper characteristics, printing quality with paper thickness, laser printer’s setting and testing result for photographic printing.

Press Release Body = The market share of color laser printer is growing every year and there are more and more people use laser printer to print photography. Almost people focus to the performance of laser printer. After all, it must present the printing with paper together. Let’s use different view point from paper to discuss
photographic quality by laser printing.

Paper thickness and color saturation:
The most critical is color saturation of printing image. The color calibration of laser printer is based on common paper (80~100 gsm). If it is more thickness (for example, the paper of conventional development system is over 180 gsm), the color saturation will be reduced. How to increase both of paper thickness and color
saturation at same time? The best way is going to slow down printing speed and improve physical characteristics of paper surface at same time.

Printing speed:
Slow down printing speed can takes more time for toner transfer to get better color saturation. In the market, there are different types for 4~5 ppm (pages per minute), 16 ppm and over 20 ppm. Fortunately, printing speed is possible to be controlled by
selection icon of paper material. Recommended speed is 106~160 gsm.

Thermal stress:
Many people recommend inkject glossy photo paper or premium paper for laser photographic printing. Be careful! The heating temperature of fuser can rise up to 200 degree C during printing. The potential risk of thermal stress is possible to melt-down the coating material of paper surface or crack happening. Particular, printing is operating at low speed. Thickness again! The thickness of those products
is over 80~100 gsm.

Paper polarity:
Another methodology is how to change physical characteristic of paper surface to improve toner transfer. Fortunately, toner is negative polarity of almost laser printers, it is possible to spray electrical positive charge on the paper surface and conduct more toner to paper surface.

Resolution:
Due to toner is dry powder in natural, the paper has no connection with resolution. The image resolution is decided by printer’s engine and printing language. 600 x 600 dpi can offer remarkable picture image quality. 1,200 x 1,200 dpi also improves more grades of gray level and better cubic effect for digital printing oriented from half-tone.

Next generation:
The next generation of photography shall have more features such as the material of paper meets environment protection, good hand feel, without turn-yellowish for long term exposure in air or under halogen lighting, tear-proof, no releasing chemical or medicine smell, wet-proof, instant printing and so on.

The testing had done with HP CLJ 2500/2550/5500, EPSON Aculaser 900/1900/4000 and Konica Minolta magicolor 23xx. That means it is compatible to different printer’s engines for different printing speed, dpi, toner, fuser temperature and so on. The name “Laser Printing Photo Paper” is going to knock the door to photographic
printing by laser printer.

Web Site = http://www.dotpoint.com.tw

Contact Details = Contact Person: Norman Chen
Company Name: DotPoint Technology Ltd.
Tel: +886 2 2782 9590
Fax: +886 2 2782 9810
Address: 7F, No. 230, Sec. 6, Chung Hsiao E. Rd., Taipei (115), Taiwan
E-mail: dot.point@msa.hinet.net
Web site: http://www.dotpoint.com.tw