LaserJet

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What Does LaserJet Mean?

LaserJet is a name given to a first-of-its-kind desktop printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard (HP) in the mid-1980s. The LaserJet quickly became popular due to its size, low maintenance and ability to reduce noise, which was a major issue before LaserJet's inception. LaserJet differed from ordinary printers in that it uses dry toner instead of wet ink.

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Techopedia Explains LaserJet

LaserJet is a printer by Hewlett Packard (HP) designed for high print quality, horizontal and vertical printing, printing graphics, text, letters, memos and spreadsheets. It is considered to be the first desktop laser printer. The LaserJet printer consists of a small scanning device that engraves an image on the drum that is then rolled over a sheet of paper. The toner is spread on the drum such that the parts with the engraved image pick up the toner and when it makes contact with the paper, the image is transferred to it.

The LaserJet utilized the Printer Command Language (PCL), which has since become a standard for printers.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.