LaserJet

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.

Advertisements

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.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Latest Hardware Terms

Related Reading

Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse 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 explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…