laser printer

n. A nonimpact printer that uses a dry ink powder (toner) to form characters and patterns on paper or plastic film.

Notes

Most laser printers use technology similar to an electrostatic copier but use a modulated laser to create an electrostatic image of a document on a rotating cylinder. The charged portions of the cylinder attract charged particles of toner. When a sheet of paper is passed over the surface of the drum, the toner is transferred to the paper. Finally, the toner is fused to the paper using heat. 'Laser printer' is sometimes used to describe page printers that use light-emitting diodes (LED) or a liquid crystal display (LCD) as the light source.