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P H A S E R 8 5 6 0 E VA L U AT O R G U I D E
SECTION 3
Solid Ink Technology
INSIDE A SOLID INK COLOUR PRINTER
Printhead
Transfix roller
Image transfer
Cooled solid
ink on paper
Drum
Drum heater
Heated, soft
ink on drum
Preheater
Transfix roller
Sheet of paper
Drum
Ink stick
Ink loader
Printhead
Ink reservoir
Ink jets
Drum
Drum
Printhead
Maintenance roller
Sheet of paper
Preheater
Transfix roller
Image transfer
from drum
to paper
Drum
Preparing to print.
As the printing process
begins, the long-life maintenance roller
quickly applies a microscopic layer of
silicone oil to the heated drum for reli-
able ink release.
Single pass imaging.
Next, the full-width
printhead applies all colours at the same
time on the rotating drum.
Image transfer.
A sheet of paper is rapidly
fed between the drum and a transfix
roller, transferring the ink to the paper.
Ink bonding.
As the ink on the drum
transfers to the paper, it penetrates the
paper’s fibers, but without the spreading
of liquid inkjets or the toner scattering of
lasers. The ink cools and solidifies imme-
diately, forming a strong, permanent
bond to the paper.
Two-sided printing.
For automatic two-
sided printing, the paper is not fully
ejected into the exit tray but is fed back
into the printer through the duplex paper
path. The second image on the drum is
transferred to the other side of the paper.
Reloading.
The ink loader draws ink
from solid ink sticks instead of a self-
contained toner cartridge. Ink can be
replaced or added at any time without
taking the printer offline.
•
A simple, robust, reliable printing mechanism
•
Maintenance roller lasts up to 30,000 prints
(8560 Extended Maintenance Kit only)
•
No complex consumables
•
High-speed image transfer
•
Simultaneous application of all colours
eliminates misregistration of separate cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black image layers
•
High-speed image transfer
•
A short, simple paper path for speed and
high reliability
•
Transfer printing process yields great print
quality on a wide variety of paper types
•
No fuser required
•
Colourfast printing with no smearing
or drying time
•
More consistent colour quality on a
wider range of media than liquid inkjet
or colour laser
•
A simple, short, built-in duplex paper
path means faster two-sided printing
and fewer paper jams
•
No additional paper tray required
•
Easy, on-the-fly ink stick reloading for
continuous operation
•
Ink loader can be “topped off” before long,
high-coverage print jobs to avoid interruptions
•
More environmentally friendly; less wasteful
packaging, less waste ink by-products
ADVANTAGES
