ABSTRACT
Analogue photocopiers based on the electrophotographic process have become widely used for copying documents and images because of their superior characteristics, such as high speed and high image quality and because of their ability to use plain paper. The electrophotographic process was later put to use in non-impact printer (NIP) devices, which offer similar benefits. More recently, rapid advances made in computer technology have led to the development of multi-functional output printing devices with new control and processing functions, which are appearing on the market in increasingly large numbers. The earliest laser printers were built around AO modulators (see chapter C1.1) and gas lasers (see section B3), which were eventually replaced by laser diodes (see section B2). During this period, great advances were made in technologies such as laser beam focusing (see chapter A3), scanning, modulation, measurement and evaluation.
