220-1101 Question 466
Single answerFinishing issuesA user reports that pages printed from a color laser printer have random toner specks and a dull, powdery image that can be rubbed off with a finger immediately after printing. The printer has a recently installed toner cartridge, and the issue occurs from all trays and with multiple applications. Which component is the MOST likely causing the problem?
- A
Transfer roller
- B
Fuser assembly
- C
Pickup rollers
- D
Duplexing unit
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
This scenario describes a classic laser printer finishing issue related to the fuser. In laser printing, toner is first placed on the page and then permanently fused using heat and pressure. When output is powdery, dull, smeared, or can be rubbed off, technicians should suspect the fuser assembly first. This aligns with standard printer troubleshooting best practices used in CompTIA A+ Core 1 objectives: identify symptoms, isolate the stage of the print process, and map the symptom to the correct component. By contrast, feed components such as pickup rollers and duplex units affect paper handling, while transfer components affect how toner reaches the page, not how it is permanently bonded.
- A. Incorrect.
The transfer roller helps move toner from the imaging drum to the paper, but a failure here more commonly causes light print, missing areas, or uneven transfer rather than toner that remains loose on the page after printing. The key clue in the scenario is that the toner can be rubbed off, indicating it was not properly bonded to the paper.
- B. Correct.
This is correct. The fuser assembly uses heat and pressure to permanently bond toner to the paper. If the fuser is failing or not reaching proper temperature, the toner may appear dull, powdery, or smeared and can often be rubbed off after the page exits the printer. Random toner specks can also appear when toner is not being properly fused.
- C. Incorrect.
Pickup rollers are responsible for feeding paper into the printer. When they fail, common symptoms include paper jams, skewed feeding, or failure to pick up paper from a tray. They do not cause toner to remain unfused on the page.
- D. Incorrect.
The duplexing unit is used to turn the paper over for double-sided printing. Problems with this unit usually cause jams during two-sided printing or issues affecting only duplex jobs. Since the problem occurs generally and involves toner not adhering to the page, the duplexing unit is not the most likely cause.