In which step does toner adhere to the neutralized particles on the drum?

The process in which toner adheres to the neutralized particles on the drum occurs during the developing step. In a laser printer, the developing phase follows the charging of the drum and the exposure of the drum to the laser.

During the developing stage, the toner, which is a fine powder containing pigment and plastic, is mixed with a developer unit that applies it to the charged areas of the drum. The toner particles are electrically charged in such a way that they will adhere to the areas of the drum that have been exposed by the laser, creating the desired image. It is crucial for the toner to adhere correctly so that it can be transferred successfully to the paper in subsequent steps.

While the transferring, charging, and fusing steps are important in the printing process, they serve different purposes. Transferring involves moving the developed toner from the drum to the paper, charging pertains to applying an electrical charge to the drum for the initial imaging process, and fusing is the final step where heat and pressure are applied to permanently bond the toner to the paper. Understanding these processes emphasizes the significance of the developing phase in the overall image creation in laser printing technology.