Final answer:
A laser printer uses a toner cartridge to produce high-quality images and text, utilizing a photoconductive drum and a precise laser to control the image creation process.
Step-by-step explanation:
A laser printer uses a toner cartridge to create high-quality prints. The process involves a laser that scans across a photoconducting drum, altering its electrical charge in the pattern of the image or text to be printed. This charged pattern attracts the toner—fine powder ink—from the toner cartridge. The charged drum then rolls the toner onto the paper, after which heat and pressure are applied to fuse the toner onto the paper's surface to create a permanent image or text. Unlike inkjet printers, which use liquid ink to form images on paper, laser printers rely on this dry toner to produce high-quality images with great precision due to the ability to precisely control the laser light.
Laser printers are highly efficient and capable of processing complex information, even making sophisticated letters or fonts. This efficiency is due to the xerographic process, a method of dry printing where a photoconductive surface is selectively charged and then exposed to a laser, as seen in Figure 18.40. This process also allows for efficient printing from a computer output, with many laser printers containing an internal computer to process the incoming data.
Thus, to answer your question, a laser printer utilizes a toner cartridge—not correction fluid, ink cartridges, or photocopy ink—as the primary means for applying text and images onto paper. The result is a durable and high-resolution output suitable for a variety of professional and personal printing needs.