The Differentiation of Color Laser Printers

A survey of color laser printers from different manufacturers (Canon, Epson, Fuji Xerox, Ricoh, Minolta, Hewlett-Packard, and Tektronix) resulted in the observation of dotted motifs of different patterns on the printouts from Canon, Epson, Fuji Xerox, and Ricoh color laser printers. Studies thus far found that the dotted motifs were different on the same model of Canon printers that each bore a different serial number. The data suggests that these distinctive dotted patterns are related to the serial numbers of the machines and could be used for the identification of a particular color laser printer. A feasibility study on the use of Raman spectroscopy for the differentiation of toners of different manufacturers of color laser printers was found to be unhelpful in discriminating printers.