In the specifications of my HP Laserjet M553 it says that it is limited to altitudes under 3000 meters (10,000 feet).
Why would a laser printer not work at altitudes over 10,000 feet?
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Atmospheric pressure affects a printer's print quality. The higher the altitude, the more printing problems you may encounter, including ghost images appearing on documents, loose toner appearing on one or more documents, and the print on all documents appearing light. Certain inkjet and laser printers include a High Altitude Correction component that eliminates the problems associated with operating a printer in a high altitude office, warehouse or other area.
Keltari
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The short answer is that the LASER printer will only work under the physical properties of the atmosphere for which it was designed.
Technologically sophisticated products, such as LASER printers, are designed and tested under very specific technical standards (for example, ISO 19752, ISO 19798 and DIN 33870, just to name a few). These standards specify limits to certain test parameters, such as altitude. As the printer has only been tested under conditions below 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), the manufacturer will naturally specify that it shall be used accordingly. If the printer does not perform well above that limit, do not blame the manufacturer as you are willingly pushing the product beyond its operational limits.
But, what can go wrong above this limit? For starters, air is thinner at an altitude of 3,000 meters due to a lower atmospheric pressure (this is a physical law, not an opinion). This changes the physical properties of air. You will observe a reduction of the viscosity of air which, in turn, may ruin the way in which the particles of toner are electrostatically projected onto the print drum. Additionally, as the density of air will have diminished, heat transferred through natural convection will be severely diminished, causing potential problems with overheating. And the Reynolds number of air is also reduced, affecting turbulent flows. The list of woes goes on and on and on. It is like walking through a minefield. Or disregarding a stop sign while driving. Everything is prone to fail because you have pushed the product outside of its stated operational conditions. You are breaking the rules of the game. If you look for trouble, you will find it!
Study physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, be enlightened and understand the world around you! Good luck!
