ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Corona wire

A corona wire is a thin, delicate wire that is used in photocopiers and printers to make sure that the ink goes onto the paper in the right place.

When you press "print" on your computer, the printer uses electricity to charge the paper with a special kind of energy. The corona wire helps to control this energy so that the ink only goes where it is supposed to go.

Think of it like drawing with a pencil. You use the pencil to make marks on the paper, and you can erase them if you need to. But when printing, there is no eraser, so the ink has to be applied exactly where it is supposed to go.

The corona wire is like a conductor, conducting the electrical energy and making sure that the ink is applied correctly. It’s important to keep the corona wire clean so it can function properly, just like you need to keep your pencil sharp in order to make good marks on your paper.