Laser printers image plain paper by using a drum.. The technology is very similar to that used by photocopiers. Both laser printers and copiers use specially coated drums in order to create an image and transfer that image on to a sheet of paper. Drum 1. The drum in a laser printer is the central component. It's the device that receives the image from the laser and transfers it to the paper to produce the final print. Photocopiers also contain drums that work in much the same way.