Unexposed silver-halide (AgX) photographic paper is temporarily fixed on a stationary internal drum, where three digitally controlled lasers simultaneously expose the photo-sensitive emulsion on the paper medium (or back-lit transparency medium) with red, green and blue laser light.
The amount of light from each laser varies to provide specific color and density values for each pixel imaged to the print.
The light-path includes a spinning surface coated mirror mounted on an air-bearing that travels along the axis of the internal drum, thus reflecting the laser light at 90 degrees allowing for a dimensionally consistent round imaging dot across the entire area of the photographic paper.
Most deliver a final product printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive or Kodak Endura paper in sizes up to at least 4×10 feet.
The LightJet printers were manufactured in Vancouver, BC, Canada; the core internal drum technology was developed by Dan Gelbart at MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) in the 1980s, and later refined by Cymbolic Sciences.
[citation needed] Key individuals responsible for the success of LightJet series include Dale Benjamin, Tim Crandall, Rolf Dekleer, Dave Fraser, Robert Heath, Alex Holowko, Larry Kiser, Miranda Clegg, Chris Lynn, Wenny Macura, Derek Montgomery, Dan Murray, Karen Neufeld, Didier Primat, Alastair Reed, Jeff Rittichier, Horst Schaaf, Ken Smith, and Dan Whittle.