In the field of laser or electrophotographic printing, a latent image developed on a charged photoconductive drum or belt is exposed to toner to form a toner image. Then the toner image is transferred from the drum or belt to a print medium, such as paper. After, or concurrent with, the toner image transfer, the process involves the application of heat and pressure to the toner on the print medium, usually by a heated pressure roller backed by an idler roller. This process of heating the toner to secure it to the print medium is called fusing. Thus the toner is said to be normally fused onto or into the print medium, using one or more heated fuser pressure rollers. One such process is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 07/758,011, now allowed, of Chris A. Storlie et al, filed Sep. 12, 1991, assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference. While the approach of Storlie et al provides improvement over prior electrophotographic printers and produces high quality text or graphic images, the search continues for ways to reduce energy requirements and start-up time and to increase the life expectancy of the toner transfer mechanism in such printers.