Your Wish Items for the New Year

Do you have a new year’s wish list? If you are a laser printer user, then a toner refill kit is one item that should form part of the things you’d want to get for the upcoming year. Not that you won’t be able to afford it, but a steady supply of monochrome or color refill kits on hand should give you a year of uninterrupted, quality printing without putting a dent in your pockets.

So now that you’ve registered a toner refill kit for say your Brother HL-4040 laser printer, just where should your family and friends secure this consumable? Well, they can easily purchase it online and have it delivered to your home in time for the New Year’s celebration. Laser Tek Services, Inc. offers a wide array of third party consumables, from compatible toner cartridges, reset chips, OPC drum kits, reset gears and of course toner refill kits.

For the HL-4040 laser printer, the Brother TN-115/TN-110 toner refill kit 4 Pack can be used to refill both the high yield (TN-115) standard yield (TN-110) cartridge at the low price of $154.95. Package includes 4 bottles of compatible black, cyan, magenta and yellow toner. Materials necessary to conduct the refill are likewise supplied such as toner wipes, 4 funnel caps, a pair of latex gloves and an illustrated instructional material. See what’s up for grabs with every purchase of a Brother TN-115/TN-110 toner refill kit.

LTS toner is 100% compatible with your toner cartridge and laser printer. Compatible toner has been engineered to match the particle specifications of the OEM toner. Therefore, expect the TN-115/TN-110 compatible toner to work seamlessly with cartridge and printer components as well as fuse properly with paper, without causing any damage to your equipment. Also get crisp, clear and professional prints as if you are using an OEM toner cartridge to produce those print jobs.

LTS toner produces similar yield at 5% page coverage. Every bottle of toner is supplied with the same gram load as the OEM toner cartridge. This way, refilled cartridges get the same rating with every printing cycle.

LTS offers free shipping. Orders transacted online and exceeding $50 are shipped for free to any location in the United States and Canada. Items are also shipped the next working day so definitely there won’t be any delay in the receipt of your wish item. For any inquiries, aftersales and troubleshooting concerns, you can easily get in touch with LTS representatives during working hours at its toll free number 1-877-945-2737.

Handling Tips for Brand New Toner Cartridges and Toner Refill Kits

Color laser printing is expensive because of the bundled cost of its replacement consumables, particularly the toner cartridge. Therefore, most consumers would really find ways to extend the print capacity of the toner inside the cartridge and get more than the expected yield from the cartridge unit. Many users have turned to toner refills (use of compatible toner refill kits) to replenish the toner supply of an empty toner cartridge and extend its serviceable life. Refilling is undeniably the perfect option, because nobody can deny the fact that toner cartridges are built sensibly to last longer, not just for one print cycle as what printer manufacturers maintain but to as much as 3 print cycles, as recommended.

The initial loading of a brand new toner cartridge into the laser printer is a critical factor and must be dealt with seriously since this will affect the nominal print cycle of the cartridge. Below are some tips to consider to help sustain the cartridge and fully utilize its capacity.

Remove the sealing tape first before loading the cartridge to the printer. The sealing tape is a clear plastic strip of about 1 foot long that prevents toner from leaking when cartridge is not in use or in transit. Be careful not to break the tab which is an extension of the sealing tape and completely pull the strip out from the cartridge. Should in the process the sealing tape breaks and a portion of it is left inside the cartridge, then it only means that the cartridge is defective and should therefore be returned to the manufacturer.

Most toner cartridges have a print capacity of around 3,000 pages (based on the industry average of 5% coverage) when properly handled and cared for. Thus when left for some time before installation, the cartridge unit must be stored in a cool, dry place and possibly inside its original packaging. New cartridges are sealed in aluminum foil wrappers that protect toner from exposure to sunlight; while moisture proof to prevent humidity from seeping into toner particles.

Likewise observe the above storage tips when dealing with replacement toner, particularly one supplied with the toner refill kit, to avoid the manifest of print quality defects and the turnout of lower yields. When the printer prompts ‘toner out’, immediately administer toner refills and never allow the cartridge to print on an empty toner chamber because doing so will damage the sensitive imaging component and shorten the effective lifecycle of the cartridge.

Bring Christmas Cheer with Custom Printed Greeting Cards!

The Internet has now become the most indispensable form of communication that encompasses even the dispatch of greetings on special occasions. Despite our dependence on this medium, receiving a custom made greeting card through the mail still puts us on high because such gesture evokes a personal connection and a special bond as well. That is why in this season of giving, sending a Christmas greeting to a dear friend through a courier becomes really important.

Laser printer users can easily get out of their way to convey the Christmas Spirit to friends and relatives alike by printing special greeting cards and enliven the season. And since consumables for color laser printers such as the CP1215 toner cartridge of the HP 1215 laser printer are expensive, users can turn to the aftermarket for compatible toner products like the HP CP1215 toner refill kit to meet the heavy printing load of the coming holidays.

One of the salient features of the HP CP1215 is the printer’s Instant on Technology that reduces significantly the Time To Completion (TTP) of a typical print job. The CP1215, an ENERGY STAR classified laser printer, operates with low power mode and cuts energy consumption by as much as 50%. The Instant on Technology as employed with most HP LaserJet printers has so far helped reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere by about 5.5 million tons – equivalent to taking out over a million cars on our roads. Quite impressive, considering the fact that laser printer owners indirectly pursue environmental preservation in the process of using the printer unit.

Although the bundled cost of CP1215 CMYK toner cartridges is really within reach at $290, yield rating is limited to only about 1,400 pages for the color cartridges and 2,200 pages for the black cartridge at 5% coverage. This sets the cost per page (CPP) to around $0.05 which appears quite pricey still. And during the holidays, spending $870 to meet the 3 cartridge replacements required to complete the necessary print jobs can be quite hefty for the regular user. On the other hand, users who take advantage of compatible consumables such as toner refill kits will only have to spend around $400 for the same requirement. Toner refill kits have been proven tested to stand ‘toe to toe’ with the OEM toner in terms of print quality and yield in printed pages.

Better yet, be the Santa Claus and send 3 bundled packs of toner refill kits and allow your friends to complete their color-printing requirements for the holidays. Well, all these at the expense of your pocket. Giving a gift like the toner refill kit is a fulfilling way to end the year and a refreshing thought to anticipate the coming year.

New LTS Toner Refill Kits

For this post, we are featuring new toner refill kit releases from Laser Tek Services’ line of compatible toner products. This time, LTS makes available toner replacement packages for sophisticated color laser printers, particularly the Xante Ilumina CL30 and Lexmark C910.

The Xante laser printer model is designer oriented while the C910 was built for high volume color printing. Both are single pass laser printers with speeds of 32 and 29 ppm (pages per minute) respectively. Given the profile of the mentioned laser printers, we can only expect users to have a discriminating eye on print quality and likewise particular with the efficient turnover of printed pages.

Think our compatible toners can top those requirements? Better check out our new toner refill kits.

Lexmark C910 Toner Refill Kit


This item is available in CMYK individual packs and a rainbow kit. Individual packs come supplied with a quart size bottle of toner powder, a funnel cap, toner wipes, hand gloves and an illustrated instruction material. The rainbow kit meanwhile is packaged with 4 quart size bottles. The OEM black cartridge retails for over $250 while our toner refill kit can be purchased for only $58.95 for the same rating of 15,000 pages at 5% page coverage. That translates to savings of over 75%.

Visit LTS website for a listing of compatible Lexmark C910 printer models and cartridges.

Black Cyan Magenta Yellow 4 Pack


Xante Ilumina CL30 Glossy Toner Refill Kit

The item is likewise available in individual color packs and a rainbow pack. Individual color packs are supplied with large quart bottles and 4 bottles of the same size for the 4 pack. The OEM black cartridge retails for around $190 while the color cartridges are sold at around $245 a piece. You’ll likely be billed for $925 if you purchase an entire set. Compare that to LTS’ rainbow kit that retails for only $265 and featured with the same yield rating; then you definitely got a big discount.

Visit LTS website for a listing of compatible Xante CL30 printer models and cartridges.

Black Cyan Magenta Yellow 4 Pack

Feature: A Customer Review of the Canon 104 Black Toner Refill Kit

Find below a customer review of our Canon 104 High Yield Black Toner Refill Kit. The author of said review published a comprehensive account of his refill experience and includes a recommended dimension for the refill hole. It's great to read about LTS products being published in other blogs and that users are satisfied with the performance of LTS toner refill kits.

Value is definitely 5 stars.What you receive for the price with this kit is outstanding.The only reason I gave this kit 4 stars vs. 5 is because the directions recommend cutting a 1″ x 1″ square as a refill hole.This is done by heating up the end of a (preferably old) utility knife with a lighter and then cutting the hole by melting your way through the plastic.It’s quite easy actually.What I did was to cut out a 1″ x 1″ square of a label and stick it in place and then cut around it with my utility knife. READ MORE

HP 2600n Color Laser Printer: Why use only specified print media?

Although laser printers can print text and images on almost any type of print media, it is still requires good judgment on the part of the user to follow the guidelines set forth by the printer manufacturer in terms of substrate use. Paper fibers react under varying conditions of temperature, humidity and handling which could result in chronic paper jams; necessitate frequent unit servicing or even trigger printer damage. These are conditions and variables that manufacturer Hewlett Packard has no control of.

Buying the specified print media is like looking for a needle over a pile of haystack, as there are hundreds of transparencies available in the market. Therefore make it a habit to perform test prints over particular print media just to make sure that the substrate conforms to the requirements specified in the user guide and with the HP LaserJet Printer Family Print Media Guide. This is necessary especially when purchasing paper in volume.

Caution is expressed by HP, particularly when using print media that do not meet printer specifications. Use of incompatible substrates can trigger serious printer operation problems and may even lead to the early replacement of printer parts and components. Be aware that printer repairs ensuing from the improper use and handling of print media is not covered by Hewlett-Packard's warranty service agreement.

Print media properties such as weight, composition, grain and moisture content are important factors that would dictate printer performance (print quality) and output yield in pages. Always remember that use of paper other than those specified could result in poor print quality, frequent paper jams and premature wear of printer components. Find a list of OEM specified print media for the HP 2600n laser printer from this link.

Setting aside print media requirements, laser printer users should also be attentive to the printer unit's toner requirements. Like paper, low quality toner will also adversely affect print quality. In the event that the HP toner cartridge dries up, a user can refill its toner supply using compatible toner packaged with a toner refill kit. Toner refill kits have been engineered to produce optimum prints and yield similar to that of the OEM toner.

Recycled Paper: Is this media fit for laser printing?

Let us set aside negative perception towards recycled paper as a trigger to paper jams in the course of laser printing. Technically, media not designed for laser printing (even virgin paper) can be the culprit behind paper jams. The ghost of recycled paper past continues to haunt the paper industry, particularly those manufactured when Muhammad Ali still ruled supreme in the boxing world. Earlier releases of recycled media were of inferior quality and packed with paper dust that harm printer components. Well, the ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee' proponent has long been retired. But then papermaking technology improved twenty times over and recycled media already reached a status similar to virgin paper; making both paper types indistinguishable, except for the large red ‘R’ printed across the ream cover.

Several factors have now been identified as the cause of paper jams. And some factors do not even point out to paper quality but rather on the environment that paper is subjected to during storage. Here’s a quick look at pertinent factors:

• Media that are less than 24 gsm in weight are prone to crease easily and tear into pieces; if not scourge during laser printing.
• Paper stored for a long time (3 months or more) amidst a very hot environment has the tendency to be very dry (with less humidity content), wrinkle and tear which causes paper to jam.
• Similarly, when paper is stored amidst a cool, damp environment; it also has the tendency to absorb moisture over and above the recommended humidity content ideal for laser printing. Note that using moisture-laden media reduces the likelihood of paper to resist lateral shear imposed by the printer’s mechanical roller, which causes paper to tear and jam during printing.

The misconception that recycled paper is not suited for laser printing is no longer acceptable because modern papermaking methods have already addressed the factors confounding recycled paper. In fact, only around 10% of recycled paper produced enters the paper supply chain. And since there is no distinguishing mark for recycled paper and virgin paper, it is probable for picky laser printer users to have purchased recycled paper without them knowing about it.

Just like virgin paper, toner adhesion in recycled paper works similar and no visible difference manifests. However when faint prints appear on both paper products, certainly low toner supply is the primary cause. This can be resolved easily by replenishing the cartridge's toner supply with compatible toner supplied with toner refill kits.

Look up our previous posts on recycled paper products.

HP Toolbox - Activate to clean the HP 2600n Color Laser Printer

Print troubles and print quality irregularities are seldom encountered in the first few months run of a laser printer unit. Over time, toner and paper dust will accumulate over printer components such as the OPC drum, fuser assembly and even the mechanical rollers that come in contact with paper. This consequently affects component performance and produce print quality defects (like toner smears) over printouts. The only option therefore is to clean or perform maintenance work over affected components; which is tedious since that would involve dismantling pertinent printer panels to reach the inner cavities of the laser printer.

Maintenance work must be concentrated on the fuser assembly since the component does not have an automatic toner cleaning system. As the fuser generates a lot of heat, some of the toner particles tend to adhere to the fuser rollers and stick permanently, even if the cylindrical surface is coated with Teflon (a non-stick material usually coating frying pans). Consequently, a sizeable mass of toner particles sticking to the rollers can produce toner smears over printouts. Fuser rollers therefore need to be cleaned periodically to sustain acceptable print quality; unlike OPC drums that come outfitted with a cleaning device called the doctor blade. The doctor blade is made of thin and soft polymers that collect excess toner from the drum's surface and deposits it to the waste toner chamber of the toner cartridge.

Users of the HP 2600n color laser printer are fortunate because the printer unit comes with a built-in cleaning system that can be activated right on the printer's control panel. The cleaning procedure is outlined as follows:

1. Turn on the laser printer and be sure that it is set to ready mode.
2. Open the HP Toolbox from the printer's control panel
3. When the troubleshooting tab appears, click maintenance and follow it up by pushing the cleaning page icon. The printer will then print a document with printed pattern.
4. Remove all loaded print media in tray 2 and from the optional tray 3.
5. Take out the printed media with pattern and position it face down into the paper tray 2 or the optional paper tray 3.
6. Lastly, press clean on the printer panel
   

The whole sequence should clear the fuser assembly of baked toner and paper dust, and produce smear free printouts.

Print defects are the fare of laser printers and they are numerous. But when print irregularities are due to a low toner supply or an empty OEM toner cartridge, replenish the cartridge's supply with a compatible toner refill kit and extend its print capacity for up to 3 print cycles.

Look up our previous posts on the HP 2600n laser printer.

Brother Toner Cartridges: Reset Gear Versus Reset Chip

Brother Industrial Corporation (BIC) is perhaps the only printer manufacturer that does not implement the ‘razor and razor blades’ mentality in the design of printer peripherals. In fact, BIC encourages refills on its toner cartridges and even provides users with step-by-step remanufacturing guidelines to extend a cartridge unit's capacity to over 3 print cycles. Moreover, BIC retained the reset gears in the design of their cartridges - in lieu of the more sophisticated microchips. This would allow users of Brother cartridges to simply adjust the reset gears to its starting position each time a refill is performed, which by the way reactivates the toner cartridge.

If reset chips are designed to control the printing process based on the number of printed pages, how does BIC implement this with the reset gear?

While cartridge yield is determined from the number of pages printed under a particular page coverage; calculation is based on the actual revolutions per minute (RPM) of the developer roller. For the Brother high yield black cartridge series, the maximum life of the developer roller is 110,000 revolutions or equivalent to 6,000 pages - at 18.5 revolutions necessary to complete the printing of a single page. Users can actually convert a high yield cartridge such as the TN-115 to a low yield TN 110 toner cartridge or vice versa, since only the reset gear controls the lifecycle of the Brother toner cartridge.

BIC’s laboratory tests confirm that the Brother HL 4040cn laser printer can detect if a new cartridge has been loaded; where the bias voltage is automatically set to high because of the tendency of new toner to print light. But as the cartridge is used regularly, density also increases. And to sustain this level all throughout the life of the cartridge, the density bias voltage is reduced accordingly. While users of non-Brother cartridges complain of how reset chips would desist printing while the cartridge still has sufficient toner supply, BIC can however assure its users that Brother reset gears will only respond when toner supply is really low or totally depleted.

Brother compatible reset gears (a.ka. flag gears) intended for starter cartridges are also available with Laser Tek Services. The flag gear resets the printer and eliminates the "Toner End Life" prompt so that a new cartridge cycle can commence.

Understanding the HP 2600 "Cartridge Out Override" Function

Like most laser printers, the cartridges of the HP 2600cn laser printer is outfitted with a microchip that communicates the toner supply status of the consumable. In turn, the printer is able to prompt the user whenever the cartridge is low on toner; to consequently desist printing once toner supply is depleted. But in most cases, at least 20% of toner supply still lingers inside the cartridge's toner hopper when printing altogether stopped. This gives users the wrong impression! What if this were a scheme intended by OEMs to fast track the repurchase of a new cartridge? In this case, users are advised to pull out the cartridge from the printer and shake it vigorously so that clumped toner inside the chamber cavities is released and a few more pages can be squeezed out from the cartridge.

Well, we can always point an accusing finger to printer manufacturers. But the truth is that this could just be a sensor error wherein the ‘toner out’ prompt is routinely issued by the unit. Sensors are sensitive electronic devices directed towards a cartridge window that monitors toner supply. And once toner can no longer be detected, the "'toner out' prompt is thereafter displayed.

This troubleshooting technique is however not necessary with the HP 2600 laser printer. The printer is equipped with a ‘cartridge out override function’ that can be accessed through the control panel. Therefore when the ‘order supplies’ message is prompted, pressing the ‘cartridge out override’ button will deactivate the message and consequently, printing will commence. The ‘order supplies’ prompt informs the user that toner supply is running low and the succeeding pages could likely result in questionable prints as pointed out by the printer's service manual. This benefits the user as extra caution can now be observed in the printout of ensuing documents. The moment any print defect manifests, printing is immediately discontinued to thus avoid wasting paper in the process. To commence with print jobs, the user either replaces the cartridge orrefills its toner chamber with fresh toner supply.using a compatible toner refill kit.

If the HP Q6000A OEM toner cartridge is cost restrictive at $75, the user can choose do-it-yourself refill consumables to save on printing costs. The HP 2600 toner refill kit is sold online for only $30 and delivers print quality and yield of 2,500 pages at 5% coverage; similar to what the OEM toner can deliver.

From Commercial Printers to Laser Printers

It took 60 days to print a single book in 1456.
Today, it would take less than 60 minutes to do just that.

Although the Chinese and Koreans have carried out some form of printing technology called the moveable wood blocks technique in the early 13th century, it was in 1456 that the Western World saw a more progressive printing technology. The pioneer who made it all possible was Johann Gutenberg, a jeweler who crafted a metal alloy that allows the casting of individual letters. The mirror images of the letters are grouped together into a matrix to produce a single page. The whole arrangement of letters is then applied with ink, and then paper is pressed against it. Gutenberg started his printing business by redesigning a winepress and turned it into the first printing press. And the first books that came out were 200 copies of the Holy Bible.

Six Hundred years later, printing has progressed several notches higher particularly with the development of laser printers. Printing could no longer be singled out to large printing presses of the type operating in Gutenberg’s time. Instead, the task of printing has been delegated with offices and even households through laser printers and inkjet printers. Thanks to the advent of desktop publishing; now with just a push of a few control panel buttons of a laser printer, an office personnel can produce hard copies of documents saved in the hard disk of a personal computer or laptop.

A typical example of a trusty color laser printer is the OKIDATA 3000 series that loads with a toner cartridge accessory to produce its fine prints. Instead of liquid ink as employed with inkjet printers, toner powder is loaded into cartridge cavities which in turn supplies toner during printing. This technology has therefore made printing so simple. At the onset, offset printers would charge exorbitant fees to produce several hundreds of documents. But then this is understandable considering all the requirements needed to initiate the printing process. Producing the final print of the document is not really intricate per se. And that is why the cost per page (CPP) for print jobs drops with every increase in copy requirement. But then again, this is hardly felt in laser printing since a single toner cartridge may have a rating of say over 3,000 pages that reduces CPP dramatically - even lower than the CPP of large offset printers. Whether an office requires 100 or 1000 printed pages, the CPP is therefore sustained. The OEM toner cartridge for the OKIDATA 3000 series costs $80, but given its yield of 3,000 pages at 5% coverage, the CPP should be affordable.

A growing number of laser printer users nowadays prefer to refill empty toner cartridges with the use of compatible toner supplied with third party manufactured consumables such as the Okidata C300 toner refill kit. Retailed for only $26.95, the cost of printing will definitely be reduced at this rate. Since no considerable difference in terms of print quality and yield is apparent between the OEM toner and compatible toner, using a refill kit is a practical option.

HP 2600 Toner Cartridges - How a defective developer roller can affect the integrity of printouts?

Light prints and/or banding in printouts can only develop from defective OEM toner cartridges. Said print irregularity is even more profound with the toner cartridges of the HP 2600 laser printer. As the print cycle slowly reaches the end of its term and toner supply is close to exhaustion, the developer roller likely wears out which makes the component less effective in the even distribution of toner powder on the surface of the OPC drum.

All toner cartridges similar in design to the Q6000A, Q60001A, Q60002A and Q60003A cartridges (loads the HP 1600, 2600, 2600N and 2605 printer series) are outfitted with developer rollers. Said component is manufactured with precise tolerances because any minor deformity (like a curved roller) affects toner distribution and consequently print quality of output.

The developer roller is coated with a special surface finish intended to withstand abrasive surface friction, as it moves in sync with the OPC Drum in the course of supplying toner. Remember that this action is not limited to 3 or 4 times, but is repeated several thousand times in the process of printing. Surface tolerance between the developer roller and OPC Drum must be maintained at all times to produce acceptable print quality.

The developer roller is a critical component since worn out surfaces cannot be detected upon troubleshooting and only manifest over printouts. Therefore, most cartridge remanufacturers put premium on the replacement of developer rollers, just to ascertain that print defects will not transpire after the cartridge is refilled with toner. Remember that a substantial amount of toner will not be able to reactivate a defective toner cartridge.

HP 2600 toner cartridges are not designed for the conduct of toner refills. Therefore, once the developer roller wears out, the cartridge has to be replaced with a brand new unit. However, if print quality is still acceptable at the time the unit runs out of toner supply, then this only indicates that the developer roller is still in fine form and the user can administer refills on the cartridge.

The print capacity of the Q6000A cartridge for instance is pegged at 2,500 pages at 5% coverage and conducting 3 refills on the unit increases its capacity to 10,000 pages. Conducting refills on a cartridge with a still functional developer roller is the most sensible option as an OEM replacement costs $75 while a compatible toner refill kit is sold online for only $30. Moreover, users gets the same print quality and yield expected from an OEM toner.

HP 2600n - Know the Laser Printer’s Energy Operating Costs

The HP 2600n LaserJet desktop printer is probably one of the most energy efficient laser printers now in use with households and offices. While most desktop printers consume over 700 watts of energy when in full printing mode, the HP 2600n operates only at a rate of 190 watts whether producing monochrome or color prints. Moreover, the printer unit consumes only 16 watts of energy in standby mode and zero energy is utilized during sleep mode. However, the computation of actual energy consumption for the HP 2600 remains as a puzzle to geeks since energy expended is reckoned based on how the laser printer is used during a pre-set time period. Laser printer operation fluctuates from high-peak periods to periods of inactivity, which is punctuated only by the daily printing load.

The laser printer is not like the metal halide flood lamps used in sports arenas since power consumption is constant for the entire duration of the game. Say each lamp is rated at 340 watts and that around 1000 lamps are utilized to light up the arena, the lamps will consume as much as 340 kilowatts per hour and within an 8-hour period the average consumption is 2,720 kilowatts of energy. And if the venue is New York City, the cost to light up the sports arena would likely be around $400. Now let us assume that the HP 2600 laser printer will be in constant operation during an 8-hour work period so that the average consumption will be 1.52 kilowatt or roughly $0.23 for the entire day of printing, around $6.84 for the entire month and $80 at years end. Certainly the cost will be lower since the laser printer encounters brief periods of inactivity as the unit switches automatically to standby mode and eventually to sleep mode following the run of print jobs.

When it comes to energy consumption, the HP 2600n is a power miser, and the design of the replacement Q6000A black toner cartridge is also patterned after the printer’s energy saving specifications. Color printing is really expensive. The monochrome replacement cartridge for the HP 2600n is retailed at $70 and pricing is similar for the 3 other color cartridges. The monochrome cartridge comes with a yield rating of 2,500 pages at 5% page coverage while the remaining cartridges are rated at 2,000 pages.

However consumers can reduce color-printing expenditure by refilling empty toner cartridges with compatible toner. Compatible toner for the Q6000A comes packaged with the HP 2600 toner refill kit. The third party consumable is sold online for only $23 but then again, the cartridges refilled with its supply toner can deliver OEM quality prints and yield.

Printing Cost Per Page (CPP): Dissecting a Print Job's CPP

What constitutes CPP?
Reckoning the cost per page (CPP) of laser print jobs is not an easy task as there are a number of variables involved in the computation. It would have been easier if CPP is measured only based on consumable costs (e.g., toner cartridge, toner refill kit) against the number of pages printed. But then this is not the case since the cost of paper is also factored in along with the energy consumed to process the print job. Perhaps, what is most daunting is determining the depreciation cost of the printer unit as printer components like the OPC Drum and fuser do not expire at the same time. Each time you print, these components also share some degree of wear and its life cycle is dependent upon the number of pages printed. If the rated capacity of the OPC drum is 6,000 pages (an assumption) then CPP for the OPC drum is cost of component divided by the number of pages printed. Therefore, one will have to rely on calculated assumptions to get a fair cost analysis of these consumables.

Is the standard Page Coverage of 5% realistic?
Take the case of the HP CB540A black toner cartridge that loads the HP LaserJet CP1215 color laser printer. With the consumable's rated capacity of 2,200 pages at 5% coverage, the standard page coverage of 5% is too conservative against the actual coverage. Most likely, coverage borders between 30% to 35% which brings actual yield in printed pages to only around 1,400. So, if the print job is over 2000 copies, then in-house printing will be more expensive considering the need for another replacement cartridge to produce the remaining copies. In this case, it becomes more economical to outsource the print job. On the other hand, if the print job only involves 20 to 30 pages, then in-house printing using the CP1215 laser printer is really the most sensible option.

HP Laser Printer CPP versus offset printer charge per copy?
To help laser printer users appreciate the value of CPP, printing giant Hewlett Packard prepared a printing cost footprint - a cost computation that covers all the variables relevant to the print out of a single color document.by the CP1215 color laser printer. HP’s computation of cost per page (CPP) include toner requirements, cost of paper, energy required to sustain printer operation as well as the depreciation of printer components. HP’s cost computation for a color print job that covers 50 copies at 30% page coverage comes at $0.295 per page; with the print job's aggregate cost estimated at around $14.72. The acquisition cost of the color printer is valued at around $300 - so it will take 17 print jobs of the same volume to offset the cost of the printer. The CPP is definitely much cheaper in this case compared to the local printer's $0.66 charge per copy for the same print requirement.

For users intending to reduce on printing expenses, CPP is even lower with a compatible toner refill kit - cheaper by 50% than OEM toner cartridges. Toner refill kits are produced by third party manufacturers and are intended to refill empty OEM toner cartridges. The CB540A cartridge is retailed at $75 while an equivalent toner refill kit sells for only $39.95. Nonetheless, the consumable delivers similar print quality and yield as the OEM toner cartridge. Read more about toner refill kits from this post.

Troubleshooting Print Defects: When the Drum Unit is Suspect!

Troubleshooting print quality troubles for the HP LaserJet 2550 color laser printer based on a defective printout is a tough nut to crack. A laser printer is outfitted with several components; from mechanical rollers, to the photoreceptor drum, the toner cartridge and the fuser assembly. Each of these components is capable of inflicting toner smears on the printout. The only sure way to correct faulty prints is to pull out the suspect component responsible for pertinent print irregularities and physically check it for defects. However the process is tedious, because it involves ocular check-ups of selected, if not all components that come in contact with the paper (medium).

Measuring the Print Defect
Hewlett Packard however made troubleshooting for the HP 2550 so much easier with the use of a repetitive defect ruler. By measuring the actual dimension of the defect on paper (using a ruler), the ugly head of the suspect component can be identified. Since we are dealing with a defective OPC Drum, the repetitive defect measures 148.3 mm in length. Said measure actually indicates that such defect is produced by a defective photoreceptor drum. From thereon, the user simply needs to pull out the photoreceptor drum and physically assess its condition. If the defect is more pronounced, it has to be replaced and if defect is not visible, the drum probably just requires cleaning.

Replacing the Drum's Lockout Chip
Photoreceptor drums are designed with electronic based microchips or lockout chip that count the actual printed pages and consequently desist printing once the rating limit is breached. Standard capacity of the photoreceptor drum is from 6,000 to 8,000 copies at 5% coverage (the industry standard measure of page coverage) and the microchip nominally bars printing after the stated limit. However in cases where not a single defect manifests at the time printing stopped; it could only mean that the OPC Drum is still in fine form and the user will only have to change the lockout chip to commence printing.

Replacing the Drum Unit
On the other hand, if printouts have defects attributed to a defective OPC drum unit, a physical inspection of drum surfaces will not always be a sufficient indicator of the component's actual condition. A tear on its selenium coating is a visible defect (easily recognizable) but if the drum has lost its photosensitive properties, then no amount of physical inspection will be enough to determine what is really wrong with the component. In cases where the OPC drum is suspect and the defect persists, the only choice is to replace the OPC Drum.

Remember that while print defects are a regular fare for laser printers, most print quality troubles emanate from a toner low or toner empty, toner cartridge and seldom do these stem from faulty printer components. Defects attributed to toner empty cartridges can be resolved with the use of a compatible toner refill kit; where the supplied compatible toner powder is used to replenish the cartridge's toner supply. The bundled cost of OEM HP 2550 toner cartridges is around $350 with each cartridge having a capacity of 1,500 pages at 5% coverage. Read more about toner refill kits from our previous post.

For those operating on a shoestring budget, the compatible HP toner refill kit rainbow pack is retailed for less than $100 but delivers similar print performance and yield as the OEM toner.

Read a related post on How to determine if the laser printer drum needs to be replaced?

What happens to used toner cartridges when submitted for recycling?

If you are concerned about global warming, energy conservation, the economy and the environment, then recycling spent toner cartridges should not be an issue for you. The enormity of our country’s recycling efforts is best exemplified by the report of the International Imaging Technology Council (IMTC). IMTC is a non-profit trade association that watches over the interests of the world’s imaging supplies industry. The report intimated that today, there are over 5,000 independent companies in the United States operating the aftermarket consumable industry; particularly involved in the manufacture and retail of remanufactured toner cartridges and toner refill kits.

The 21 billion aftermarket consumable industry is responsible for providing livelihood to almost 40,000 workers. Significantly, the aftermarket has helped reduce the infusion of around 40,000 tons of industrial grade plastics and metals into dumpsites and landfills each year. The average remanufacturer restores about 400 cartridges per month where each company is able to save as much as 300 gallons of oil and almost a thousand tons of solid waste in the course of recycling. And if the annual pieces of spent toner cartridges are piled one on top of the other, the stack of cartridges would actually equal the Burj Al Arab in height – the worlds tallest building at over 127 floors.

Spent toner cartridges (cartridges passing 3 or 4 refills and print cycles) that undergo the recycling process are sorted out first to separate reusable cartridges from those that are totally damaged and are therefore no longer functional.

The global stack of empty cartridges would actually equal the Burj Al Arab in height

• Damaged toner cartridges are melted down and the ensuing plastic is used to manufacture lawn chairs or integrated as polymer paving material in lieu of paving bricks.


• Cartridges that can still be salvaged are dismantled and worn out imaging components are replaced, re-assembled and refilled with a fresh shot of toner – as what cartridge remanufacturing companies would do.


• All other excesses are totally recycled and every piece of the empty toner cartridge is reused; including the cardboard packaging by which the cartridge unit was shipped in.

As a consumer supporting our country’s conservation efforts, you can be assured that your spent cartridges have a facility to return to with the over 5,000 companies engaged in the cartridge recycling program.

Never miss the opportunity to help save the environment. Patronize aftermarket consumables; particularly do-it-yourself toner refill kits to reload the toner supply of empty toner cartridges as this endeavor contributes much to the conservation efforts of this generation.

Toner Cartridge Expenditure in the Entire Lifespan of the Laser Printer

The laser printer can be thought of as the other half of the printer-computer duo. Simply stated, these two always come in tandem. Although toner consumption is dependent on the frequency of printer use and the volume of print jobs, laser printing still boils down to a several hundred dollars expenditure at the end of the year.

Industry estimates put the effective life cycle of the laser printer to 5 years on the average and consumers spend at least 6 to 7 times the cost of the printer for the purchase of consumables. Therefore for the $200 Brother HL-1240 laser printer which loads with an $80 TN-460 toner cartridge, consumable expense for the 5 year period will amount to around $1,760 or roughly 22 toner cartridges in the entire lifespan of the laser printer or a total of 5 toner cartridges consumed annually.


However in the aftermarket for printer consumables, the toner refill kit comes as the perfect antidote to empty OEM toner cartridges and the burgeoning business printing expenses. Not only can the Brother TN-460 toner refill kit duplicate the print and yield performance of the OEM toner but it also comes cheaper by as much as 80% than the retailed OEM toner cartridge. Thus in the serviceable life of a laser printer, the user will only spend around $775 or 60% less than the total expenditure on OEM toner cartridges. As per computation, a user will only have to buy 5 Brother TN-460 toner cartridges and 15 toner refill kits based on the set average consumption levels. The cost difference on toner expenses would allow the purchase of 5 more laser printers at the end of the 5-year period.

If your laser printer outlasts the 5-year industry projection, then a user will most likely be spending more dollars to sustain its consumable requirements. This would further broaden the gap between laser printer acquisition cost and unit lifetime consumable expenses. This only proves that the use of toner refill kits is the best possible option to reduce business printing expenses. Also please remember that when we recycle empty toner cartridges, we are not only easing our printing budgets but unconsciously helping in global environmental conversation efforts. Read more about the benefits of toner cartridge recycling using toner refill kits from our previous post.

Always explore all possible recycling options before dumping empty toner cartridges to the trash bin and help free our dumpsites and landfills of e-garbage.

Recycle Used Paper for Laser Printing? Paper Mills Rid it of Ink First

At least 40 million tons of used papers enter US paper recycling plants annually. Used paper is supplied by offices and households across the country. But do you know how our paper mills effectively rid used paper of ink in order to maintain recycled paper color quality, specifically for laser printing? Since about 67% of waste paper is used as raw material for recycled paper, imagine what it could do to the final product if ink not totally eliminated. When traces of ink find its way into the recycling process, paper would be left with a grayish tint that would make it unacceptable for use as regular media, much more as a substrate for laser printing.

Basically, waste paper (newspaper and office papers) undergoes 2 basic processes to rid its surface not only of ink but also of loose materials such as wires, paper clips, plastic pieces, staple wires and so on before recycling can commence.

Washing. Bales of waste paper reaching paper mills are fed into a large pulper filled with process water which turns waste paper into a slurry (looks more like porridge than pulp). And when repulped material flows through the centrifugal screens; loose materials like wires, paper clips, staple wires, plastic pieces and other impurities are literally thrown out of the slurry. Most of the water is drained out of the slurry through minute screens or sieves that allow water to pass through - not the pulp.

Flotation. Shredded waste paper is again turned into a slurry in the process of removing contaminants. Formulated chemicals classified as surfactants are then added to the slurry; thereby forming a sticky lather on top of the pulp. Air bubbles are then introduced through the pulp which trap the ink, allow it to float into the surface and are then immediately removed. Care must be observed in the speedy removal of air bubbles because if the bubbles break in the process, ink will simply return to the pulp.

From here on, additives are integrated with waste paper pulp to sustain paper quality, color and surface character before being placed over a moving screen to rid it of water. The resulting semi-dry pulp passes through the giant rollers to squeeze out whatever water is left and then the almost dry web enters the dryer before the sheets are formed into rolls ready for use.

When recycled paper does not pass the stringent paper manufacturing process, it could not be used for laser printing - not even with a generous supply of toner powder from a compatible toner refill kit.

Refilling a No Fill Hole, Lockout Chip Controlled Toner Cartridge

Of all the laser printer toner cartridges available in the market, the HP Q2612A is probably one of the most cumbersome to refill. For one, the cartridge does not come with a built in fill-hole; which was obviously intended to discourage refills. Moreover, the cartridge operates with a lockout chip that limits printouts to the yield rated for the cartridge. Third party manufacturers however have developed a refill tool which makes access to the toner hopper and waste chamber possible. From the aftermarket, a reset chip was engineered purposely to override the lockout chip and allow printing with the refilled cartridge. Many call the invention of third party consumables such as the HP 1010 / 1012 / 1020 toner refill kit ingenious; but it makes much sense in the intent of helping laser printer users cope up with rapidly bloating business printing expenditures.

Access to the concealed toner hopper becomes feasible with the refill tool – an improved version of the soldering iron where the conical tip is replaced with a copper tube measuring 18mm to 20mm in diameter. When plugged to an electrical outlet, the copper cylinder tip gets sufficiently heated (in a span of 5 to 10 minutes) to be able melt a hole into the plastic carcass of the toner cartridge. Note that a regular drilling tool should not be used to perform this procedure. Plastic shavings that would likely collect inside the hopper cannot be retrieved entirely and can damage sensitive imaging components. This would then reduce the effective life cycle of the cartridge.

In the process of refilling the Q2612A toner cartridge, the user will be required to create two holes – one each for the toner hopper (where toner supply is contained) and toner waste chamber. It is necessary to empty toner residues lingering inside the toner hopper and waste chamber as failure to do just that will ultimately result in print defects. If possible, use the device called the toner vacuum to completely rid the chambers of toner residues. Likewise note that mixing fresh toner with waste toner will have an unfavorable impact on print quality and yield. Learn more about the refill tool from our previous post.

Of course, the refill process will not be complete without the replacement of the lockout chip with the reset chip. The reset chip will refresh the cartridge's counter and override the Toner Out prompt so that printing can commence with the cartridge refilled with a compatible toner refill kit. Learn more about the reset chip from another previous post.

Totally Chlorine-Free (TFC) Paper - Why is it necessary?

Laser printers require the of use heavy set paper (usually over 24 lbs in weight) to be able to resist lateral pressure applied by rollers on its every turn inside the printer. Non-specified laser paper tends to wrinkle and scourge when heated through the fuser to eventually cause paper jams. Thus, wood fibers are integrated into the manufacturing process to strengthen its lateral surface and be able to resist mechanical abuse in the process of printing.

So where does chlorine come in? Wood fibers integrated into pulp and paper during manufacturing are treated first with chlorine and other chlorine based bleaching compounds before being added to the paper formulation in order to produce high-quality white paper. The whiter, smoother and cleaner the surface of paper is; the better print quality can be expected of laser printer outputs. Sad to say that as of writing, only one pulp and paper mill manufacturing plant in the U.S.A.(Lyons Pulp and Paper in New York) is using TFC (Totally Chlorine-Free) technology.

What harm can chlorine do? Chlorine and chlorine based compounds used in the manufacture of paper disintegrates into thousands of organochlorines (over 300 have been identified so far) that include notorious environmental poisons such as dioxins, furans, DDT, Agent Orange, PCB’s, CFC’s/HCFC’s (ozone destroyers) and other highly toxic and lingering substances found in the waste and product stream.


Several chlorine by-products enter waterways, pollute the atmosphere and are also present in the final paper product. It is estimated that 10% of the global demand for chlorine stems from paper manufacturers.

How does chlorine affect humans? Several clinical studies showed alarming impact of chlorine chemistry on the human health and the environment as well. Chlorine has the ability to cause cancer and other chronic diseases. Recent studies confirm that it indeed poses a worrying concern for our health. Many chlorinated compounds closely monitored under said research have a direct link to hormone disruptions in adults and the unheatlhy development of fetus in pregnant women. Hormones are the body’s electronic sensors responsible for automatically switching on and off required bodily responses and reactions. Furthermore, exposure even at short intervals on chlorinated compounds exposes the male reproductive system to severe risks where contamination could result in low sperm count.

Are alternatives to chlorine-based compounds on the rise? Yes of course, paper mills can still produce high quality paper, totally chlorine-free (TFC) by using oxygen based bleaches – hydrogen peroxide, ozone and oxygen.

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To produce decent laser prints and yield at a reasonable price, refill OEM toner cartridges with toner refill kits. The toner refill kit line of Laser Tek Services is cheaper by as much as 80% than the prevailing retail price of OEM toner cartridges.

The Xante Ilumina 502 series: From Commercial Offset to In-House Printing

Just when you think that the office color printer is the answer to the company’s printing requirement, then comes along Xante Ilumina solutions that pushed color printing to a new dimension. Users of this particular office machine have the confidence to produce printouts with impressive color reproduction quality. Yes, the Xante Ilumina Digital Color Press is equipped with the ‘large league features’ of commercial offset printing - but on a much smaller scale.

Now corporate users won't have to shell out extra for a few hundred copies exceeding their requirements just to keep up with the run lengths of offset printers. The Xante Ilumina solutions can be a heady option with very low production cost. While this printing machine precisely captures corporate colors over printouts, print jobs are not limited to letterhead, business cards and packaging. As the printer can handle oversized and thick stock media, corporate image banners, calendars, greeting cards, fine looking boxes, table wraps, tents, t-shirts and many others can also be produced. Scan below in detail the fine features and benefits of this printing machine.

• The Ilumina 502 can print on oversized media such as a double thick cover up to paper weights of 75 gsm to 502 gsm which is normally produced only by large-offset printers.
• Cut down expenses on business printing by eliminating the need to order short run, color print jobs from offset printers (which can be expensive) as the Ilumina 502 delivers stunning, high quality printouts on a wide variety of paper in a matter of seconds to therefore not compromise the productivity of office personnel.
• With the Ilumina 502, users can produce only the number of copies required and as needed, without minding the minimum run lengths set by offset printers to reduce CPP (cost per page) and the related production schedules as well.
• The printer can handle a wide range of media from gloss and matte coated papers, super-coated and premium uncoated transparencies and even uncoated, fiber-enhanced papers of differing textures.

Just recently, Xante Corporation and Pantone, Inc. (the global authority on color reproduction and initiator of professional color standards for the print industry) inked an agreement placing the entire Xante Ilumina solutions as Pantone accredited. The accreditation puts Xante Ilumina in a class reserved only for the best in the industry.

Does it ever occur to you that the cost of a set of CYMK Ilumina replacement toner cartridges is a little more than $1,000? Those working on a tight-string budget can opt to refill empty Xante cartridges with a compatible Xante toner refill kit instead of replacing it with brand new cartridge units. Retailed for three-quarters less than the OEM cartridge, refilled cartridges deliver the same print quality and yield as its OEM counterpart.

How to Clear Paper Jams?

Let us suppose that you've got deadlines to beat and reports to submit when suddenly in the middle of printing, the laser printer jams. In instances such as this one, the normal reaction would be to bellow in frustration and to vent one's anger on the equipment over the delay its malfunction has caused. But then such action is counter-productive. On the contrary, one must keep his cool and thresh out what ever triggered the paper jam in the first place.

There are several factors that could push a printer to jam. In most cases, the user have no control over it. Find below 2 of the most common causes of paper jams. For a more detailed discussion on the causes of paper jams, refer to our previous post Paper Jams: Why paper gets stuck inside the printer?

1. Paper type, quality and moisture content that renders the media to crease easily


2. Worn out rollers that have lost its tendency to pick-up and move paper in the course of printing

Clearing the Paper Jam
Always maintain a clear, focused mind when attempting to retrieve the paper from where it jammed and determine the best solution possible. Never rush when pulling out jammed paper because failure to retrieve the entire sheet could result into more serious problems once paper has been ripped into smaller pieces. Below are five steps adapted from PC Support Tips.com that could help the user clear paper jams.

1. Initially pull out whatever paper is left with the printer intake and paper supply trays.
2. New generation printers are supplied with removable paper intake trays. Pull out the paper tray for an easy inspection of the jammed section of the printer.


3. Now remove the toner cartridge and drum unit from the printer. Doing this will provide easy access to the jammed paper.


4. Open the printer's sheet-feed back door to inspect the extent of paper obstruction. This step is applicable for laser printers designed with a straight paper path.


5. After discerning the nature of the paper jam, start pulling the jammed paper out gently. Consider applying force evenly on the entire width of the paper to avoid tearing. Remember that the entire sheet should be removed as a single piece.

After removing the jammed paper from the printer, check further for any debris (paper clips, staple wire, hair clips) that may have triggered the jam.

Before reloading the toner cartridge back to the printer, determine if the cartridge has sufficient toner supply. If not, then use a compatible toner refill kit to replenish toner supply. You have just completed clearing the printer of jammed paper, plug the printer back and start printing.

5 Tips for First Time Toner Refill Kit Buyers

Nowadays, access to a horde of consumer items has been streamlined and made simple through the Internet. With just a few clicks on the computer keyboard, consumers can expect ordered goods shipped at their doorstep the following working day.

But before placing an order and paying the bill, consumers must take precautionary steps prior to consummating an online transaction such as the purchase of a toner refill kit. Below are a few tips recommended to help you with your purchase. Let us use the Brother TN-04 toner refill kit (compatible with Brother HL-2700cn and MFC-9420cn printers) as illustration.

1. Note TN-04 cartridge details. It is necessary for users to be familiar with pertinent specifications of the product - from the cartridge part number, laser printer model to its gram weight and yield rated 10,000 pages at 5% coverage (as per OEM cartridge); in order to expedite the purchase and a compatible toner refill kit can be issued.
2. Transact only with trustworthy retailers. To determine the reputation of a retailer, users can browse the vendor's website (if they operate one) and look for indications - company registration number, complete office address and availability of customer service representatives who will entertain after sales inquiries. If the vendor retails through Amazon, eBay and other online marketplaces, there are also methods by which to verify track record.
3. When an online retailer has been determined as reputable, inquire about toner specifications. Ask about gram load details and the number of pages that will be produced. Make sure that toner specifications match OEM rating.
4. Inquire about the refill kit's contents. All tools necessary for a successful refill must be complete. A Brother TN-04 toner refill kit should come supplied with a bottle of fresh toner powder, latex gloves, toner wipes, funnel cap and an instructional manual. Other cartridges require a reset chip. Hence, it is important for users to ensure that the kit being purchased comes with the chip.
5. Verify if there is a need to purchase a refill tool. Unlike the TN-04 cartridge that comes designed with a fill hole, cartridges from other brands require users to create a hole on the cartridge's polymer casing to expose the toner chamber and allow toner replenishment as well. Thus, it is necessary for users to ascertain beforehand if a refill tool is necessary since the device is not bundled with the kit.

Be vigilant when making an online transaction. Observe the abovementioned measures so that a 100% compatible toner refill kit can be made available at your disposal and at the soonest possible time.

A Look at the Brother ‘At Your Side’ Recycling Program

Brother International Corporation (BIC) has organized a responsible recycling program through its ‘AT YOUR SIDE’- corporate aphorism. The program aims to encourage Brother equipment and peripheral consumers to recycle used components such as empty toner cartridges by returning it back to BIC for proper recycling and disposal. Some of the returned printer peripherals are remanufactured while other metal and plastic components are broken down, reprocessed and used as raw materials for the manufacture of other printer parts.

To seal this noble intention geared at preserving the environment, BIC designed its recycling facilities to conform to ISO 14001 (International Organizations for Standardization) guidelines and consequently addressed pertinent environmental management concerns. The ISO is a series of standards that are relevant to environmental management systems. In fact, Brother selected five R’s as keywords intended to encapsulate the company’s environmental activity – REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, REFORM, and RECYCLE. This environmental program rightfully serves Brother’s stature as an environmentally responsible corporate citizen.

The Brother ‘AT YOUR SIDE’ recycling program accepts used laser printer toner cartridges and users are encouraged to deliver properly packed, empty printer cartridges to the different pick-up points designated around the country. Another option is to forward used consumables by mail (free of charge) using shipping labels that can be printed from Brother's recycling page on its website. Note however that unlike HP and Staples, Brother does not provide incentives, cash rewards or tax rebates for every toner cartridge returned.

Recycling at the personal level is easy with Brother consumables since all Brother OEM toner cartridges are provided with toner fill holes. Once the toner cartridge runs dry, a user will only have to open the fill hole by flipping the hopper plug off the toner chamber and pouring in fresh toner powder supplied by a toner refill kit. Now the refill process can be performed 3 to 4 times until the cartridge has reached its maximum effective print cycle. By then, the consumable can be forwarded to the Brother recycling plants for appropriate disposal.

Brother laser printer users have the distinct advantage over other printer users since the BIC takes proper care of its consumers by providing them not only user-friendly products but environmentally fine-tuned equipment as well.

What you need to know about Post Consumer or Recycled Paper?

A decade ago recycled paper did not fare well in the mainstream, particularly with laser printer users. The quality of paper fibers constituting recycled media obviously did not meet the standards of most users to thus merit its low patronage. For one, paper dust particles teeming in recycled paper consequently affected the quality of printouts.

A sizeable build up of paper dust over the feeders and rollers of printing equipment can cause malfunctions while the grainy and abrasive surface of recycled paper expedited the wear and tear of printer components. Moreover, recycled paper fibers absorb too much moisture, affecting toner adhesion to paper and causing paper to crease easily which is the precursor of paper jams.

Well, these were all true when Ronald Reagan was still president. Since then, paper manufacturing technologies have improved a dozen times over and recycled paper - also known as post-consumer paper has now attained level status with virgin paper.

In fact in a few States such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, SC and Massachusetts among others; the Federal Government now puts more preference on the use of recycled paper over those produced with virgin paper components. This is in line with the government’s thrust to conserve our shrinking resources. Although trees used in making paper like Oak, Maple and Pine are renewable reserves, still it takes around 20 to 30 years to grow a replacement that is eligible for use as paper material. Cutting trees incessantly just to serve paper requirements swings the ecological balance to dangerous levels, thus prudence needs to be exercised and recycling used paper is seen as the most viable option.

In order for paper to be classified as post-consumer paper it must pass certain criteria that are related to a laser printer’s specification in terms of speed, fusing temperature, paper surface quality and texture. Set criteria are listed as follows:

• It has the highest post-consumer content.
• It does not contain chlorine or chlorine derivatives.
• Paper component does not include old growth timber content.
• Paper is produced in mills that comply with substantial environmental regulations.
• Recycled paper can be used sparingly on laser printers.
• Cost per ream of recycled paper is competitive or even lower than virgin paper.

An example of recycled paper that passed the mentioned criteria is the Badger Envirographic, a 100% post consumer paper.

Print quality is not only dependent on laser printer media. Certainly, a sufficient supply of toner powder contributes to the enviable performance of the laser printer. Always remember though that recycling begins with laser printer users; so that when an OEM toner cartridge runs out of toner, a compatible toner refill kit is within reach to resolve the issue.

Xerox Green World Alliance - Where Used Xerox Toner Cartridges Should End Up!

Xerox not only gave the world a glimpse of the first laser printer, but also invoked socio-environmental responsibility through its recycling program called the Xerox Green World Alliance. Decades after the first laser printer came out, tons and tons of empty toner cartridges have now found its way into landfills; excreting leachage that contaminates underground water and waterways. Moreover, the volume of greenhouses gases pumped into the atmosphere through its production should not be discounted. Laser printers may have helped us accomplish our printing needs, but it has also left a trail of e-garbage that could decompose in 450 years if unattended in dumpsites.

The Xerox Green World Alliance is one such program launched by Xerox that aims to help conserve our rapidly vanishing reserves and likewise limit the influx of environmental pollutants by recycling empty OEM toner cartridges. In the United States alone, over 110 million toner cartridges are disposed annually.If piled vertically, its height and bulk could equal the 110 floors Sears Tower. Consequently, around $15 billion is required to manufacture these cartridges - that is by the way, 10 times the construction cost of the Sears Tower.

How does the Xerox Green World Alliance operate its recycling program? Xerox Corporation inked a partnership with logistics giant UPS. Through the transport facilities of UPS, empty toner cartridges accumulated in UPS pickup points are fetched and ferried to the recycling plants of Xerox Corporation. The process relevant to individual cartridge returns is itemized as follows:

1. Consumers who wish to avail of the Xerox Recycling program can log on to Xerox's website and print pre-paid UPS shipping labels that are uniquely bar-coded (maximum of 15 at a time) for each pack intended for return.
2. Pack the used toner cartridge using the same packaging or carton from which the item came in and affix the shipping label - one label for each package. Each printed label contains a foolproof tracking number and bar code. Use of photocopied or reproduced shipping label is not advised.
3. Hand in your packed item to the UPS representative once your new consumable purchase is delivered. Individual returns can also be dropped off at UPS pick-up points or outlets. Pick up is encouraged by calling1-800-PICK-UPS (742-5877) or transacting online at www.ups.com - indicating the package as an ‘ARS Return Shipment.’

Xerox now makes recycling more convenient to its consumers through in-house recycling services that drastically cuts down office and household printing waste and in the process help save the environment.


We should not always rely on Xerox Corporation for the recycling of unused toner cartridges. Do-it-yourself projects such as refilling empty toner cartridges with compatible toner refill kits is a simple act of recycling that is of tremendous help to global conservation efforts.

HP Planet Partners - Extensive Recycling Options for HP Cartridge Users

Try to get hold of a used, toner-empty OEM toner cartridge and you will likely conclude that given the proper care and attention, the cartridge unit can last forever. The plastic carcass of the cartridge is designed as such to survive any form of mishandling; unless of course if deliberately whacked with a hammer. But then again, printer manufacturers installed inferior imaging components into the system to render the cartridge good for a single printing cycle only; or perhaps just until the accompanying toner runs dry. Even then, third party manufacturers have devised methods to extend the life cycle of toner cartridges for up to 3 or 4 times through the development and distribution of compatible toner refill kits.

Now that conservation efforts are spreading worldwide like wild fire, leading printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard is spearheading the recall of majority of used hardware and accessories (particularly toner cartridges) to HP's state-of-the-art recycling. This is to make sure that said electronic devices are recycled responsibly. Through HP Planet Partners, empty HP toner cartridges can be returned for recycling through the following options:

Inspect the packaging of genuine HP LaserJet cartridges (only for recyclable cartridges) for prepaid return labels that can be used to return such cartridges to HP once it dries up.

As part of HP Planet Partners program, used HP toner cartridges can also be returned via HP's sanctioned recycling outlets that serve as collection points for used consumables. This is in addition to several recycling options now in operation.

As majority of HP consumers bring along their empty toner cartridges when purchasing a replacement, in-store recycling options is now offered at retail locations such as Staples. HP's retail recycling program is intended to provide additional free and convenient return options to its customers.

HP and Staples are now giving customers ‘Staples Rewards’ of $3 for each toner cartridge recycled. And as the 12th America Recycles Day approaches, additional incentives and cash rewards await consumers who patronize HP's in-house recycling option.

For free, postage paid-return options including return envelopes, bulk collection boxes and printable labels for all HP LaserJet toner cartridges, consumers are advised to visit www.hp.com/recycle for more details.

Since the inception of HP Planet Partners, HP has achieved a milestone in corporate responsibility through the recycling of more than 250 million print cartridges worldwide. Today HP’s recycling program is existing and operational in over 47 countries, regions and territories around the globe. And in anticipation of increased recycling response from consumers, HP is expanding its North American cartridge recycling facility to over 7,500 square meters to improve its efficiency and productivity.

Paper Moisture Content: How it affects the integrity of printouts?

How does the moisture content of paper affect the quality of printouts? There's more to the use of transparencies in printing than getting them stocked for the next print job. In this regard, laser printers ought to dig this info.

Moisture content is a determining factor of print quality. Media with low moisture content has the tendency to curl and create paper handling troubles. On the other hand, high moisture content affects the adhesion of toner particles on paper that would likely result to poor quality printouts with smudges appearing on the printed page. There has got to be a reasonable balance between room temperature and humidity in order to obtain the type of prints desired.

What therefore is the ideal printing environment? A fully air-conditioned facility with room temperature that hovers from around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity content that ranges from 35% to 55% is considered highly conducive to laser printing. Packed reams of paper pulled out straight from the factory have a set moisture content of about 5%, which happens to be ideal for use on the laser printer. However, paper could either lose or gain moisture content when stored in a less favorable environment for several months. The manner by which paper is stored contributes much to the print quality of outputs. Therefore when stocking media, make sure that the reams of paper in inventory is consumed within a 3 month period.

Find below some helpful tips relevant to the handling and storing of laser printer media which consequently affects the upkeep of ideal moisture content and the sustained quality of printed output.

1. Conduct print jobs with locations exhibiting comfort zone ranges in terms of temperature, humidity and air movement because excessive heat causes paper to lose its moisture content through evaporation; or gain moisture if room humidity is a bit too high.
2. Store paper in a dry (average temperature) bin; preferably its original packaging since manufacturers designed those to be moisture-proof.
3. Avoid storing paper in damp environments so as to prevent paper from absorbing too much moisture. In time, this could render the paper soggy and no longer fit for use on laser printers.
4. Open only reams that could possibly be used for the whole day. Never leave stocks of paper bare. As much as possible, insert stacks of unused paper back to its packaging and seal it, particularly during weekends.
5. Before committing to the purchase of reams of paper for a 3-month period, always conduct a test print to ensure that paper is suited for the laser printer.

The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) is working with paper manufacturers to set the groundwork for an acceptable paper standard. Until then, laser printer users are left to fend for themselves.

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Print defects do not always result from the use of an unspecified paper type, low toner supply can sometimes contribute to defects. In this case, refilling an empty cartridge with compatible toner supplied by a toner refill kit can resolve the issue.

Paper Jams: Why paper gets stuck inside the printer?

Paper jams do happen frequently, particularly when a laser printer is already over a year old. This temporary inconvenience however occurs with all types of printers and not just laser printers; given the mechanical components in motion to transfer paper from one component to the next. With contemporary printer units, state of the art electronic devices now support the smooth conveyance of paper while built-in software prompts the user over the occurrence of a paper jam. Nonetheless, these do not in any way prevent the incidence of paper jams. Paper gets stuck inside the paper due to damaged or worn out rollers.

What are printer rollers?
Rollers are moving plastic cylinders that depend on friction between its rough rubber coating and the surface of the paper to move the latter across printer components. Over time, the roller surface will wear out; picking up toner and paper dust that will contaminate its surface and reduce its resistance. This then becomes the precursor to paper jams which can be fixed by cleaning roller surfacew with a lint-free damp cloth or if not, by replacing the entire roller assembly. Nevertheless, to identify which roller is due for replacement and likewise causing printer jams needs careful study.

Which printer roller is responsible for paper jams?
The Pick-up Roller set with the paper supply tray is the typical culprit of most paper jams. When said rollers are moving but could not pick-up paper, this indicates loss of friction caused by a dirty, worn out roller that renders the roller unable to grip the paper properly. When the roller's rubber coating is spotted shiny or smooth, then it's time to replace the pick up roller.

On the other hand, paper jams can also be caused by transparencies where a ream of paper has been loaded to the tray straight from its packaging. Transparencies packed in a ream tends to stick to each other and therefore needs to be loosened before loading the stack to the printer.

The Separator Pads outfitted with the paper supply tray allows paper to be fed to the printer one at a time; even when a stock of transparencies is loaded to the tray. Positioned right in the middle of the paper path, the device is intended to avoid multiple feeding and prevent paper jams as well. Separation pads are held by a pair of steel pressure springs that is responsible for introducing pressure on the topmost surface of the loaded stack to thus allow pick-up rollers to pick paper one at a time.

Over time, the pressure springs lose its pressure capability to cause multiple paper feeding and eventually the dreaded paper jams. As preventive maintenance, what is recommended is the replacement of pressure springs following 3 toner cartridge replacements or after the third refill, in case cartridge toner supply is replenished using toner refill kits; to keep the pressure springs reliable and properly functioning.

Remember that paper jams do not occur because of an empty toner cartridge but due to dirty and worn out rollers.

The Many Benefits of Toner Cartridge Recycling Programs

Why is there a need to recycle empty toner cartridges? Oil based polymers are used in the manufacture of its plastic casing and recycling can help conserve the finite supply of fossil fuels.

The present worldwide production of petroleum-based plastic is pegged at 100 million tons annually. At this rate, manufacturing plants use around 7 million barrels of petroleum per day to sustain production volume. Petrol consumption represents 8% of global supply and with reserves gradually dwindling, remaining fuel resources could only last us decades.

Recycling is in line with global conservation efforts. A reduction in the volume of toner cartridges disposed would temporarily clear landfills. Consequently, reusing cartridges would result in the reduced consumption of petrol as a cutback in manufacturing volume for new cartridges is imminent. Until a biodegradable polymer casing (made from organic materials) can be developed for toner cartridges; then recycling for the moment will suffice.


Recycling extends the lifespan of printer consumables. Projects involving the recycle of laser printer consumables is not limited to the refill of empty toner cartridges with fresh toner supply. A used and worn out cartridge can be carefully dismantled where worn out components are replaced with new imaging parts while serviceable components are retained. Fresh toner powder is transferred to the toner chamber thereafter prior to reassembly. Remanufactured toner cartridges are typically distributed by third party manufacturers or if you have the technical expertise, you can in fact remanufacture the cartridge yourself and use it for another printing cycle instead of dumping it immediately with neighborhood trash.

Recycling rallies manufacturers and individuals towards a common cause. Printer manufacturers have organized recycling services that allow customers to trade in, donate or return used computers, PC components, printers and related consumables in the case of Hewlett Packard while Xerox encourages the bulk return of used consumables under its Green World Alliance Program. Meanwhile, recycling companies such as LaserCare of Los Angeles have been recognized lately for the gains of its cartridge recovery programs; particularly for the recycling of over 300,000 laser printer toner cartridges. Said volume would have occupied at least 75,000 cubic feet of landfill space.

Recycling creates new jobs. These conservation efforts not only satisfy thousands of laser printer users but likewise create dozens of local manufacturing jobs to a workforce derailed by our ailing economy. This proves further that environment-friendly programs can likewise promote the upkeep of local businesses.

Recycling efforts are now running in high gear with a number of OEM's now stamping toner cartridges with return seals. But for empty OEM toner cartridges that only need a toner refill to work again, use a compatible toner refill kit to replenish its toner supply and remember that a cartridge can sustain three refills and print cycles.

Xerox Phaser 6140 color laser printer: Affordable True Color Printing with an Eco-Friendly Promise!

Now that the new Xerox Phaser 6140 laser printer is out in the market, the majority of consumers can heave a sigh of relief because at last an affordable color laser printer is available. It is a fact that color laser printing is expensive; but with the Xerox Phaser selling for only $399 while its replacement cartridge is retailed for less than $90 each, color printing is no longer confined to big businesses but also to budget-conscious individuals.

What does the Xerox Phaser 6140 bring into color printing?
Xerox through the years has sustained its reputation of providing the best office imaging equipment. That is why operating a Xerox machine in offices or even households can give users an upright feeling of superiority and a class by itself. This new equipment from Xerox delivers the following features:

Expressive colors or printouts that seem to spring out of the box. Printouts produced by the Phaser 6140 come to life with head-turning color quality and powerful color boosts.

Print resolution of up to 600x600x4 dpi (dots per inch). Photo-quality images await the Phaser 6140 user given the printer's vibrant color reproduction capabilities.

Xerox exclusive toner technology. The Phaser 6140 prints documents using Xerox’s Emulsion Aggregate High Gloss (EAHG) toner powder. The EAHG toner comes engineered as uniform-sized and shaped particles to produce superior image details, line characterization and text that are extra sharp and clear.

Color Simulation and Correction. The unit is also equipped with Pantone Color designed solid-color simulations and the dependable Xerox Color Correction Technology to generate precise and true colors respectively over printouts.

True Adobe PostScript. The Phaser 6140 supports this Adobe Imaging Model to further ehance color and graphics printouts.

All of these features are packed into the Xerox Phaser 6140 laser printer. At an affordable cost, the user gets high resolution prints that can always be expected from a Xerox machine.

But wait! The Xerox Phaser 6140 is also an Energy Star rated laser printer having passed the stringent measures on energy use promulgated by USEPA (United States Environment Protection Agency). Moreover, this printing equipment is part of the Xerox Green World Alliance – a global movement organized to encourage printer users to recycle and dispose supplies and consumables properly.

Thus with recycling now forming part of Xerox's commitment to the environment, consumers must also do their share in the recycling process. The most sensible option is to use a compatible toner refill kit on empty Xerox toner cartridges, rather than disposing these consumables nonchalantly to clog dumpsites and contaminate waterways.