Dots Per Inch (DPI) Resolution: The True Measure of Print Quality

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DPI resolution. Imagine a laser print on paper that is one square inch in size. Under a resolution size of 1200 DPI x 1200 DPI , the printer’s scanner can accurately pack 1200 dots on a single horizontal row that is 1 inch wide. Depending on how fast paper or media moves, 1200 dots in a single column file (also1 inch in length) can be generated vertically as well. The finished print is sharp, smooth and no longer grainy because of the 1,440,000 (1,200 multiplied by 1,200) dots that comprise the 1 square inch image. Images set with high Dot Per Inch (DPI) resolution differ from a 300 x 300 DPI or a 600 x 600 DPI (lower resolution sizes) image because dots generated are far in between that reduces print intensity, resulting to images that are dull and absurdly grainy. The process of converting images into a raster graphics image composed of dots forms part of the electro-photographic (EP) printing process.

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5 Recycling Tips for the Brother TN-350 Toner Cartridge

Are you intending to refill the toner supply of your Brother TN-350 toner cartridge? Why not use the Brother TN-350 toner refill kit to just that. The refill product comes supplied with high grade toner powder that is designed to deliver the same quality prints and yield as the OEM toner. Refilling the toner cartridge is so easy that you can actually complete replenishment in less than 5 minutes. As an added reference, find below a few tips relevant to the replenishment and Maintenance of the TN-350 toner cartridge.

Vacuum Dry the toner cartridge’s supply chamber. As much as 70 grams of toner routinely lingers in the supply chamber of the toner cartridge, even when the printer has already alerted you with the “Toner Out” prompt. Thus, before proceeding with the refill, make sure that the toner hopper or supply chamber is sucked free off toner residues. Failure to do so will cause backgrounding and may even damage the toner cartridge.

Clean the Developer Roller and Blade. Using the lint free cloth, wipe off bits of toner powder that may be sticking to the developer roller and blade. Again, this will keep the cartridge from backgrounding while extending its serviceable life.

Replace worn out components. If it’s the second or third time that the cartridge is being replenished of toner, better inspect the condition of pertinent parts. Replaceable components such as the drum, transfer roller, doctor blade and developer roller will wear out over time and will require replacement to ensure the cartridge’s sustained functioning.

Clean the printer before and after replacing the cartridge. Apart from tidying the laser printer’s casing as well as removing spilled toner powder, dust and paper fragments; it is also recommendable to perform automatic cleaning and test prints using the printer’s bundled software.

Do not recycle toner powder. Used toner will not only cause backgrounding but also contaminate the cleaning mechanism of the drum unit. Eventually, bad toner will contaminate the newly installed toner and shorten the cartridge’s useful life.

Do not use chemicals to clean cartridge components. Avoid using ammonia based cleaners to prevent causing permanent damage to the toner cartridge. Instead, use a dry, lint free cloth to clean cartridge internal components.

Do not touch the transfer roller and fusing area. Avoid hand contact with the transfer roller and fusing area. Doing so would leave skin oils on the surface which could trigger print quality problems and affect the fusing of toner powder to paper respectively.

Observe proper gear maintenance. The gear side of the toner cartridge also requires careful maintenance to guarantee the proper functioning of the unit. The gear shafts should be adequately greased and replaced with lithium grease if shaft is dried up. In case toner powder contaminates the grease, the shaft and gear should be wiped clean of toner to avoid backgrounding and cartridge damage.

Take note of the above mentioned tips and follow closely the instructional material supplied with the kit; and surely you’ll have that toner cartridge going again in a few minutes. But just in case you encounter troubles along the way while refilling the cartridge with the Brother toner refill kit, rest assured that you have available over-the-phone customer assistance for your inquiries and other concerns.

Why compatible toner can produce OEM-quality prints?

Do you really know what materials are used in the manufacture of those miniscule; electrically-charged powder that adheres and forms images on paper? Moreover, what particular specifications constitute compatible toner powder that allows it to produce decent prints and achieve a yield rating similar to that of the OEM toner?

Chances are that most consumers really do not care so long as the toner product can deliver the print quality and yield it is bruited about. But here is a quick look at toner composition in general and the specifications pertinent to its production.

Toner Powder Composition

Special polymers with low melting points make up the composition of toner powder where each micron-sized grain has been jet milled to a certain particle size in order to match the resolution specifications of the laser printer. These factors combined produce different toner formulations from one manufacturer to another and likewise from one printer model to the next.

Compatible Toner Specifications

Toner grain size. Grain size is set based on the laser printer's dpi (dots per inch) setting which determines potential resolution or the ability of the laser beam to carve the dot size on the photoreceptor drum's surface.Compatible toner supplied with toner refill kits is produced to duplicate the varying grain requirement set per laser printer model. Duplication is important, as an unmatched grain size will result in poor print resolution.

Toner melting point. Toner powder is characterized with low melting points but the melted particles cool rapidly to create a strong, permanent bond with the paper। Heat requirement is dependent on grain size, composition and is likewise designed to match the operating capacity of the fuser; since laser printers require differing temperatures to facilitate bonding of toner particles to paper fibers.

Extreme temperature on the other hand will cause paper burns and prevent toner from being melted properly and consequently adhering to paper. Thus, third party manufacturers likewise observe OEM toner melting point in the design and production of compatible toner.

Toner gram weight. Toner gram weight determines cartridge yield or rating. As such, OEM toner and compatible toner of similar composition and grain size but with differing gram weight will produce varying yield. Toner with less gram weight will definitely generate lesser printed pages.

OEM quality prints and yield is produced when compatible toner supplied with toner refill kits (1) comes in a grain size that matches printer requirements (2) is set with heat temperature that is enough to melt toner and (3) has a similar gram weight as the OEM toner.

Laser Printer Drum Unit - Maintenance Tips

Laser printers have built-in control devices that signals the user about an anomaly in the device's operation. When printouts are not as crisp as it used to be and print defects likewise materialize, the LCD would likely prompt the immediate clean up of the drum unit. Whenever the drum unit is due for maintenance, the user has 2 options - either opt for dealer servicing of the laser printer to let them do the dirty job or conduct the maintenance work themselves. If the user prefers the latter, then we have helpful cleaning tips outlined below.

Before performing any maintenance works on the drum unit, take hold of the manual and study more closely the process involved; particularly the dismantling and reassembly of pertinent parts following clean up. In most instances, excess toner sticking on the surface of the photoreceptor drum is the primary cause for print quality defects that is typically collected during paper jams.

Do not touch the drum or overexpose it to light. The photoreceptor drum is photosensitive so take care not to overexpose the unit to light sources. The drum is likewise prone to scratches and dents so remember not to let your fingers touch the surface. Moreover, oil and sweat emanating from the fingers are acidic and could interfere with its photoreceptor function to result in print defects.

Do not use detergents to clean the drum. It is not advisable to use cleaning products such as detergents to clean the photoreceptor drum. Applying chemicals could likely cause damage to the drum's surface. Instead use paper and some cotton buds to get rid of toner residues.

Clean pertinent parts of the drum assembly. The drum assembly compose of the wiper blade, grate, metal guide roller, the photoreceptor drum and the foam roller. While cleaning the rollers is a must to rid it from loose toner sticking to its surface, what requires thorough maintenance include the wiper blade, grate and the cavities of the assembly. As much as possible, use suction over the rollers and crevices to blow off excess toner. It is necessary to clear toner residues over the foam roller as said device is designated to clean the drum. Know that a toner-saturated foam roller can trigger backgrounding.

Once the necessary maintenance procedures have been completed, reassembly of the cartridge unit should come out easy as it is only the reverse of disassembling and putting all the loose parts together. Before proceeding with waiting print jobs, what is recommended is to monitor the restored drum assembly if it rotates regularly and is cleaned properly.

Likewise check the toner cartridge if it has sufficient toner before loading the drum assembly, if not refill the empty cartridge with a compatible toner refill kit and print a few copies for quality. In case the drum has been damaged and is no longer serviceable, you can always get a replacement from OEM sources or from a third party sources. Compatible drum kits such as the Brother DR-510 Compatible Drum is more affordable while set with the same specifications as its OEM counterpart.

Doing maintenance work on your laser printer drum unit is not much to fret about, but the process could be messy if not handled precisely.

Dell 3000 Drum Reset Chip - Replacing the smart chip for another printing cycle

What happens when a trusty laser printer such as the Dell 3000 conks out right in the middle of an important print job? Don’t panic! There could be a hundred different reasons why the printer desisted functioning. If prior to interruption, print quality was determined to be consistent while no defects materialized over printouts; then the possibility of being low on toner supply can be ruled out. What you can do is initially check the printer’s power supply for loose connection. If connection is not faulty and the printer’s LCD prompts the Replace Photoconductor message then most likely the trouble is with the drum unit.

The imaging drum kit of Dell laser printers are outfitted with radio frequency-enabled , locking devices called smart chips. The smart chip is a small, button-like counting electronic device that automatically discontinues the drum's operations following the print out of 10,500 pages in the case of the Dell 310-5732 imaging drum kit. Being the image transfer component of the laser printer unit, no copies can be further produced from the device after it has reached its specified lifespan, unless replaced with a new drum kit. Moreover, the response is automatic regardless of whether the toner cartridge is empty or half full. There is a way however to override the drum counter and that is by replacing its smart chip with a clone Dell 3000 drum reset chip.

Overriding the Smart Chip

Dell designed its drum units separately from the toner cartridge and as such, it is possible for the latter to outlast the intended page life of the drum unit following a number of toner cartridge replacements. Even when it is already due for replacement, the drum can still survive another cycle as long as the unit is free from scratches and dents, where a little housekeeping of its surface (clearing lingering waste toner) would make it serviceable again. In these instances, it would be practical to replace the smart chip with a Dell 3000 drum reset chip

Simply unload the drum cartridge from the laser printer; locate the smart chip slot and pluck the item out with your fingernails or use a small flat head screwdriver and then slide in the reset chip. The process is that simple, no special tools are needed to successfully replace the DELL 3000 drum reset chip.

The smart chip likewise needs to be replaced if the user decides to refill empty DELL 310-5726 OEM toner cartridges with the DELL 3000 toner refill kit or the printer will not print at all. Replacing the DELL reset chip is just like installing a new automatic page counting electronic device. The Dell 3000 drum reset chip is available at Laser Tek Services for only $16.95. That's way cheaper than getting a $160 drum imaging kit.