Why are Dell toner cartridges expensive?

Why are new generation color toner cartridges very expensive? This observation covers all color toner cartridges and not only those that loads the DELL 5100cn color laser printer. Well, technically the main reason would point out to the design of the print engine. The color laser printer uses four CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta, black) cartridges to print color images and graphics. In the previous print engine design, all 4 toner cartridges were placed in carriages that turn around a central OPC Drum. All cartridges synchronically supply required amounts of toner over the latent image created on the OPC Drum by a single laser scanning assembly. Therefore, cartridges back then were designed for the sole function of storing toner and that is why cartridges were built smaller, much more simpler and cheaper.

Recent print engine design for color laser units is different in a sense that all toner cartridges are fixed and stationary, and arrayed either vertically or horizontally. Moreover, the cartridge alignment makes it impossible for cartridges to supply toner to a single OPC Drum. Designers added 4 OPC Drums and 4 Laser Scanning Assemblies - one for each cartridge. And what better way to make the process work but to attach the toner cartridge assembly to the OPC Drum component. This results to better printouts delivered at a much faster turnout. In line with the new print engine design, the OPC drum is now housed together with the toner cartridge. So when the cartridge runs out of toner, the user technically replaces not only the cartridge but also the OPC Drum.

Solo cartridges produced in the past were already very expensive. Well, the new toner and OPC Drum cartridge combo is even more pricey. But one simple fact remains. The lifecycle of the OPC Drum is at least 3 times or more than that of the toner cartridge. The Dell 310-54808 toner cartridge (yellow) is rated 8,000 pages at 5% coverage and the OPC Drum has a life expectancy of over 30,000 pages; also at 5% coverage. Every time a user discards an empty cartridge combo, the OPC Drum is also disposed even when the component has not even reached 20% of its full potential. And considering that the toner cartridge alone can last over 3 lifecycles, imagine how much money is wasted because the Dell OEM toner cartridge combo costs $210.

However, users can prevent the ‘printing blues’ by administering toner refills on the empty toner cartridge combo. Bear in mind that a compatible DELL 5100 toner refill kit sells for only $28.95 and since it is manufactured along similar lines with the OEM toner, it is guaranteed to perform at par with the genuine cartridge. Moreover, the user can institute refills on an empty cartridge several times over the industry recommended refill frequency. This way, substantial savings could really be generated.

So, why do OEM color toner cartridges cost so much? To reiterate, the consumable has evolved to a toner cartridge and OPC Drum duo.

EA-HG Toner Technology: Now Applied to Aftermarket Toner!

Laser printing has improved several times better over the last decade with the development of the Chemical Toner some 7 years ago. This toner technology was the brainchild of Xerox Corporation, having invented the toner technology that all other printer manufacturers adopted for their own line of toner cartridges. The Chemical Toner developed by Xerox is marketed as the EA-HG (Emulsion Aggregate – High Gloss), aptly described because toner was devised to literally grow in a water-based chemical emulsion. Thus the size and shape of the chemically grown toner is environmentally controlled; resulting in toner sizes 3 microns to 10 microns in diameter, and in shapes that are consistently spherical or oval.

The spherical shape of Chemical Toner is ideal for laser printing because toner can conveniently roll over the latent images created on the OPC Drum surface. This toner type is entirely different from jet-milled toner of the previous years that sported irregularly shaped edges, resulting in toner waste as the jagged edges prevent the easy movement of toner particles. For a while, printer manufacturers enjoyed the advantage over the aftermarket toner consumable. But not for long because around 22 months ago this toner technology has likewise been replicated in the production laboratories of third party manufacturers. This only goes to show that both OEM and aftermarket toner today stand on an even keel with no one asserting supremacy over the other.

With the coming of age of aftermarket consumables - particularly toner refill kits; consumers are fully assured that printouts (laser prints) herewith will no longer show any form of disparity to the OEM toner. The bone of contention being print quality and yield in printed pages are addressed feasibly. A good example of a toner refill kit that employs this novel toner technology is the Dell 5100 toner refill kit that is intended to refill the 310-5810 toner cartridge. Retailed to users at $28.95, the consumable is rated 8,000 pages at 5% coverage. Compare this to the OEM toner cartridge that is sold at Dell outlets for $210 or over 85% more than its aftermarket counterpart. With both toner products exhibiting similar printing potentials (print quality and yield); toner refill kits are obviously the better option.

Never hesitate to use toner refill kits to support your laser printing requirements for after all both OEM and compatible toner use the same toner technology.

Laser Printer Fuser and Thermistor Sensor: How the condition of these components affects print quality?

What is a fuser thermistor sensor? Laser printers use the combination of heat and pressure to stick toner particles into paper permanently. And as such the fuser assembly of the laser printer is a vital component devised to melt toner particle and allow it to adhere to paper fibers; resulting in a permanent bond. The fuser therefore must maintain heat temperature that range from between 180 to as much as 210 degrees Fahrenheit. The formulation of toner particles should likewise meet the required melting properties and temperature range to be an effective vehicle for laser printing. If fuser temperature could not be maintained or if the toner formulation does not meet fuser specification, then it will manifest as half-baked toner peeling off over printouts.

In the case of Lexmark laser printers, the fuser's heating element is a Halogen Lamp designed to heat up and reach the desired temperature range. Because a Halogen Lamp can heat-up very rapidly in short stretches, it can however scourge paper (affects the hygroscopic properties) during printing if left unchecked and uncontrolled or cause the early burn-out of the Halogen lamp. The work of the Thermistor sensor therefore is to maintain the prescribed temperature ranges required for laser printing, particularly when the printer is used over long periods of time.

Lexmark laser printers for commercial use comes with a fuser assembly that is designed as a modular unit which can be replaced as a complete sub-assembly. Said component has a hot upper roller made of aluminum and is coated with Teflon (coating of most frying pans). The Halogen lamp heater is built into the core and comes either in metallic gray or green. The lower pressure roller counterpart is made of silicon based rubber and usually marketed as orange colored. The Thermistor is likewise mounted on the hot fuser roller to precisely monitor the fuser temperature. Heat could damage the silicon rubber pressure rollers which eventually become soft. The Teflon coating of the hot rollers could wear-off and the Halogen lamp may burnout. A dirty Thermister coated with baked-on toner could also cause the fuser assembly to overheat.

However, aside from a well-oiled printer, the final gauge of a laser printer’s capability is still the quality of its printouts which could only be delivered by a specified toner formulation. Quality toner can only come from an OEM toner cartridge or a toner refill kit compatible to the Lexmark printer. In the case of Lexmark compatibles, LTS' refill package come 80% cheaper. The toner refill kit for the LEXMARK C500 printer is only $25.95 against the OEM at $140. Both toner products deliver similar print quality and yield of 5,000 pages at 5% coverage.

Always keep the Thermistor clean to experience quality printouts and extend the effective lifecycle of your Lexmark laser printer.

Clean Earth Campaign - Canon's Recycling Crusade!

Launched during the 1990s, Canon USA's Clean Earth Campaign is a global environmental program with initiatives that include the collection and recycling of used toner cartridges from its consumer base.

The campaign has so far achieved remarkable success for today, it is recognized as America's premier corporate environmental management program. In its almost 20 year run, consumable collection has ballooned to more than 110,000 tons around the globe, to tremendously surpass its set collection targets. Used cartridges are sorted out and subjected to a thorough recycling process to conserve energy during the remanufacturing stages; thus resulting to reconditioned imaging components, new cartridges and several other printer peripherals.

Consumers who intend to participate in the recycling program are instructed to follow set procedures outlined in Canon's website; particularly on the dispatch of empty cartridges to Canon through the parcel services of UPS; that is free of charge. Just like HP and Xerox, UPS is the official carrier of packages deposited in particular drop off points and with UPS outlets as well. As added convenience to the participating consumer, shipping labels can obtained from Canon's website and printed directly from the PC. Each label comes secured with a unique tracking bar code to facilitate shipping in an efficient manner.

Canon highly appreciates the efforts of its customers at recycling Canon-brand consumables. However unlike HP's "Staple Rewards" Program; no incentives, rebates or tax deductions are offered in exchange for every toner cartridge returned. Nevertheless, Canon assures its consumer base that it operates state-of-the art recycling facilities found in several sites around the globe. Moreover, empty toner cartridges pass stringent procedures in the remanufacturing of its components.

To further strengthen this commitment, Canon applied for an ISO 14001 Certification and consequently designed its recycling plants based on the ISO standards for environmental management systems. Today, all of Canon's worldwide network of recycling facilities are ISO 14001 classified. This will put beyond question Canon's promise to conform to rated environmental policies as well as comply with ongoing environmental laws and regulations to help conserve and protect the environment.

End users of Canon toner cartridges should not be solely dependent on Canon and its recycling centers for the responsible disposal and remanufacture of used or retired consumables. Recycling can in fact be undertaken on a personal scale. The simple reloading of an empty toner cartridge with a compatible Canon toner refill kit to extend the unit's life for up to 3 or 4 print cycles is already a sign of commitment to the environment.

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Are you using the

Canon MF4150 MF-4690 series laser printers?

The unit's toner cartridge can be recycled

for another cycle of printing using a compatible toner refill kit.

Get the Canon 104 High Yield Black Toner Refill Kit 4 Pack today !

Available from Laser Tek Services for only $38.95.

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Kit refills the following HP cartridges: FX-9 FX-10.

Using a Canon toner cartridge from another printer series? Check out our Canon compatible toner refill kits.

Toner Refill Kits: Reduce Color Printing Expenditure on the Xerox Phaser 2135

The Xerox Phaser 2135 is a color laser printer renowned for producing high resolution, full color pages at the remarkable speed of 21 pages per minute (ppm). The unit runs on ‘straight paper path’ technology which considerably reduces the incidence of paper jams while sustaining favorable print delivery turnout. As such, the printer uses 4 sets of toner cartridges – OPC Drum combo and 4 sets of laser scanning assembly but utilizes only a single fuser responsible for bonding toner permanently to paper fibers. To simplify image development, toner coming from the OPC Drum is laid by way of electrostatic potential on the ITB (image transfer belt), before coming in contact with paper (media) and prior to entering the fuser assembly.

The Phaser 2135 prints on bundled replacement toner consumables that aggregately cost $1,100. These are supplied in four CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta and black) cartridges with each color yielding some 15,000 pages at 5% coverage. The black cartridge retails at $100 while the color cartridges are sold at a counter price of $345 each. The cartridges are high yield, so the printing cost per page (CPP) is obviously very low. Despite the low CPP, it is for a fact that the pricing of its consumables can be very restrictive to the budgets of regular laser printer users.

What makes the Xerox Phaser toner cartridge expensive to produce? The new generation toner cartridge comprises of the toner cartridge and OPC Drum duo. While the toner cartridge is rated at say 15,000 pages, the OPC Drum has a lifecycle that exceeds that of the cartridge at around 60,000 pages. Therefore, the still functional OPC drum gets disposed whenever the toner empty cartridge is discarded. In manufacturing the cartridge and components alone, the cost could reach $150 add the cost of the OPC Drum at over $250 and you’ve got a staggering total cost.

How can we reduce color-printing costs on the Xerox Phaser 2135 laser printer? The practical option would be to refill its high capacity and standard cartridges with a compatible toner refill kit. Using Laser Tek Services’ Phaser 2135 compatible toner refill kit, the user can save as much as 80% from the bundled pricing of OEM monochrome and color cartridges without sacrificing print quality and yield. Toner refills can be administered on the empty cartridge based on the Industry recommended frequency of up to 3 times or until such time that the OPC Drum has reached the end of its effective lifecycle.


Check out our Xerox Phaser 2135 toner refill kit. Place an order today and put those empty Phaser cartridges back to life.

Announcing LTS' New Xerox Toner Refill Kits

Laser printer users are on the lookout for more affordable printer consumable options everyday. And given the rate by which new printer models from different makers are introduced and distributed into the market, producers of compatible toner in the aftermarket just can’t sit back and wait until the toner cartridges and other peripherals of these new printers are discontinued and no longer available to users.

To keep up with a fast moving industry, LTS is happy to announce the availability of new toner refill kits from its growing line of Xerox compatible toner refill kits for the color laser printers Xerox Phaser 6360, Tektronix Phaser 7700, the wide format printer Tektronix Phaser 7400 and the networked printer Tektronix Phaser 2135. Xerox Phaser 6360 units are still being distributed while the other models have already been discontinued by the manufacturer.

Our Xerox compatible toner refill kits are loaded with gram loads of compatible toner that meet high capacity requirements. Meanwhile, Xerox 7400 and Xerox 2135 kits are supplied with reset chips intended to replace the lockout chips outfitted with respective cartridges. The reset chip will reset the printer’s counter so that printouts can be generated from the refilled cartridge. Note that individual Xerox toner refill kits come with a bottle of high yield, compatible toner powder; 1 funnel cap, a pair of latex gloves, toner wipes and an illustrated instruction manual.

LTS offers competitive pricing with individual kits retailing at $74.95 (Xerox 6360); $56.95 and $64.50 (Xerox 2135 monochrome and color toner respectively); $70.95 and $80.95 (Xerox 7400 monochrome and color toner respectively); and $47.95 (Xerox 7700). Rainbow packs are also available.

For more details and Xerox toner refill kit orders, please visit the LTS website or call our toll free hotline number 877.945.2737.

Ghost Images and the Toner Cartridge's Waste Chamber

When ghost images start to appear over printouts, this is an indication that the toner cartridge is nearing the end of its serviceable life. Ghosting is typically generated by accumulated toner filling the moderately sized waste chamber. With the chamber anot being large enough, waste toner seems to contaminate the rollers. But then again, think of it as good news since the smart chip or lockout chip of the toner cartridge has worked flawlessly; resulting in the satisfactory depletion of toner supplied with the cartridge. Now this condition is true for monochrome laser printers. But for color laser units, the user will be obliged to replace the 4 color toner cartridges. Considering the cost of the bundled (CMYK) OEM cartridges, it will be a fortune (around $400) just to whisk away.


It is doubly frustrating for users of the HP LaserJet 2600n color printer because if one cartridge dries up, the replacement of the remaining 3 cartridges is required in order to commence with interrupted print jobs. Truth is that the printer will refuse to print because the smart chips of the other cartridges would all register zero toner reading. So even if one cartridge is replaced or refilled with compatible toner, printing will not follow through unless the smart chips of all the cartridges are replaced with reset chips. Printing can commence thereafter following access to the cartridge’s override function on the printer’s control panel. With the override function activated, the printer will cease to track print quality automatically. Instead, the state of prints can be monitored over the resultant printouts.

Ghost images usually appear on the first few printouts and get less pronounced as more pages are printed; until output comes out completely clean. Said defect usually resurfaces following a printing break and whenever a new job is underway. Unloading the suspect cartridge and shaking it will help a bit because the movement tends to compress waste toner and allow more room for another round of printing. However for cartridges of the HP 2600n laser printer, a hole must be burned (using a refill tool) over the polymer casing to access the waste chamber and retrieve accumulated toner; thereby completely freeing the printouts from the surfacing of ghost images.

If the need arises to completely replace the 4 cartridges, consider performing toner refills on empty cartridges because the HP 2600 toner refill kit rainbow pack is just a little over $70 (including reset chips) and provides savings of over 70% without sacrificing print quality and yield.

Toner Cartridge ‘Build Quality’ Determines Toner Refill Frequency

Given the unwavering popularity of toner refill kits, consumers are now turning to the Build Quality of toner cartridges. The reason is of course obvious. Users want their toner cartridges to last more than the recommended 3 refills, which presents potential savings in the long run. There is no longer a monopoly by OEM cartridges because third party manufacturers are also producing compatible toner cartridges that are able to meet the quality standards set forth for OEM consumables; but priced by at least 20% less.

The War of the Toner Cartridges, so to speak, is on and the brand that satisfies build quality the most will likely get a hefty share of the printer consumables market. This so called cartridge war will benefit the end user as both OEM and third party manufacturers will be determined to produce a toner formula that would capture the blackest black and the sharpest color prints.

What to expect in a ‘build quality’ toner cartridge? Similar to OEM cartridges, the unit components of this type of cartridge include the Organic Photoelectric Drum (OPC), the Primary Charge Roller (PCR), magnetic rollers, wiper and doctor blades. But unlike the regular toner cartridge, the components of a build quality unit have been designed to last much, much longer than 1 or 3 print cycles. To further guarantee print quality; said cartridges are outfitted with durable seals and end foams to prevent toner leaks; to deliver optimum printouts up to the expected life cycle of the toner cartridge. Users should always check the label on the OEM cartridge’s packaging for this statement: The cartridge may contain recycled components. Cartridges built from recycled materials will definitely turn out with lower life cycles compared to those produced from virgin components.

With build quality already secured, the user can now turn to the equivalent toner refill kit – the other half of the printing partnership. OEM and refill toner undergo rigorous laboratory print tests to come up with the desired color quality. This test will produce printed pages of solid blacks and a series of halftones which would assure that text printed are sharp and clear. Color tests performed on cyan, magenta, yellow and black toner include complete solid prints on several gradations to reach as much as 250,000 color hues that is required for the printing of photos, graphs and other graphics. Since compatible toner also undergoes similar laboratory tests, this would further boost the stature of refill toner – to really stand ‘toe to toe’ with the OEM toner in the intent of giving users the best color printouts but at more affordable prices.

A perfect example of compatible toner that meets or even exceeds industry standard is the toner supplied with the Brother TN-670 toner refill kit. Said consumable can be used to refill the cartridges of the Brother HL-6050, HL-6050D, HL-6050N laser printers. The kit retails at $13.95 and is likewise rated 7500 pages at 5% page coverage, just like its OEM counterpart. Compare this to the OEM toner cartridge that is sold at $85 and you definitely have a budget consumable at your disposal.

Always look for Build Quality toner cartridges to enjoy more than the standard refills and considerably save on toner consumable expenses.

The Real Deal about Toner Cartridge Smart Chips

From the looks of it, consumer advocates are unanimous in saying that toner cartridge smart chips a.k.a. reset chips are a ploy by printer manufacturers to entirely bar the refill of cartridge units with compatible toner. Who then can question the motives of advocates when the smart chip does not only serve the tracking of toner supply status but also includes all other functions that make it all too controversial? This includes a unique ID system that will only recognize an OEM toner cartridge coming from the same printer company through the serial numbers imprinted on the cartridge. The manufacturing date of the cartridge is also stored which likewise serves as basis in disabling printer operations once the expiry date is breached; as if toner really has an expiry date.

How does the smart chip work? The smart chip is a data memory bank integrated into the cartridge. The chip stores information about the printer type, cartridge serial number, the OPC drum’s total revolutions, the manufacturing date, number of pages counted (page count), amount of toner left and all other pertinent data. Data stored in the chip are communicated to the printer by way of radio frequency (RF) or infra red (IR) signal. And when certain limits are breached or perhaps when a non-compatible device is loaded, the chip automatically disables the printer’s operations. Example, the printer automatically responds when chip delivers information about the breached yield capacity or designated total revolutions in the case of the primary charge roller (PCR).

Does the smart chip really furnish the laser printer with accurate information? Well, as culled from consumer testimonials over the Internet, the answer is a big NO because it has been noticed that the smart chip tends to disable printer operations even when a substantial volume of toner is still left in the cartridge’s toner chamber. This gives consumers the notion that smart chips were really devised to encourage the premature purchase of replacement cartridges while preventing the conduct of refills on the unit.

Well, these assumptions are likely wild speculations because the smart chip is an electronic device that must be subjected to ideal or laboratory-like conditions in order to function seamlessly. The smart chip operates with an RF circuitry and must be provided with a self-calibration feature to render it immune from damaging thermal conditions, noise, power deviations inside the cartridge and particularly during the manufacturing process as it passes through several variations – factors that cause the chip to malfunction.

In the end, the cartridge should be outfitted with a high grade smart chip that passed superior standards set in its manufacture in order to get an accurate feedback of toner supply status, among others.

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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.

HP 2600n: Faded Prints and Laser Scanner Contamination

It is typical to attribute the faded or worn out printouts produced by color laser printers to a low or depleted toner supply. Now this can be easily resolved by replacing the toner cartridge or by replenishing the toner supply of the exhausted cartridge with compatible toner supplied by an HP toner refill kit. If upon ocular inspection, the cartridge still has sufficient toner and the magenta cartridge is likely causing the fading prints, then this could be a case of "laser scanner contamination."

This condition can easily be detected in the HP 2600n color laser printer because of its design alignment where toner cartridges are stacked one above the other. However, this is not a design flaw of the print engine. The magenta cartridge is positioned on the bottom part of the array and therefore has the tendency to absorb loose toner and dust the most; to contaminate the laser scanning assembly eventually.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/ / CC BY 2.0

The print engine of the HP 2600n color laser printer comes designed not only with 4 toner cartridges but also with 4 OPC drums, 4 laser scanning assemblies; one each for the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black toner cartridges. It is only unfortunate that the design calls for the magenta cartridge at the tail end of the cartridge array.

Over time, loose toner powder and dust collects on magenta cartridge components coating the sensitive laser and rotating reflective mirrors or lenses which consequently reduces its capability to accurately emit required light pulses on the OPC drum to form the latent image.

Failure of the laser scanning assembly results in faded or worn out color prints. Maintenance of the laser scanning assembly does not form part of the HP 2600n printer's internal cleaning features. Therefore, only manual troubleshooting will do the trick. The task of cleaning the laser scanning reflective mirror and lens is a simple matter, particularly with the printer service manual around. However, the location of this component inside the printer could not be easily reached and in fact entails dismantling the printer. For the beginner, that would take a couple of hours to complete the job.

The task is therefore best left to printer technicians to do justice on the cleaning of the laser scanning assembly.

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Are you using the

HP LaserJet P2035 series laser printer?

The unit's toner cartridge can be recycled

for another cycle of printing using a compatible toner refill kit.

Get the HP LaserJet P2035 High Yield Black Toner Refill Kit today !

Available from Laser Tek Services for only $26.95.

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Kit refills the following HP cartridges: CE505A CE505X. Save up to 80% from the retail price of the OEM cartridges when you buy the 4 pack.

Using an HP toner cartridge from another printer series? Check out our HP compatible toner refill kits.

Toner Smears and a Contaminated Transfer Belt

It becomes doubly frustrating seeing your HP 2600n color laser printer churn out printouts with a lot of toner smears. But what can be even more disconcerting are smears that stretch over the face of the printed document; as if toner leaked inside the printer. Take note that toner cartridges are designed with a lot of safeguards to prevent leakage and there is just no way for toner to leak inside the laser printer. Unless of course if a corrupted cartridge is loaded or the user simply failed to correctly seal the cartridge when conducting refills using a compatible HP toner refill kit. In instances where toner smears are excessive, the likely cause would be a worn out contaminated image transfer belt (ITB).

The HP 2600n printer uses 4 toner cartridges, 4 OPC drums and 4 laser scanner assemblies in its operation. All toner particles that create the latent image on the OPC drum are designed to cling to the ITB before it comes in contact with paper. Therefore, toner transfers permanently to paper before entering the fuser assembly. And due to the continuous snake-like movement the ITB, it is prone to fail; particularly for the HP 2600n printer that was not designed to handle high volume print jobs. If the printer is new and still under warranty, the user must inquire from the local HP repair personnel for a replacement because a new ITB is really expensive and can be a big drain financially for regular users.

However it the printer is already out of warranty, the user can perform minor troubleshooting work on the ITB to churn out several thousand pages more. For easy access to the ITB, the user should look for the large, black, plastic-looking type of sheet that normally pulls down with the front cover and try cleaning it manually with a soft cloth. If possible, manually rotate the ITB in order to clean the entire surface area (solvents should not be used due to its constituents that could damage the ITB). Thoroughly cleaning the ITB from contaminants will actually do the trick; to therefore allow the printout of more pages. But then again, this is only a temporary solution and is good only for a limited period of time, at best. When smear troubles resurface, it is time to bite the bullet and purchase a replacement ITB.

Remember, smears over the printouts is not due to an empty cartridge or the use of compatible HP toner refill kits but is actually a result of worn out and contaminated image transfer belt.

Dissecting the Cost and Material Components of the HP CP1215 Toner Cartridge

Toner cartridges, particularly for color laser printers such as the HP CP1215, are expensive. Thus, many users nowadays resort to toner refilling once these cartridges run out of toner supply. Refilling is the most sensible option, considering the cost ratio of toner to the entire cartridge unit which happens to be only 10% or even less than that. Toner supplied with a compatible HP CP1215 toner refill kit is retailed at $33.95 (package includes the reset chip) compared to the OEM cartridge which comes with a price tag of $80. So in a nutshell, the bulk of the amount paid by the user for a new OEM cartridge goes to the material and production cost of the polymer casing that is about $70 in the case of the HP CP1215 OEM cartridge. The user actually saves a lot of money if a cartridge can be refilled several more times over the recommended 3 to 4 refills.

What imaging components are found inside the HP CP1215 toner cartridge? The color cartridge comprises of the toner hopper and waste chamber duo, secured into place by end caps. Releasing the 2 vital components exposes the OPC drum, together with the wiper blade responsible for cleaning the drum's surface of residual toner after each print cycle. The recovery blade completes the work of the wiper blade by channeling excess toner into the waste toner chamber. The second component is the Primary Charge Roller (PCR) that supplies the OPC Drum with a uniform negative DC voltage - a PCR function controlled by the laser printer's intensity setting. Together with the doctor blade, PCR dictates the amount of charged toner that will adhere to the developer roller; aided in the process by the foam feed roller.

Any of the 3 rollers (OPC Drum, PCR and Developer Roller) would become the main cause of print defects if left to perform its routine functions indefinitely. Therefore, when pronounced print defects emanated from these vital components, the faulty component must be immediately replaced to sustain expected print quality. Nevertheless, attempt to analyze the cause of the print defect since print irregularities may also be triggered by a defective OPC Drum wiper blade or a dirty foam feed roller that are designed only as accessory to the main rollers, but can obviously cause backgrounding even then.

The OPC Drum has a rated capacity of over 30,000 printed pages at 5% coverage, so never suspect the integrity of the OPC, particularly when the capacity is not yet breached. Besides, an OPC drum has a microchip page counter that turns off the printer automatically once the rated capacity has been reached. In most instances, the PCR and developer roller are the first components to yield to the wear and tear of everyday laser printing, and following subsequent refills using HP toner refill kits. Therefore, the mentioned components need to be replaced as soon as possible to keep the toner cartridge in tip top condition.

So, when print defects persist and the OPC Drum is still in fine form, the user is left with no option but to replace the PCR and Developer Roller.

Repetitive Defect Chart: Dependable Guide to Troubleshooting Print Quality Defects

Print quality defects hardly manifest in the operation of brand new HP LaserJet CP1215 laser printer units. Over time, print defects could no longer be avoided as the printer ages. The reason for this is obvious. As printer components start to wear out on the aging printer, this directly manifests over the output pages. The print engine of the laser printer works mechanically to deliver paper from one component to the next; aided in the process by sensitive sensors which inform the user in the event that one vital part malfunctions and shut-off the printer unit altogether. This is an automatic response system because operating with a damaged component would affect the condition of all the other components and consequently increase printer repair and maintenance costs in the process.

However, the user can easily monitor the condition of pertinent printer components through the print defect that manifest over the printout and institute troubleshooting by simply studying the physical properties (i.e. the defect's ruler measurement) of the defect and identifying the suspect component through the printer's Repetitive Defect Chart thereafter. Any print defect is typically triggered by a damaged printer component; but identifying the source component for the defect without the aid of the Repetitive Defect Chart can be difficult and time consuming. For example, if the Image Transfer Belt (ITB) is damaged, the ensuing print defect manifests at intervals of more than a full page. Thus, replacing the ITB at this point makes more sense in the intent of restoring acceptable print quality. The same also holds true for defects that cover a distance of 75.8 mm over the face of the paper as this print anomaly points out to a defective Organic Photo Conductive (OPC) Drum. In this case, the component has to be cleaned and thoroughly assessed or replaced.

Below is a rundown of different laser printer components and the corresponding print defect that legibly shows on the printout which directly affects the integrity of prints.

· Defective ITB the distance is 633.6 mm and is longer than one full page.

· OPC Drum – 75.8mm

· Transfer Rollers – 57.0 mm

· Fuser Pressure Roller – 56.8 mm

· Fuser Sleeve – 56.5 mm

· Registration Roller – 44.0 mm

· RS Roller (feed roller) – 28.5 mm

· PCR (Primary Charge Roller) – 26.7 mm

· Developer Roller Sleeve – 22.3 mm

The Repetitive Defect Chart clearly identifies problem components that consequently eases out the troubleshooting process to free the laser printer from nagging print defects. It is for a fact that for brand new laser printer units, the only defect that could materialize is one coming from a low toner supply. This can be easily resolved through the purchase of a brand new toner cartridge to replace the exhausted unit. A more cost-effective option is the refill of used toner cartridges with compatible toner supplied with the HP CP1215 toner refill kit which generates big savings in the process.

The monochrome toner cartridge costs $80, while the corresponding refill package retails for only $33.95. Both toner products deliver similar print quality and yields 2200 at 5% page coverage. Package also comes with a cartridge reset chip.