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.

HP Compatible Toner Refill Kits - Helps Reduce Printing Costs for Small Medium Sized Businesses

Emerging printer toner technologies continued to evolve despite the challenges of the global financial crisis. This gave fresh assurance to Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs) that are out to redeem lost business opportunities. SMBs serve as the pulse of the economy, thereby indicating present economic conditions. Among the major expense items confronting SMBs today are business printing expenses that actually eat up at least 3% of annual revenues. The periodic purchase of printer consumables such as toner and ink cartridges - particularly for businesses with high print volume requirements, can significantly affect bottom lines each month. Nonetheless, the emergence of moderate priced printer consumables from the aftermarket surely helped SMBs streamline expenditures, allocate funds to revenue earning activities and prepare for upcoming growth. This will in turn increase productivity, define collaboration alternatives, reduce wholly environmental impact and to a degree, offer broader flexibility as these business units now rely on new found technology to prepare for the expected economic turnaround.

Leading the pack is industry giant Hewlett Packard and its LaserJet laser printer series. An advocate of SMBs, HP in fact packaged its Laserjet printers with print management tools that would help trim printing costs and reduce energy use. These are features deemed useful to small and medium sized enterprises. Since its introduction in1994, the Laserjet series has generated unprecedented consumer loyalty to the brand; given the over 35 million units sold worldwide. In fact, industry impresarios label HP LaserJet's success as one for the books; among the great computer industry accomplishment stories. This is really a true assessment of success since many technology companies and their respective product lines have come and gone over the last quarter of the century. Yet HP continues to surge ahead, despite the fierce competitive environment, and everybody classifies this feat by HP as one of the greatest business triumphs in the high-tech revolution.

Running on the same wheels of success are aftermarket consumables - particularly toner refill kits. These third party printer consumables are actually DIY (do it yourself kits) toner refill products. The kit comes supplied with compatible toner which serves as an alternative to expensive OEM toner found in cartridges. Replenishment of the toner chamber's toner supply extends the serviceable life of cartridges by as much as 3 printing cycles. Moreover, the refill of empty toner cartridges favorably stirs user consciousness as it delivers a clear signal towards the preservation of our shrinking non-renewable resources and the environment. And so with the simple recycling of OEM toner cartridges, the release of CO2 into the air is minimized. Manufacturing 100 toner cartridges releases around one metric ton of CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere which is equivalent to a Boeing 747 cruising on an eight-hour extended trip covering 5,000 miles – more than the regular New York to Paris flight at only 3,626 miles.

SMBs can rely on the toner refill kits for their printing requirement because it has been engineered to duplicate the printing capability of the OEM toner in terms of print quality and yield. HP toner refill kits should give SMB’S a double thumbs-up because it generates savings of up to 90% the retail price of a regular toner cartridge - that is on top of the cost-saving features available with HP LaserJet printers.

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.

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.