Disposable Toner Cartridges: Is it ‘Planned Obsolescence’ all the way?

  Photo by kluen

Is the manufacture of disposable toner cartridges classified as ‘Planned Obsolescence’? Most likely! Right from the start, cartridge units are produced with an fixed time line or a serviceable life. This means, that the product easily becomes out of date or obsolete up to a prescribed time – similar in concept to the expiration date for processed foods and medicines. In essence, the production theory behind consumables rests on enticing consumers towards multiple purchases - over a one-time purchase, until the product deteriorates and a replacement becomes mandatory. 

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Redesigned LTS Website: Now Live!

In an effort to improve the online shopping experience of buyers of compatible printer consumables, Laser Tek Services, Inc. recently unveiled its redesigned website. Now visitors of http://www.lasertekservices.com will be greeted by the more compact features of the new site. While LTS management has opted to retain the simple, minimalistic structure and color components of the previous site, the redesigned site now sports a more streamlined look.

Organized in 3 columns, the main wrapper serves as product gallery and display section for selected items on the website. Meanwhile, functional sections such as the product category menu, specials, information and best sellers among others are well distributed with the site’s two (2) sidebars.

The product category menu has been properly organized not only according to compatible brand but also as to consumable type. Now you won’t have any trouble searching for compatible drum kits, toner refill kits, toner cartridges etc. The new site is really user friendly that visitors will not have a difficult time searching products, viewing prices and checking out for a purchase.

Laser Tek Services, Inc. is a leading reseller of compatible toner refill kits and other related consumables. Moreover, it is a trusted name in the cartridge remanufacturing industry given its more than 10 years track record of distributing quality compatible consumables to laser printer and inkjet users.

Visit the redesigned LTS site today and check out the new items to form part of its product lines: Xerox 7760, C3535, C250 and 790 toner refill kits and compatible toner cartridges; HP P1102 and P1606 toner refill kits; QMS 4650 and 7450 toner refill kits, compatible drum units and compatible toner cartridges; and Dell 2335 toner refill kits and compatible toner cartridges. Happy Shopping!

EAHG Toner - Generate High Quality Laser Prints Even at the Fastest Print Speeds

Photo by Viernest

It took some time before the print speed of laser printers could reach the 50 pages per minute or ppm plateau. Toner technology could not match the rapid advances made on print engine design which therefore explains the lag. The culprit behind this delay is the awfully longer time it takes for toner particles to fuse and bond permanently to paper fibers. So in effect, printer manufacturers had to retard print speed to accommodate the fusing process and allow it to run its normal course while preventing toner from flaking or smearing. However with the development of the EA-HG or the Emulsion Aggregate High Gloss toner by Xerox in the late 90’s, laser printing turned a different route.

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New LTS Toner Refill Kits for Ricoh Aficio AP3800 and more!

For this post, we are featuring new Ricoh compatible kits available from Laser Tek Services’ (LTS) line of toner refill kits. Leading the pack is the Ricoh Aficio AP3800 Toner Refill Kit which comes supplied with high grade compatible toner powder stored in 4 color-specific bottles. Compatible toner powder can be used to refill empty Ricoh OEM cartridges 885372 (monochrome), 885373 (yellow), 885374 (magenta) and 885375 (cyan), and recycle these for another cycle of printing. LTS recommends refilling cartridges for up to 3 times. Check our site for a complete list of laser printers compatible with this refill product.

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Quality Toner Plus Good Fuser Equals Excellent Laser Prints

Laser printers are designed with several components working in sync to deliver the laser printouts that appeal to most consumers. Each printer component contributes to the entire printing process. The laser scanning assembly transforms information originating from the PC into dots. The OPC drum forms the image while the mechanical components move the paper. But what dictates printout quality is the make of toner particles supplied with the cartridge and the fuser assembly that bonds toner to paper.

What is quality toner? This refers to toner manufactured on the merits of sound substance formulation; properly controlled particle shape and size, and low melting points. Quality toner also passed stringent laboratory tests to guarantee the expected yield and print performance. Toner powder formulation for the OEM HP CC364A toner cartridge and the HP P4015 toner refill kit falls under the category of “quality toner.” And since compatible toner powder is manufactured based on the same set of standards as the OEM toner i.e. weight properties, particle shape, melting point and water based emulsion technology – then expect both toners to deliver similar print quality and yield of 24000 pages at 5% coverage.

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Toner Refill Kits Work In Tandem with the Clean Air Act

Why was the “Clean Air Act” enacted? The primary reason for its endorsement is to curb air-pollution and provide a cleaner air. Each one of us can help in the drive for a cleaner environment. If driving a car, see to it that it is fine tuned always to reduce the emission of harmful substances. Now for some of us who are laser printer users, recycling empty OEM toner cartridges is a sure way of reducing air-pollution. Recycling delays the disposal of empty cartridges into landfills and dumpsites. At the same time, recycling minimizes the manufacture of toner cartridges that pumps CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere during the production process. The vicious cycle that ultimately harms the environment can be minimized if each one of us contributes in a little way.

How large is the contribution of OEM toner cartridges to air pollution? The manufacture of 100 OEM toner cartridges can generate a ton of CO2; roughly the volume of pollutants pumped by a Boeing 747 in its extended flight to Manila, the Philippines from Los Angeles, California 7,307 miles away. The United States alone discards 110 million OEM toner cartridges annually - equivalent to over 1 million tons of CO2 that pollute our air-environment. And to think that only about 10 million OEM toner cartridges are recycled annually, the ease out of CO2 pollution generated by the printing industry is still a long tedious process.

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What’s all the fuzz about Toner Dust?

In 2006, a laboratory report discussing the emission of toner dust from the laser printer was circulated. Said publication started the debate on health and related safety issues confounding office personnel exposed to toner particles. In response, a number of offices enclosed and isolated the laser printer while designating only select personnel to operate the machine in order to avoid toner dust from contaminating the workplace. Although the report was yet to be verified by another round of tests, it already created a sense of uncertainly for millions of laser printer users.

What started out as a scare was finally revealed as farce and unsubstantiated today. Recent studies conducted by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI) in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia revealed that what was often detected as ultra fine particles emitted by the laser printer is not toner dust but volatile organic compounds. Adding more teeth to these findings is a simple experiment wherein a laser printer was made to run continuously without toner and paper. The experiment resulted in the discharge of similar, organic compounds which therefore concludes that toner and paper do not contribute to the release of volatile compounds - instead, the compounds originate from the printer unit itself.

The study further indicated that in the course of printing, the laser printer generates high temperatures which affect the various substances used by the different printer components. Extreme heat causes the evaporation of volatile substances integrated into printer components such as paraffin and silicone oil which combine to form nano-particles. The formation of ultra-fine, volatile compounds can also be produced from heating, particularly when performing domestic chores like cooking, baking and using the bread toaster. Findings from the WKI and QUT study finally laid to rest questions about the laser printer and its potential of becoming a health hazard.

The toner scare was actually what pushed various printer manufacturers to develop new generation laser printers that operate at lower temperatures (so as not to trigger the emission of volatile compounds) and produce less noise while rated as energy efficient. Concurrent with this development are advances on toner powder production. Toner particles now fuse at low temperatures to reduce waste produced in the printing process. Third party toner manufacturers likewise are not far behind as they have also produced compatible toner used in toner refill kits as a feasible alternative to the OEM toner. The toner consumable market is now a healthy mix of OEM, compatible and remanufactured toner cartridges and toner refill kits such as the Lexmark C710 that is suited to duplicate the performance of its OEM toner counterpart.

So, what is the fuzz about toner dust and laser printers is all in the past and never to haunt

How toner cartridge components operate to produce a laser print on paper?

The process by which laser printers affix the printed image on media (paper) can be a bit fuzzy; though it’s clear that the machine relies on static electricity to run the entire printing cycle. Unlike inkjet printers that literally spray ink through micron size nozzles, laser printers use the negatively charged OPC drum to attract the positively charged toner particles into the image set over the drum surface by the laser scanning assembly. Simply put, charged toner particles freely jump into the rotating photoreceptor drum.

The host computer and printer work in tandem to generate and process the image on the printed document. Data is supplied by the host computer and received by the printer control board which deals with all the incoming signals and places the deciphered information on the page as directed. Since the information has been converted into a serial bit stream it is forwarded to the laser scanning assembly that emits it as multiple dots on the photoreceptor drum.

The photosensitive drum revolves as the laser scanning assembly transfers the stream of information across the surface of the drum. The process is referred to as registration. But before the action of the laser assembly commences, the drum is first exposed to a set of erase lamps that will clear the component from residual traces of the previous image. As the drum is now left with a neutral electrical charge and as high voltage is applied to the corona wire it creates a charged negative field. This conditions the drum to accept a uniform negative charge (-1000V) applied across it. As the images is being made by the laser scanning assembly, the toner cartridge works to apply toner on the negatively charged dots.

The toner cartridge is outfitted with a developer roller that turns simultaneously with the photosensitive drum, and expels a measured amount of toner through a restricting blade. A regulated AC voltage is applied to assist toner particles as it leaves the cartridge and literally jumps into the negatively charged dots on the drum’s surface. But toner cartridges like the Brother TN-350 are programmed to gather toner excesses from the drum and recycle it back to the cartridge. Prior to reuse, the recycled toner is first subjected to an additional positive charge before it enters the toner chamber. Once the image formed on the drum has been transferred to paper, the whole ensemble (paper and toner) moves to the fuser assembly that binds toner to paper permanently.

Toner refill kits when used in the laser printing process must be of similar formulation to the OEM toner; not only in terms of substances and grain size but also in the aspect of melting point to meet the equipment specification. Thus laser printer manufacturers insist that toner must be of high quality and similar to the original toner to avoid inconsistencies in the printouts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fact: Only About 52% of Laser Printer Users know that Toner Refill Kits Exist!

This is the sad state of our printing industry since nobody really cares about the plight of empty toner cartridges. Research points out that around 165 million toner cartridges were saved from landfills, but still the bulk of 700 million cartridges end up ditched into dumpsites and landfills worldwide, and the figure is to likely increase by12% annually. With each cartridge weighing around 1.5 kilograms on the average, this translates to e-garbage equivalent to around 825,000 F430 GT3 Ferrari Sports Cars in weight alone. Incessant dumping proliferated because not all laser printer users have been duly informed about the availability of compatibles in the aftermarket or the operation of recycling centers in our country.

Konica Minolta is aware of its social responsibility and thus designed its replacement cartridges to be refill friendly; thereby extending the lifecycle of each cartridge to at least 3 refills. At the end of the serviceable life of each cartridge, Konica Minolta’s ‘Clean Planet’ program entices its customer base to return used toner cartridges for recycling through parcel services, free of charge. Programs such as ‘Clean Planet” will help decongest our dumpsites, landfills and incinerators from tons and tons of e-garbage.

Recycling not only involves the return of empty toner cartridges to printer manufacturers. The use of toner refill kits to refill used or empty toner cartridges is one form of recycling. Refills can be administered over empty Konica Minolta toner cartridges such as the 1710517-005; allowing the user to save in the process. An OEM toner cartridge for the QMS 2300DL laser printer retails at around $120 and yields some 4,500 pages at 5% coverage, while the equivalent Konica Minolta 2300 toner refill kit is sold online for only $22.00. Since both toner products exhibit similar characteristics, expect print quality and yield performance for both OEM and compatible toner to be similar as well. Most likely, the only factor making customers hesitant from using toner refill kits is the perception that the refill process is difficult. Well, browsing the illustrated instructional material would tell you that refilling an empty cartridge is so easy that it can be completed from between 5 to 10 minutes.

Even though only 52% of laser printer users are aware of the presence of toner refill kits as an aftermarket replacement consumable, this figure will surely continue to rise as consumers will begin to appreciate its benefits.

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.

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.

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.

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.