Laser Printer Accessories: Inks, Toners, Cartridges
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Let's make sure you know one important thing about laser printers: they don't use liquid inks. (The "Inks" in the title was just there in case you still didn’t know.) Laser printers use toner, which is the powder that forms the text and graphics printed on paper. Toner is also used by photocopying machines, which makes perfect sense because laser printers use the same xerographic process that copiers employ.
For color laser printers, four different color toners are used, following the CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow blacK) color model. In the past, toners were composed only of carbon powder. As technology (and the clamor for increased print quality) increased, individual carbon particles were blended in a polymer.
Toners are stored in disposable cartridge, which you can either replace or refill when the toner (some people still refer to it as "ink" out of habit) runs out. Toner cartridges stand as one of the most in-demand consumables for laser printers, along with paper.
When it comes to toner cartridges, the topic all boils down to one big question: should you or should you not avail yourself of toner refilling services? Each side has its own pros and cons, and not a few of them are shrouded by myth. Some say using refilled toner damages your printer's print heads. Others can't stomach the high prices of original manufactured cartridges. Basically, it's up to you, your preferences, and your spending power. It's about cost and comfort.
If money isn't a concern for you, you might want to buy a brand new toner cartridge instead of refilling your old one. Coming from the same company that manufactured your laser printer, you can almost be sure that you get the best toner, the best quality, and the best printing performance. Also, there's near-to-nil chance of your print head getting ruined by the cartridge!
The above approach also works well for people who print few documents (meaning their toner cartridges last longer). Less frequent replacements equate to savings on printer consumable expenditure, so you can easily afford an original replacement!
On the opposite side of things, people who don't want to burn a hole through their pockets or print a tremendous amount of documents (let's say, 100 high-quality, monochrome pages per day) might want to go for toner refills. It's your call whether to believe in those rumors that cartridge refills impair print heads; after all, the risk might be worth it in terms of money saved. Just make sure you go for reputable and established brands and refill stores – poor toner can send your laser printer to the junkyard!
Remember that you cannot use a single cartridge for an extended period of time – it’s only good for a couple of refills. Wear and tear will render your cartridge (and your printer) performing sub par. Also, if you’ve gained enough experience regarding toner refills, you might want to consider refilling the cartridge yourself and not go anymore to the middleman. Beware, as this process is very risky! Nothing's more frustrating than ruining your own laser printer just because of poor self-refill.
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