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A fast and functional printer or copy machine is an important addition to any home, office, or educational setting. Laser printers are some of the best models for any environment, because they’re fast, the prints dry immediately, and printed documents hold up well over time.
When it’s time to refill your printer or copier for the first time, it’s easy to be confused about the differences between toner cartridges and ink cartridges.
Ink cartridges contain liquid ink tanks and nozzles, and they’re used in inkjet printers. The ink is liquid, so inkjet printouts can take a few minutes to fully dry. As a result, you have to be careful not to smudge them.
Toner cartridges, also called drums, contain heat-activated powder. Laser printers heat the powder, which fuses it to the paper in a much more durable and long-lasting way.
Most laser printers only print in black, but some do feature full-color printing. These color printers can create any color using magenta, cyan, and yellow toner cartridges. If your laser printer prints in color, a toner set with all three colors is a smart investment.
The capacity of a toner cartridge is measured by the number of pages per cartridge. Smaller cartridges for home printers can print up to 1,500 or 2,000 pages, while high-capacity toner cartridges can print 35,000 or more pages before they run out. These larger cartridges are usually more economical in the long run.
Running out of toner never happens at a convenient time. Make sure you’re always ready to keep printing by storing one or two backup cartridges for each color you’ll need. Multipacks contain anywhere from two to eight cartridges and generally cost less per cartridge.
Compatibility is the most important factor when choosing a toner cartridge. Each manufacturer uses its own unique formula for toner to accommodate specific printer temperatures. Double check your toner cartridge model number against your printer specifications before ordering.
Brands like Brother, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, and Lexmark are some of the top names in printing and copying. These companies produce high-quality, reliable toner cartridges for their laser printers and copy machines. While you may feel tempted to save some money up front by selecting third-party toners, it’s always best to choose name brand toner for name brand machines.