What is a toner printer: FAQs to know

‘What is a toner in a printer?’, ‘What is a toner printer?’ and ‘toner vs. Ink’ are some of the most commonly searched answers on the internet. If you are new to the printing world and a bit confused about ink, and toner – this article is for you. 

Printing technology has advanced exponentially in the last two decades. The good thing is that it is cheaper and faster than ever. The office that has hundreds of printouts daily are especially getting benefits from sophisticated writing technology. 

It also needs to be noted here that every printing job is different, which in return requires a different type of printer. If you buy the wrong printer for your office use, you might end up wasting more money than saving. 

The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers. Inject printers, evident by their name, use ink that is a liquid made up of dyes or pigments. On the other hand, toner is used for laser printers, which is a fine powder. 

What is a toner in a printer?

As described by Webopedia, toner is a special type of ink that is used by copy machines and laser printers. Toner essentially constitutes of a powdery and dry substance. It is electrically charged. For the majority of laser printers, toner comes in a cartridge. The cartridge is then inserted into the printer. 

A single cartridge can print thousands of pages. Once the cartridge is emptied, you can simply replace it with a newer one. Here are some of the most common questions that come with toner printers! 

What is printer toner vs ink?

Both inkjet printers and laser printers are used for commercial as well as home printing tasks. The only difference between these printers is how they are applied to paper. While inkjet printers through their nozzles squirt droplets of ink on the paper, the toner in a printer works in an entirely different manner. 

The toner does not work as straight-forward as a liquid ink. The toner is dispensed by a cartridge on the drum. 

How long does toner last in a printer?

When it comes to toner cartridges, the rough estimate is that it will last 2 years. But, at the end of the day, it depends more on your printing usage daily. When you buy new cartridges, make sure you check two dates; OEM (original equipment manufacturer) box and warranty ending date. The warranty is usually for a year. 

If you buy refurbished cartridges, don’t be surprised if the expiry date has already passed. 

What happens when toner expires?

When the toner expires, the quality of your print-outs will suffer significantly. It might also block your print head and bring damage to your printer. While a lot of people say that their toner worked just fine after its expiration date, do it on your own risk. 

How to recycle printer toner? 

It does not matter whether you have one printer or 100, sooner or later you will end up with emptied toner cartridges. At first, you might wonder, what to do with them now? But don’t worry, we got your back. You can recycle your printer toner. The process is not only easy but also more sustainable. 

Here are three ways about how to recycle printer toner: 

• Get in touch with remanufactured cartridge supplier
  The best thing is to find a local, credible remanufacturing cartridge supplier in your area. Ask them if they will take your empty toner cartridges and recycle them. Some companies even give you money for the cartridges while others might give sell them as remanufactured toners.

• Return the empty cartridges to your supplier
  The majority of companies that sell cartridges also take empty cartridges to form their customers to recycle them. You can contact your supplier and ask them if they do the same or not. A few companies even offer rewards to individuals who give them empty cartridges.

• Send to the manufacturer
  Another way is to contact the manufacturer of the toner cartridge. A lot of bug brands have toner recycling programs that enable customers to send their empty toner cartridges to the manufacture who then recycles or reuses them for other products.

If your toner printer is not working properly or the printouts lack the quality that they once had, get in touch with us today! Our expert team will help you in fixing any type of printing problems that you have. Contact us today!