Just as computers can be mysterious and intimidating sometimes, the same can be true of laser printers. When you are in the middle of a print job and something goes wrong, a basic understanding of how your printer works may prove very helpful in resuming your printing quickly and without the need for a service call and resulting cost.

Data is sent to your printer via a cable that is connected to your computer. This data is processed in the printer and is transferred to a drum that is located in the toner cartridge. The drum, which has an electrical charge on it, attracts toner that forms an image equivalent to the original document. This image is next transferred to the media (paper or transparency). Next, the media passes through an assembly called a fuser, which heats the toner and the paper to about 180 degrees and causes the image to bond to the paper.

Finally the paper exits from the printer as a finished product.

The most common problems occur because of a toner cartridge which is either faulty or near the end of its useful life. The fastest way to determine if the cartridge causes the trouble is to exchange it with another one. That is, of course, assuming you have a backup on hand. If the trouble is exactly the same with the new cartridge, then the printer itself becomes suspect. However, recently, I discovered that a printer cable had actually come loose from a customer’s computer and was lying on the floor!

Here are some of the problems that are often caused by the cartridge:

• Weak or light image
• Recurring vertical white or black spots
• Recurring horizontal black bars
• One or more vertical black lines down the entire page

Note: If spots are random or intermittent, your printer may need cleaning. But caution is advised. Toner is very fine and should be removed by a vacuum cleaner that has a hepa filter installed. Never use compressed air to clean a laser printer. Also, avoid touching behind or below the cartridge area with bare hands. Oil from the skin can affect certain rollers that will cause image problems on paper.

Part 2

Are you considering a purchase in the near future for your printing needs? Being informed in advance could save you a substantial amount of money immediately and in the future when you shop. The two areas to consider are the new printer and the consumables.

First let’s deal with the new printer. One question to ask yourself is, do I really need the option of colour? If the answer is no, then an ink-jet printer may not be the solution for you. Although the initial cost of these printers is becoming more and more attractive, the cost of replacement cartridges is still quite high relative to the cost to print a page. It has been estimated that a page printed with an ink-jet printer is about 3 times as much as the same page printed with a laser printer. Manufacturers are making up their losses on pricing the ink-jets by charging exorbitant amounts for ink!

Another way to save on your new printer is to purchase a quality re-furbished laser printer. Often users dispose of perfectly good printers because they believe the cost to repair them outweighs the cost of replacement. Printers that originally sold for $3000 or more are now being offered as re-furbished printers for as little as $300. Recently, I worked on such a laser printer that had well over one million pages passed through it. Try to get that performance on an ink-jet!

Now, we will take a look at consumables. Ink-jet cartridges as I stated earlier are very expensive when purchased as manufacturer originals. Re-filled cartridges are available for some models and their performance has been improving. However, re-filling them yourself with kits can cause you grief. If the tiny suspended granules in the fluid are slightly off in size (too large), the print head could be ruined. Result? Perhaps you will have to replace the printer.

In part 3 of this series, "Saving Time and Money on your Laser Printer," I will discuss details on the subject of toner cartridges. In the early days of laser printers, it was common to find individuals with basement operations where they would simply drill a hole in an empty toner cartridge, pour in new toner, patch the hole with tape and sell the cartridge for much less than the cost of a regular replacement. Did this cause problems? You bet! These "drill and fill" companies have been mostly displaced by reputable businesses that "re-manufacture" toner cartridges, offering quality, guarantees and excellent savings for your laser printers. Next time, I’ll tell you what to look for in a "re-manufactured" toner cartridge.

Part 3

In this edition of the series I will talk about “re-manufactured” toner cartridges for your laser printer. First, what does the term mean? When a toner cartridge is re-manufactured by a reputable manufacturer, it is disassembled, thoroughly cleaned of old toner with compressed air and some of the internal parts are replaced with new ones. These parts include: the drum, wiper blades, magnetic development roller, primary charge roller and if required, certain gears could also be replaced. Next fresh toner is added, the toner hopper is sealed and finally the cartridge is re-assembled.

Purchasing a re-manufactured toner cartridge can offer you substantial savings over the purchase of an O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridge. It is probably not a well-known fact but most O.E.M. cartridges that you purchase today have been “re-manufactured.” Don’t believe it? Check carefully on the box and it will often state that somewhere in fine print. These companies have programs to promote the return of empty cartridges to their manufacturing facilities. Obviously, the profit margin on a cartridge where the shell is recycled is greater than one that has to be built from scratch!

What about the quality of a re-manufactured toner cartridge? This issue has been very effectively addressed by manufacturers who have a huge stake in retaining the business of their customers. The larger companies have gone the route of certification by the Canadian General Standards Board and ISO 9001 and ISO 9002. These companies offer a 100% guarantee of quality on the products they produce.

How about yield? Will a re-manufactured cartridge produce the same number of printed pages as an O.E.M. cartridge? The answer is yes. Manufacturers of quality, guarantee the yield as well as performance of their products. Most companies rate their cartridges by the same standard, that is, the number of pages that you can expect to print with 5% coverage of the page. That does not represent much toner on a page. The best way to determine the yield for your particular application is to do a page count on your printer when a cartridge is first installed and another page count when the cartridge is replaced. You may have to read your printer manual if you are not sure how to do a page count.

That’s it for Part 3. In the next issue, I will cover the subject of routine maintenance of your laser printer and how to avoid costly repairs and lost productivity through prevention of major breakdowns.