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Laser Printers - When to Replace Toner Cartridges
Printer Manufacturers and Firmware Upgrades
Inkjet Printer Versus Monochrome Laser versus Colour Laser
Inkjet Printer versus Monochrome Laser Printer versus Colour Laser Printer?
Inkjet
Colour inkjet printers have been permanent fixtures in most homes and small businesses for many years. They're cheap (under $50 in some cases), are easy to connect to your computer and some have been known to last up to ten years. So they must also be cheap to run and are the perfect office tool, right? Maybe not.
When you do the math on printing and printing consumables, the cheaper inkjet printers may well cost you a whole lot more than what you imagined considering the initial purchase price. Sometimes much, much, more.
What the manufacturers of these printers don't fully explain to consumers is the true cost of running a low-cost colour inkjet printer. The general rule of thumb is that the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the consumables, including Genuine OEM, Compatibles, Refills and so on. Even if you print very little, the costs can quickly add up.
An example we tested. The cost for the hardware was as little as $49 depending on where you purchased it. The average cost of the ink cartridge was $29.95... but the yield was a miserly 170 pages.
Seven pages a day times 300 days equals 2100 pages — an ink bill of roughly $369.95* per year. If you own the printer for three years, the cost of cartridges comes to over $1100 or about 22 times the original cost of the printer.
Of course, seven pages a day is a conservative estimate — some small businesses print a lot more. Let's say your business prints 50 pages a day, 300 days a year. Using the above example, that equates to printing 15,000 pages annually. At that same rate, your annual ink cartridge bill would total $2642.00.
The cheaper inkjet printers generally don't print as fast as a laser printer and particularly in the case of some popular brands, without naming names, they can also be a major hassle while trying to print the simplest thing. Some consumers are constantly being inundated with cartridge-error messages, even when the compatible cartridges, or genuine cartridges for that matter are perfectly fine.
A possible reason for such dummy spits may be found with the manufacturers themselves, who release what are called “firmware upgrades”. These “firmware upgrades” appear to inadvertently produce these “malfunctions” and discourage you the consumer from exercising your natural right to try and save money on printing costs by using refills, or compatibles.
In 2010 the cartridge replacement market globally was estimated as being worth approximately $22 billion annually. HP for example, makes over $12 billion a year from ink cartridge sales, and Lexmark earns over $2.5 billion annually from selling its’ printer consumables which is apparently more than half its total revenue. Then there is Epson, Canon etc. etc. etc.
Selling printers is big business. Selling cheap and thirsty printers is even bigger.
Ideally if you do own one of these cheap inkjet printer and you are not in the business of printing professional quality photographs, our advice would be to set the “printer preferences” in a way that minimizes the amount of ink you use by selecting "draft quality". This can save you up to a third of printing costs over the lifetime of the printer.
Monochrome Laser
In comparison to inkjets, monochrome laser printers are quieter, faster and remarkably hassle free. But it's the math that makes them stand out.
The numbers are as follows: We tested an unnamed laser printer with an estimated machine cost of $499, combined with a $189.95 toner cartridge which yields 8000 pages. Printing 40,000 pages, including the original toner supplied with the machine costs you $499 plus $759.80 for the ink for a total of $1258. The per-page cost to print is around 3 cents a page or nearly eight times less than an inkjet printer.
Even when you calculate the cost of the toner and the drum (which has to be replaced in some printers about every 20,000 pages), most High-Yield monochrome printer cartridges will cost between 2 and 10 cents per printed page.
Adding to the allure of the Monochrome Laser Printer, prices are continuing to fall and the range of available products is steadily mounting and to bring the costs of laser printing down further, you can also purchase relatively inexpensive replacement compatibles or remanufactured toner cartridges. Research conducted by an American organisation in 2008 found that 66 percent of people who try alternative monochrome laser toner cartridges ie. compatibles or refills, never go back to the more expensive OEM cartridge.
Colour Laser
The initial purchase price of a Colour Laser Printer is still to this day generally more expensive than a Multifunction Inkjet or Monochrome Laser, but the prices we pay today have trended downwards considerably as opposed to ten or so years ago. A good quality Colour Laser Printer can be purchased from as little as $499 and printers priced upwards from this base model are a reflection of the speed of the machine, quality of print, yield of cartridge, on board memory and the projected cost of ongoing consumables.
Black toner cartridges used in Colour Laser Printers tend to be cheaper than the Cyan / Magenta and Yellow cartridges but in saying that there is no escaping the cost of all four. The machine will not function without one or the other.
The numbers are as follows: We tested an unnamed colour laser printer with an estimated machine cost of $499, which included a full set of cartridges, combined with $119.95 per Black toner cartridge with a yield of 5000 pages and Cyan, Magenta and Yellow cartridges at $145.95 with 4000 page yield each. Printing 20,000 pages cost $2610.25. At these prices the cost per print was quite high when compared to monochrome but at just over 13 cents a page produced high quality prints, hassle free execution, with no paper jams, and no gobbledygook.
Conclusion
In the late nineties, so-called visionaries promised us a paperless society due to the digital age. How wrong they were. In Australia alone, it is estimated that office printers churn out 300 million A4 pages a year. Thus the demand for printer ink is higher than ever. So it makes good business sense to take ink costs into account when you decide which printer to buy.
If you print very little, a couple of pages a month, stick to the cheap inkjet. But if you print more than one or two pages of colour a week, at the very least, find an inkjet printer which has individual tanks and are refillable. With these types of printers you will at least use every drop.
If you print in black and white, in a reasonable volume, on a regular basis then there is no going past a Monochrome Laser Printer. The savings will speak for themselves.
And if you are printing in colour on a consistent basis then take a look at the large range of Colour Laser Printers available and then do the math.
Also when you consider that all of the above examples were performed using Genuine OEM Cartridges and the fact that almost 99 percent of monochrome laser cartridges and 66% of colour laser cartridges can be remanufactured, as opposed to 50% of inkjet cartridges, the costs per page can be reduced even further.
And finally…, that “Extremely Cheap!” inkjet printer in yesterdays paper. At first glance it looks a bargain.
But...Crunch the numbers first and remember it may well have a hook attached.
Printer Manufacturers and Firmware Upgrades
Firmware Upgrades
Recently some of the major printer manufacturers have released firmware upgrades that will make some aftermarket chips not usable. Because this is a firmware upgrade (software inside the printer) it can't really be removed by the user. Driver updates and firmware updates are a normal part of a printer manufacturer’s toolbox and are expected to fix problems - not to create them.
How is updated firmware installed and how you can prevent it?
First off when you install the printer driver you will see a prompt or small tick box asking you if you want automatic upgrades. This by default is set to ON and we recommend you change this to OFF. You may need to look for it as in most cases it’s not prominently displayed.
With the automatic updates selection ON, the firmware update can happen at any time. Information from the aftermarket chip manufacturers indicates that a firmware update may happen as a result of many triggers such as, number of pages printed, and number of starts etc. With a variable type of trigger such as number of pages printed, a trigger like this means one customer may have an update now whilst another (low volume) customer would have it later when they reach the pre determined trigger point.
More common triggers are a time trigger where a firmware update is issued at a specific date and all internet connected automatic updated printers will be affected. This can be potentially devastating as all installed aftermarket/compatible cartridges of this model could fail within a few days.
It's important to remember an internet connection is required for automatic upgrades to occur. With a larger installed internet base today the potential problem is greater than even a few years ago.
Okay so we have turned the automatic updates to OFF, how else can the firmware be updated?
1. Installing a new printer driver will most likely install a new firmware version as well.
2. Installing a newer operating system like windows 7 can automatically install a later driver. Many printer drivers are included in operating systems these days and upon installation the printer will be detected and the driver and firmware will be installed from the disk automatically.
We would recommend that you get into the habit of following the following procedures.
1. Turn off automatic updates.
2. Do not install newer printer drivers unless absolutely necessary.
We are currently only aware of two OEM printer manufacturers and a handful of printers causing problems but with firmware updates you really never know who’s up to what!
You will be pleased to know that not everybody is taking this lying down. The office of fair trading in the UK is looking into this issue. I wonder if our lot will also do something to protect the consumer’s rights.
Discount Printer Cartridges
Compatible or Genuine OEM
When compatible ink and toner cartridges first appeared on the market more than a few years ago, they were not as popular as they now are. At the time most consumers preferred the OEMs ie. the original equipment manufacturers and were prepared to pay through the nose for them.
Admittedly when compatibles and remanufacturing components were first introduced to the market there were some glitches and issues regarding the performance of these cheaper, and at the time inferior, toners and inks. The problem was that some were unpredictable. One day you could have great prints and everything was fine in the world but the next day nothing but shockers. However, everything has changed for the better. In my opinion some compatible and remanufactured products now out-perform the OEMs by a country mile and on price alone there is definitely no contest.
Reputation is everything. Third party manufacturers of laser toners and other cartridge types quickly realized they had to continuously improve their production process while also maintaining a competitive price to, at the very least, be given an initial opportunity by printer users. And we, the consumers, have benefitted from this. The OEMs have no option but to consider a competitors compatible price which is then reflected in the price of a genuine cartridge. Without the compatible manufacturers we would pay far more.
Generally most manufacturers of compatible printer cartridges will apply the same technology used by the original makers to create their products, therefore almost all parts of a premium quality compatible ink and toner cartridge are brand new ensuring its performance and reliability.
This is why compatible ink and toner cartridges should now be a first port of call, especially when you are purchasing it from a trusted supplier that offers warranty, money-back guarantee, and reasonable shipping fees.
So the next time you are considering purchasing a printer cartridge, consider that as a printer consumable in their own right, our compatible ink and toner cartridges, will perform just like the genuine OEM, your printer will not notice, only your back pocket will feel the difference.
Laser Printers
When To Replace Toner Cartridges
Laser printers can provide you with fast, efficient, and high quality printouts whenever you need them and compared to inkjet printers the toner cartridges within can appear to last forever. This longevity can lull some consumers into a false sense of security. However, just like any other printer consumable, ink cartridge etc. a laser toner cartridge will run out eventually. As in life itself, nothing lasts forever, so if running a busy office or stable where you cannot afford to have the workhorse lying dormant the trick is to be prepared for such an event.
So, when is the right time to replace your laser toner cartridge and how can you stretch your dollar even further if you think you have no alternative but to buy new cartridges?
First of all, most laser printers have the capacity to let you know when your cartridges are low on toner. The machine will give you the “Low Ink / Toner” message which is your signal to now prepare for the inevitable and get on the web or phone and order in a new OEM cartridge, refilled cartridge or compatible from your printer supply store so you are not faced with a faxing nightmare.
These days with freight companies operating 24/7 it should only be a day or two turnaround from the time of order to receiving your replacement cartridge. Once it has arrived put it, or them, in a safe place until you are left with no other option but to install.
While still using the current cartridges in the machine and you notice that your printing has got to a point where your printouts are starting to blur, you can take out the suspected cartridge and shake it lightly horizontally so that the toner will redistribute evenly and continue on for sometimes surprisingly, quite a few more prints. You should ensure that you handle the printer cartridge correctly so that you won’t damage any part of it and it can work properly once reinstalled.
It is not unheard of for a supposedly empty toner cartridge printing another 1000 or so perfectly acceptable prints. So with this knowledge at hand the savings can soon add up.
Lastly, prior to ordering your replacement set of laser toner cartridges, be sure to check with your supplier to see if they can refill your empty toners to reduce your printers running costs by up to 50% and if this is not a possibility they may be able to pay you for your empties or point you in the right direction to a business that does recycle cartridges and therefore reduce your environmental footprint.
