How toner cartridges work
A toner cartridge holds fine toner powder. Laser printing happens in a few steps:
- Charging: a laser draws the image of your page onto a photosensitive drum, creating an electrostatic pattern.
- Developing: charged toner particles are attracted to that pattern on the drum.
- Transfer: the toner image is transferred from the drum to the paper.
- Fusing: the paper passes through heated rollers that melt the toner onto the page.
Advantages of toner printing
- Cost per page: toner cartridges usually print more pages than ink cartridges, which often means a lower cost per page for regular printing.
- Easy replacement: most toner cartridges slide in and out of the printer without tools.
- Suited to larger volumes: laser printers handle regular, higher volume printing well.
- No drying out: toner is a powder, so it does not dry out if the printer is not used for a while.
- Speed: laser printers are generally quick for text documents and larger print runs. You can browse toner cartridges by printer brand.
What to check when choosing a toner cartridge
- Part number: find the correct part number in your printer manual or on your current cartridge, and match it exactly.
- OEM or compatible: OEM cartridges are made by the printer manufacturer, such as HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Lexmark or Pantum. Compatible cartridges are made by third parties and usually cost less. Each product page states which type the item is.
- Page yield: compare the stated yield and work out the cost per page. Yields are measured at about 5% page coverage.
- Drum unit: some printers use a separate drum, which is replaced less often than the toner cartridge.
If you are unsure which toner cartridge fits your printer, you can send your printer model to support@maxiprint.co.za.
