Printer cartridges are an integral part of your home or office printing system and arguably one of the most important parts of your printer overall. They contain the ink or toner that is deposited onto the paper and, when used up, need replacing. However, there are many different types of printer cartridges on the market, and deciding which ones to purchase can be overwhelming.
Printer ink and toner cartridges are among the oldest known human inventions. They’ve been used on cave walls, made Gutenberg’s Bible possible and printed all the documents, books and papers that sit on your desk right now. While the technology behind them has evolved, it’s still one of our most common and useful inventions.
Cartridges can be new or remanufactured, and they are generally made of plastic that is engineered to hold the ink or toner. In order to create these plastics, it requires a lot of energy, most of which comes from the production and use of fossil fuels like coal. To further complicate matters, many of the individual components that make up a cartridge are synthetic in nature and require a substantial amount of manufacturing, processing, machining and chemical reactions to produce.
The most important consideration when purchasing a new ink or toner cartridge is to ensure that it’s compatible with your printer. The best way to do this is by visiting your printer manufacturer’s website and searching for the cartridge that matches the model of your specific printer. Once you know what type of cartridge to look for, you can browse different brands and purchase the one that fits your needs.
Often, ink or toner cartridges are designated by their expected page-yield – the number of pages that they will print before running dry. If you are on a tight budget, choose a standard cartridge with a low page-yield – these are typically more affordable. If you frequently print, on the other hand, consider choosing an XL or XXL cartridge that has a higher page-yield.
In addition to ensuring that your cartridge is compatible with your printer, it’s also important to check its ink or toner levels regularly. Most printers have a built-in ink or toner monitor that will alert you when the cartridge is running low. Additionally, most of the major printer manufacturers offer easy cartridge recycling programs where you can ship your empty cartridges back to them at no cost.
The main component of an ink or toner cartridge is the printing head, which is attached to the plastic casing. This component is a critical element of laser printers and photocopiers, as it helps to transfer the digital image to the paper via a laser beam. The drum can suffer from wear and tear, however, and the life span of a printer or photocopier is significantly reduced if the drum is damaged. It’s best to replace a drum as soon as it shows signs of wear and tear, especially if you need high-quality prints.