Replacing the laser printer cartridge
How do I know when the laser printer toner cartridge needs to be replaced?
When you bought a new printer, you received an underfilled starter cartridge with it. The printer manufacturer's idea is to sell the printer inexpensively and then sell expensive original toner cartridges as quickly as possible. Printers monitor the end of color in the printer cartridge either with a side counter or by evaluating the wear of the toner. When the color starts to run low, newer printers will notify you that it is almost time to replace the toner cartridge . So then it's time to buy a new cartridge at the latest. With black-and-white lasers, sometimes, depending on the model, it is possible to get a little extra time when you take the cartridge out of the printer and shake it horizontally back and forth, so that the color is distributed more evenly.
How do you make sure you choose the right toner cartridge?
You can easily find out the suitable toner cartridge model in a couple of different ways. One way is to look at the printer's user manual . Another easy way is to take the toner cartridge out of the printer and see what model number is written on the label on top of it. If it is a starter cartridge, the code may be slightly different from the actual toner cartridge, so this method probably works best for follow-up orders. The third and perhaps the easiest way is to Google e.g. "HP Laserjet P1102 toner cartridge" and the hits will certainly be good and the cartridge code will be easy to find. Online stores for toner cartridges often have the option to search by printer model or cartridge model. In online stores, it is usually easiest to use the search box, i.e. enter the printer model (or cartridge model, if you already know it) and click Enter or the magnifying glass or the "search" button.
Should I buy an expensive original cartridge or a cheaper "accessory cartridge" from another manufacturer?
The choice between the original cartridge and the accessory cartridge depends on whether your printer is a black-and-white printer or a color laser .
If your printer is a color laser printer and you print color images where accurate color reproduction is important, then using original cartridges can be justified despite the high price. You can get the same print result as with the original cartridges , but about 20% cheaper, by using MSE brand color cartridges made in the USA, which are undoubtedly the world's highest quality accessory cartridge brand and are in a series of their own. Of course, you can print color images and graphics with standard supply cartridges , but the colors are usually not repeated in exactly the same shades as the originals. Small inaccuracies in the print mark or errors in the print mark are more likely with accessory cartridges - especially the very cheapest accessory cartridges. In color lasers, an additional problem compared to black-and-white printers is that the excess powder that may not stick to the paper is not electrostatic. The toner cartridge does not catch all the powder that may have leaked and it spills around the printer. In itself, the powder is not dangerous and it can be wiped or vacuumed from time to time. You should still pay attention to the warranty period of the accessory cartridge in color lasers, because the warranty can be used. If you order from an online store, make sure that the goods come from Finland and that the return is free (like we do in the variaine.fi store). Many Finnish-sounding shops operate from Hong Kong (like e.g. Halvathinnat.com ) or from other countries, and return costs are paid by the customer, and there is no consumer protection or assurance of delivery times, not to mention customer service in Finnish.
If your laser printer is a black and white printer, it is practically pointless to pay the high price of original cartridges. Technically, the color cartridge for a black and white printer is very easy to manufacture and the print result does not differ from the original, especially with higher quality Premium level cartridges. The amount of printing is also at least the same as with the original toner cartridge , and there is practically no risk of leakage. With a supply cartridge, you usually save about 70% on the printing costs of a black-and-white printer without any great risk of any kind of problems. So the next time you need to change the color cartridge, we recommend a quality-certified accessory cartridge for the black and white laser. An example of an excellent laser cartridge is our most popular HP laser cartridge for the HP Laserjet P1102W printer.