If you run a business that requires a lot of documentation or paperwork, chances are, you’ll need to set up a reliable printer at your establishment. However, the more frequently you print, the sooner your toner will run out and need replacement. To prevent delays in your workflow, it’s important to know the estimated lifespan of printer supplies to gauge how often you should switch out the toner cartridge.  

Why It’s Crucial to Change Toners Frequently

The primary reason for replacing printer supplies such as toner is to improve print quality. A cartridge that’s running low will produce poor, and oftentimes incomprehensible, copies—something that you should avoid as it can create an unfavorable impression of your company. Aside from this, replacing your toners regularly makes it convenient for you to print out important documents at a moment’s notice. Letting your printer run dry may lead to problems that require professional recalibration, which stall projects and cost money.

How to Know It’s Time to Replace Toners

Bear in mind that the toner’s lifespan is based on the number of pages it’s used for, which can vary with the make and model of your printer. And sometimes, the toners can exceed or fall short of this estimate, depending on how you use the printer and type of pages printed. Aside from pages, shelf life also plays a factor in changing printer supplies—even if they’re still full. Chemicals in the toner break down over time, affecting print quality in the process. Pay attention to low toner indicators on the printer and pop-ups in your computer alerting users to replace the cartridge. Keep an eye out for streaking and fading on the pages, suggesting that you have an insufficient amount of toner for printing.

What You Can Do to Extend Its Life

Heavy printing with black spaces and bold letters can speed up toner replacement, whereas printouts with sparse text and characters will yield more pages and extend its life. This is where draft modes come in handy since it lightens colors and uses less toner when printing. If the warning indicator lights up, you can still squeeze out a few more prints by removing the cartridge and shaking it to move leftover toner. Clean the printer head occasionally and lightly dust off excess toner from the sensors to read the cartridge.  

For printer supplies like toner, inks, and cartridges, count on Laser Line to have what you need. Based in Jessup, MD, they have been providing quality multi-function devices under leading brands and outstanding printer services to businesses across Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia since 1989. Call (410) 636-1700 to discuss your printing needs, or send them a message online.

Join Our Email List