Toner Talk – How Compatibility Can Improve The Life Of Your Printer

One can spend a lot more money than you might think purchasing toner cartridges through a third party when you’re trying to save money in the first place. In fact, nowadays, printing costs, including your toner takes up a good portion of many business budgets and there is always the temptation is to go with generic toner cartridges at a cheaper cost. These toner cartridges, however, are a generic brand comprised of similar materials sold by a third party that typically does not perform as well as compatible toner cartridges.

In many cases, compatible toner cartridges are great because of their affordability, but in terms of extending and improving the life of your computer, they fall short. Opting for the less expensive option is understandable in an environment where your average HP toner cartridges, one of the leading brand in printers, can be quite expensive. However, there are some real disadvantages to using generic toner cartridges over genuine ones and it’s important to be aware of these downfalls to ensure that you get the most out of your printer going forward.

Let’s take a closer look at how using genuine toner cartridges can extend the life of your printer.

Printer Warranty

Most printers come with at least a year’s warranty with some offering an extended warranty if the consumer deems it to be necessary. In this case, if your printer is no longer functional because the type of toner you used was incompatible, you can easily have it repaired or replaced. On the other hand, if using a generic toner cartridge, you are on the hook for the repairs and the replacement. The point is that while your printer is under warranty you do not want to take the risk of damaging it and ultimately having to pay more for repairs simply because you do not want to pay more for your toner cartridge. Keep the big picture in mind and save yourself money in the long run while ensuring that your printer is always running optimally.

Avoid Printer Damage

The toner that is produced by the manufacturer, while it can be replicated, is made with the machine’s specifications in mind. For this reason, using a generic toner cartridge might work with your printer, but at the same time, it can cause problems that might impact the life of the printer. Printer heads that are clogged, that streak, or that leak are common problems associated with using toner that is not made from the exact materials that the original toner cartridges are.

You could argue that with proper maintenance you may potentially extend the life of the printer. While this might be true, the cost of replacing a good printer is generally more than sacrificing a few dollars on the manufacturer’s printer toner. As in the previous point, in the short run, you save money on toner, but in the long run, you can potentially run into a lot of problems.

Avoid UV Damage

When using compatible toner cartridges, consumers also run the risk of damaging the printer, if exposed to UV light. With exposure to UV light, the printer heads can become damaged and ultimately this will reduce the quality of your prints. To guard against this kind of damage, it’s best to use toner cartridges provided by the manufacturer rather than opting for cheaper imitations.

Better Quality Prints

Over time, using generic toner cartridges can affect the quality of prints that are produced by the printer. In fact, many users typically find that they waste more toner because the quality is not of the same standard and they actually have to spend more on toner in the long run. As mentioned earlier, it’s important to keep in mind that manufacturers created the toner with the printer in mind, so not only will you get more out of your cartridges you will also get better prints from your printer.

Improving The Life Your Printer

Using third-party toner cartridges certainly is not the worst thing that you can do when printing, however, for those who use their printers daily and have large jobs to complete, it’s important to consider the benefits of going with toner provided by the manufacturer. Yes, the cost of these cartridges can be a little expensive, but there are plenty of effective ways to offset these costs, including purchasing eco-friendly printers that conserve toner. However, if you want to ensure you get the best possible prints from your printer and you want to extend the life of your printer, you should start by using toner cartridges produced by the printer’s manufacturer and optimum, hassle-free printing for many years to come.