Printer Ink Tips

The Dell Ink And Toner Management System

If you're considering using Dell products, you may have heard of their Dell ink and toner management system. The Dell ink and toner management system is Dell's answer to keeping their consumers aware of ink and toner levels. The Dell ink and toner management system operates so that you'll always be notified long before you run out of ink. You get notification of low levels of ink or toner in your machine. Dell lets you go directly to the ordering page of your specific product so that you can replace your low ink or toner immediately. You'll be able to get a new cartridge before your old one runs out. This direct ordering system allows you to order straight from Dell without the cost of a middleman markup. The toner and ink cartridges qualify as part of their recycle program, as well.

The Epson Toner Recycle Program

If you're using Epson toner, you can help the environment by participating in the recycle program. Epson has a recycle program that is free of cost for its AcuLaser CX11N Epson toner cartridges. All you have to do is go to the Epson website and find the recycle program page. On the recycle program page, you can fill out a form to receive prepaid shipping labels to attach to your packaged, old Epson toner. Epson also offers a discount for the future purchase of their toner through their own website.

If you're not a user of the AcuLaser CX11N Epson toner series, you can still recycle items like printers, scanners and other hardware. Epson is currently offering a $5 off discount that is good towards future purchases of items at the Epson store for returning items though their recycle program.

How To Solve Toner Smears

If you're seeing toner smears on the edge of your printouts, you could have dirty media guides or other issues causing the faulty printouts. Toner smears are easily correctable in some cases. To get your printouts looking crisp and clean again, there are a few tricks you can try with your toner.

• Wipe the media guides clean of any dirt and debris with a dry cloth. Make sure your cloth is free of lint before you clean out your media guides.
• Check the type and quality of paper you're using, as certain media are prone to smearing.
• Check the temperature of your fuser to make sure it's not too low.
• In your printer driver, make sure that you are matching the appropriate paper type with what your toner is printing on. Choosing the wrong medium could cause toner smears.

Redistributing HP Toner To Correct Faded Prints

If your prints are coming out faint, it may be time to replace your HP toner. However, when time is tight and you need to finish a job quickly, you can attempt to redistribute your HP toner to finish the prints. The steps to redistribute the toner with an HP laserjet are below:

• First, open the printer door and remove the HP toner cartridge from the printer.
• Hold the cartridge at each end and use a gentle motion to rock the cartridge from front to back.
• Replace the cartridge in the HP laserjet and close the door.
• It's important not to expose the HP toner to prolonged light as this could cause damage to the unit. You can cover the cartridge with a piece of paper if you need to leave it out for more than a brief period.

Dealing With Low Toner Messages After Refilling Printer Toner

Occasionally, you might find that after refilling printer toner, you still get a message that you have low toner. Obviously, this shouldn't be the case if you don't have an empty toner cartridge. What sometimes happens is the printer doesn't have notification that it needs to restart its toner calculation. Regardless of whether you're installing a cartridge after refilling printer toner or you're installing a new original manufacturer toner cartridge, you need to make sure your laser printer is getting the correct reading. The laser printer reads a chip to verify the toner level. If your refill cartridge lacks this element, you can still bypass the default system to get your laser printer to read the original chip. For specific instructions on circumventing the low toner message, consult your laser printer manual.