Many users from time to time drew attention to the fact that the resource indicated on the packaging of the cartridge by the manufacturer does not quite correspond to reality, and the ink in the cartridge ends up much faster than the manufacturer intended. At the same time, the difference between the declared and the actual amount is not only a couple of pages: sometimes the bill goes to hundreds. Why is this happening?
How many sheets does a laser printer cartridge last?
Most often, the mismatch of the cartridge resource to the declared values occurs because the manufacturer calculates the indicator of its resource according to the general universal formula, which is usually called the “five percent rule”.
The essence of this rule is simple: on the one page of sheet A4, according to the manufacturer, the toner should go no more than enough to cover five percent of the total volume of the page. This allows us to conclude that if the total area of the “toned” toner volume of a page is more than 5%, then the cartridge will run out much faster.
Attention! The above rule applies only to black and white printer models.
As for color devices, they use the calculation formula for yellow, red, blue and black colors, and if you make a simple calculation (5% for each color), it becomes clear that the “20% rule” already applies to color printers . Thus, for color printers, toner consumption is considered to be normalized by no more than 20% of the volume of one printed page.
What determines the consumption of sheets?
In addition to the above, the consumption of the printer may also depend on many factors, one of which is the banal wear of parts of the device. Failures or deterioration of parts such as:
- Dosing blade
- Magnetic shaft
- Device drum
- Many other small details
Attention! To protect the device from premature wear and increased paint consumption will help its timely diagnosis.
Experts insist on its monthly conduct, however, most companies and private users do not have time for this, which ultimately leads only to losses.
The quality of paper and the microclimate of the working space of the equipment have an undeniable effect on both print quality and cartridge life. If the work office has high humidity and low temperature, its owner should be prepared for the regular and frequent costs of buying new cartridges or refilling old ones.
The quality of the toner and the correspondence of the cartridge to the device, if it is not a "native" cartridge, also have a huge impact on consumption. The use of fake production elements from neighboring countries can not only significantly increase the consumption of coloring material, but also adversely affect the condition of the device itself, and even lead to its breakdown. That is why experts recommend using only original spare parts from the manufacturer, although their cost is much higher.
To summarize all of the above, it can be noted that the rate of consumption of the contents of the cartridges is affected by:
- Percentage of individual pages filled
- Climatic conditions of the device
- The quality of the materials used
- Wear parts
Based on this list, you can draw a few conclusions on how to extend the life of the cartridge. First of all, it is worth noting that a working cartridge can work out the resource declared by the manufacturer and even exceed it if the printer is used in the "sparing" mode, for example, for printing large text with a large line spacing.
In addition, the resource of both toner and the device itself will be positively affected by regular diagnostics and minor repairs. Regular preventive maintenance will, in addition, prevent serious damage and reduce the cost of possible repairs. Also, special attention should be paid to the quality of materials used in the device, from toner to the paper being printed. Subject to all these conditions, the device will last a long time, and significantly exceed the number of possible printed pages indicated by the manufacturer.
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