Laser Printer - FAQ's

Printers
Q - What is the difference between single pass and multi pass colour printer?
A - A multi pass colour printer takes four cycles to place each of the colours onto the transfer drum and then finally onto the page. This is a slower and older technology than a single pass colour printer which prints each colour straight onto the page in one single pass.

Toner
Q - What is a toner cartridge refill?
A - A refilled cartridge has only the toner replaced and reuses the old components of the cartridge. This can lead to reduced image quality and cartridge related issues.

Q - What is a remanufactured toner cartridge?
A - A remanufactured toner cartridge has some if not all the worn components replaced. The amount of replaced parts can depend on the company rebuilding the cartridge.

Q - What is a compatibles toner cartridge?
A - A compatible toner cartridge is a new cartridge that is made by a third party not the genuine manufacturer. It may or may not use genuine internal components depending on the company.

Q - What is genuine remanufactured toner cartridge?
A - A genuine remanufactured toner cartridge is a cartridge that is rebuilt with genuine parts to the manufacturer’s specifications by the manufacturer. In most instances this is as good as new and is highly recommended by Australian Printer Services Pty Ltd.

Q - Why use new genuine or remanufactured genuine toner cartridges over the others?
A - More often than not these cartridges will outlast the non genuine cartridges as well can extend the printers life. Third party toners are built to a budget which may mean components are reused leading to image quality problems as well as reduced life span of the printer or cartridge.

Q - How can I tell if it is a genuine toner cartridge?
A - The genuine product will have the manufacturers’ logo and trade mark on the box. Non genuine cartridges are generally in a plain looking box and can have the words, “ for use in, compatible with.”

Buying a printer
Q - Where do I start?
A - Answer the following questions.

1. How many pages a week do you print? - This will tell you the duty cycle of the printer to look for. Also when comparing to the toner yield you will see how often you will be changing the toner.
2. What size paper do you want to print on? - If you don't need A3 size paper it can save thousands of dollars in the purchase price compared to a comparable A4 printer.
3. Do you need colour? - People quiet often buy colour to kill two birds with one stone though if you are printing volume it is more cost effective to have a separate black and white printer. The overall running cost of a colour printer can be 4 to 20 times the cost of a black and white.
4. Do you require duplex printing? - This is printing on both sides of the paper with out intervention. Quite often standard in printers these days.
5. Do you want multiple paper trays? - This is handy if wanting to print on different types of paper or if you just want high input capabilities. Check specifications to see how many extra trays can be fitted if any.
6. What type of interface do you want? - Please be aware that most printers these days come with USB ports and do not have parallel ports, likewise with computers. Ethernet is standard on some printers and opinion on most others so take note of your requirements before purchasing

Q - What to watch out for when buying extended warranty?
A - Be aware that extended warranties from some retail outlets are insurance policies - not extended manufacturer’s warranty.  If you intend to purchase extended warranty for your printer then ensure that you receive a certificate from the manufacturer with the product serial number and the term of the contract.  An invoice stating that you purchased extended warranty is not always sufficient proof of purchase for the manufacturers extended warranty.

Q - Where do I buy it?
A -From Australian Printer Services Pty Ltd so you make sure you get the right product to suit your needs.

The Environment
Q - What is a toner only printer?
A - A printer where the only consumable is the toner unlike most printers which replaces the whole cartridge containing the image processing system. All of which is less friendly to the environment.

Q - What is Duplexing
A - A printer that prints on both sides without having to refeed the paper a second tine. This is one way to save paper by printing double sided.

Terms
Q - What is dpi?
A - Dots per inch. The resolution of printing or scanning.

Q - What is ppm?
A - Page per minute - Is a speed rating which is often followed by the page size it relates to.

Q - What is Duty Cycle?
A - This is the the maximum amount of pages that the manufacturer recommends in one month. We recommend at least half that figure for every month use.

Q - What is meant by 20,000 pages with 5% coverage (ISO/IEC 19752) ?
A - Average standard pages. Declared Yield in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752. Yield will vary based on image text area coverage. Colour is measured at 20% coverage while back and white at 5% coverage