Finding the Right Toner Cartridges
During day to day life there are plenty of instances where having something on paper is either useful or necessary. Toner printers and their compatible cartridges provide a printing solution for these varied everyday needs. Konica Minolta is one brand that manufactures OEM toner cartridges to go along with their line of printing units.
What Should You Know About Different Toner Cartridges?
So that you don't make the mistake of buying the wrong type or number of cartridges, there are some elements of toner cartridges worth knowing, such as:
- Toner vs. Ink: It's important to realize that toner cartridges and ink cartridges are not interchangeable. Ink cartridges are only compatible with inkjet printers and apply a liquid to the page. Toner however, is compatible with laser printers and involves applying a fine powder to a drum using electrostatic charges and then fusing that powder to the page.
- Color vs. Black Cartridges: Printers accept a different number of toner cartridges depending on whether they print in black-and-white or color. Color printers require cyan, magenta, and yellow toner as well as the black toner cartridges required by black-and-white printers. These color toner cartridges are usually able to be purchased separately or as a pack.
- High Yield Cartridges: Different size toner cartridges are typically measured by their page yield - the number of pages they are able to print. Although their volume of toner and yield will differ, compatible high yield cartridges should fit the same as the other sizes of OEM toner cartridges in your printing unit. The main trade-off here is between page yield and cost. See the manufacturer site for size details.
What Are the Trade-Offs to Laser Printers?
Before settling on the right toner, it's worth making sure a laser printer is the right solution for your printing needs. The trade-offs to this type of printing include:
- Faster Printing: Because of the technique and mechanics of how pages are printed, laser printers like those in the Konica Minolta BizHub range are able to print images faster than ink printers and often even copiers. This means they print a greater yield of pages in the same amount of time. There's the added benefit that toner doesn't need time to dry.
- High Resolution Images: Laser printers can often struggle with highly detailed imaging on large printouts when it comes to the subtle gradations of color in these images. Often inkjet printers are able manage this scenario with more accuracy.