Laser printer cartridge life

Many users have from time to time noticed that the service life indicated on the cartridge packaging by the manufacturer does not quite correspond to reality, and the ink in the cartridge runs out much faster than the manufacturer intended. At the same time, the difference between the declared and real quantities is not only a couple of pages: sometimes it runs into hundreds. Why does this happen?

How many sheets does a laser printer cartridge last?

Most often, the discrepancy between the cartridge resource and the declared values ​​occurs because the manufacturer calculates its resource indicator using a general universal formula, which is commonly called the “five percent rule”.

The essence of this rule is simple: one page of A4 sheet, according to the manufacturer, should contain no more than enough toner to cover five percent of the total volume of the page. This allows us to conclude that if the total area of ​​the page volume “painted” with toner 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 a calculation formula based on yellow, red, blue and black colors, and if you carry out a simple calculation (5% for each color), it becomes clear that for color printers the “20% rule” is already applicable. . Thus, for color printers, the standard consumption of toner is considered to be no more than 20% of the volume of one printed page.

What determines the consumption of sheets?

In addition to the above, the printer’s consumption may depend on many other factors, one of which is the banal wear and tear of device parts. Malfunctions or wear of parts such as:

• Dosing blade
• Magnetic shaft
• Device drum
• Many other small details

Attention! Timely diagnostics will help protect the device from premature wear and increased paint consumption.

Experts insist on conducting it monthly, however, most companies and private users do not have time for this, which ultimately only leads to losses.

The quality of the paper and the microclimate of the equipment's workspace have an undoubted impact on both print quality and cartridge life. If there is high air humidity and low temperature in a work office, its owner should be prepared for regular and frequent expenses for purchasing new cartridges or refilling old ones.

The quality of the toner and the suitability of the cartridge for the device also have a huge impact on consumption, if we are not talking about the “original” cartridge. The use of counterfeit elements produced in neighboring countries can not only significantly increase the consumption of coloring material, but also have a detrimental effect on 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 cartridges is affected by:

• Individual page completion percentage
• Climatic operating conditions of the device
• Quality of materials used
• Wear of parts

Based on this list, you can draw several conclusions about how you can increase 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 a “gentle” mode, for example, to print large text with large line spacing.

In addition, regular diagnostics and minor repairs will have a positive effect on the lifespan of both the toner and the device itself. Regular preventative maintenance will also help prevent serious breakdowns and reduce the cost of possible repairs. Also, special attention should be paid to the quality of the materials used in the device, from toner to the paper on which the printout is made. If all these conditions are met, the device will last a long time and will significantly exceed the number of possible printed pages indicated by the manufacturer.