How Do Toner and Cartridge Work

HP inkjet printer cartridge

A new remarkable feature of laser printer and copy machine is its toner. In that inner mechanism do not use ink to print but uses the tonner to complete the process. The toner is not ink, toner is a processed power. Toner is a processed powder created from plastic and dyestuff.

What is working procedure of toner?

Drystuff and plastic both are very important materials in printing that plays a pretty simple role in the entire printing mechanism. The drystff contains the black color and the plastic material inside the toner allows it to stick on paper while it is hot and gets melted.

The thawing procedure allows some extra benefits to laser toner over the ink, in which it interlocks the paper fibers that becomes resistance of smudges. This is why printing of laser technology is sharply appears sharply on paper.

Overall costing of printing while using later toner is a big benefit. Laser printer is best in offices where high use of printing is there, because price of new toner cartridge is less than inkjet cartridge. For example HP inkjet printer cartridge price starts from $6 and toner price starts from $2 even toner is printing more prints. While cost of later printer is little higher than inkjet printers.

Working Mechanism blueprint of a toner cartridge

Different models of the toner cartridge has different designs as per its manufacturer, some component is found same in many toner cartridges especially when maker is same.

Toner hopper: A small space which includes the toner

Seal: A flexible ribbon that saves leakage of toner powder before installation

Doctor blade: This is to control a fix dose of toner that is spitted to the developer and the developer pushes toner to the OPC drum

Waste bin: gathers rag toner wastage inside the OPC drum Wiper Bade: rubs the ragged toner that prints on the page.

Primary charge roller (PCR): creates a straight negative over the OPC drum before the laser writing happens. Image created in laser is also wiped.

OPC (Organic Photo Conductor): The drum catches and electronic replicated image that prints on the paper

Drum shutter: saves the drum from the light when it is just near by the machine and pushes the drum inside the printer.

What is working procedure of cartridge?

In mechanism of cartridges, there are some parts those are replaceable like tonner hopper, developer as well as the drum. When matter (text or image) is printed on the paper, the mechanism collects toner through the hopper including the developer.

Read More: Tips to keep Your Printer in an excellent working condition

The developer forms collected tonner from the hopper by rushing through it and composition of negatively charged magnetic fields attached to the roller.

Positively charged molecules of toner is gathered by the developer and rushes them towards the drum mechanism.

The electrostatic mirror inside the drum has little heavier charge in compare of the beads of the developer. The toner is going to be fetched from the developer to the drum.

After than the drum rolls over the paper. The negative charge over the paper is quiet heavier than in the drum and presses toner particles out of the drum and slops in mirror of the electrostatic.

After that the paper is pushed outside by the attached plate.

Till this time only thing that keeps the toner unmoved is because of gravity. To attach the toner, the paper should be pushed through the fuser rollers. Fuser rollers are lighten up by the hot tube lamps.

This het is the main thing in printing, it separated the toner molecules, making the toner sticking in the paper fiber particles. The toner doesn’t get stick to the hot fuser rollers and the separated plastic sticks on the paper.

Teflon is coated over the roller, this is why toner doesn’t stick to roller. Teflon is the material same one that is used to make nonstick (frying) pans.

Difference between Color and Monochrome Printing

Working method of color toner and monochrome toner is same. Only difference is that the process is repeatedly executed for each and every color in the toner.

Magenta (red), Cyan (blue), yellow and black are the standard and common toner colors. The three colors red, yellow and blue additionally needs black color as well because those three can create all colors but not the black.

The technical reason behind this is that black color origins when there is unavailability of color.

This combination of toner colors, are simulated at different levels at saturation and brightness also and can create thousands of different color types and shades.

Price Comparison Ink Printers v/s Laser Printers

There is difference in price of different model of printers and specially ink printers also called inkjet printers. Inkjet printer needs complete replacement of cartridges. Different company ink cartridges have different prices like brother printer cartridge replacement cost is little higher than canon compatible ink cartridges.

In many countries laser printer toner is refilled instead of replacement of cartridges. Also there is compatible cartridges available in market that are quite less in price. Also inkjet replacement cartridges have to be used frequently, if you do not use the inkjet printer for few weeks the ink gets dry and you have to replace it to use it again.

While toner cartridges if not used for long time, immediately starts working in first attempt. Many low economy countries have facility to replace toner of the cartridge.

Toner is quite cost effective, price of toner is less than $1. One normal size cartridge of laser printer can print up to 1000 copies (depends on quality of copy you are printing). If you print photos or high definition stuff, it takes out less prints but if normal letter printing it gets lot of prints at once.

This quick working procedure of toner cartridges will help you provide understanding about working method.

This technology from the toner cartridges has helped the laser printer to take over the printer market in all over the world.

It is believed that in upcoming years, there is improved technology and designs are coming for toner cartridges for all kind of office commercial and residential printing.