Tips to extend the life of your laser printer

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 25, 2003 by Capital-Journal

Despite the growth of e-mail and the Internet, business people still like the look and feel of a hard copy.

Many computer-generated documents are eventually printed out. For the small business, it's hard to beat the crisp print quality, low cost per page, and high speed offered by laser printers. The following tips will help you enjoy trouble free printing at a lower cost per page while extending the life of your printer.

Keep your laser printer clean and you will minimize breakdowns. Dust, paper particles and excess toner on the rollers can cause feeding problems. Refer to your owner's manual for proper cleaning procedures. If you get toner on your clothes, use a dry cloth to wipe it off, and wash clothes in cold water as hot water may cause the toner to set.

Store paper in its original carton in a cool dry place if possible. Humidity can cause paper to curl and jam the printer. If you are having a curling problem due to high humidity try placing the opened package in a microwave for about 90 seconds. Excess moisture will be pulled off as steam. Boxes of paper should be stored so that the paper lays flat. Paper stored on its side may have a tendency to curl. Fan paper before placing it in the tray for better feeding.

You can anticipate that the cost of toner cartridges over the life of the printer will exceed the purchase price of your printer. Pay as much attention to the toner cartridge as you do to the printer when making your buying decision. Ask the printer vendor for cost per page figures or do a search on the Internet under "laser printer cost per page comparisons."

Toner cartridge life will vary depending on coverage and density of the documents printed. Graphics use up more toner than plain text. Lowering the density setting on your printer when printing internal documents will prolong the life of the toner cartridge and your pages will print faster.

More than 12 million laser printer cartridges end up in landfills every year. Each cartridge and its packaging thrown away will add an average of 3.5 pounds of waste to the landfill. By law the use of remanufactured toner cartridges will not void your printer's warranty. Remanufactured toner cartridges can save you 20 percent or more off the price of an original manufactured cartridge. Be sure that the manufacturer guarantees that print quality and quantity of pages printed will equal that of a new cartridge.

Laser printer fuser assemblies can reach temperatures in excess of 400-plus degrees Fahrenheit. Specify heat-resistant ink on letterhead and preprinted forms to avoid tracking and offsetting. Preprinted forms should ideally be given several days to dry before using, especially if ink coverage is heavy. Perforations should have a clean edge as burrs may cause the printer to jam.

Noisy impact printers are still useful for printing multi-part forms and batch reports. Ink-jet printers are adequate for extremely low volume printing, but laser printers rule in the small business world. Laser printers are just the kind of tool small businesses love. They're versatile, cost effective and they don't call in sick. Take care of yours and it will serve you well for years.

Mike Nickel, MBA, is president of Advantage Business Forms Inc., a print provider based in Topeka. He may be reached by e-mail at mike@formsadvantage.com

Mike Nickel

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