It’s highly unlikely that Printer Toner will clump up within six months, unless it’s stored in exceptionally warm and humid conditions. For most users, printer toner, especially when stored properly, boasts a considerable shelf life and remains ready for use even after extended periods.
My experience with a Samsung Laser MFD (CLX-6260FW) purchased over two years ago underscores this point. The printer came equipped with starter toner cartridges, specified for:
- Black: 1503 prints / 2000-page capacity
- CMY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow): 645 prints / 1500-page capacity
Around 18 months after purchase, the printer indicated “0% remaining” toner and prompted for “immediate user intervention“. Preparing for the inevitable, I acquired replacement cartridges (6,000 pages for black, 3,500 for CMY). However, surprisingly, the original cartridges continued to function effectively for another seven months. Anecdotal evidence suggests that printer toner can remain viable for a decade or more, further emphasizing its longevity.
Occasionally, toner cartridges might benefit from a gentle side-to-side shake. This action helps redistribute the toner powder, especially when cartridges are nearing depletion and exhibiting print quality issues. However, vigorous shaking should be avoided due to the risk of leaks and potential respiratory hazards associated with toner spills.
For a long time, I resisted purchasing a printer, but recent needs made it essential. I deliberately chose to avoid inkjet technology, including HP PageWide and fixed head printers, despite their consumer-friendly presentation. My decision was primarily driven by several critical factors:
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Inkjet Ink Drying Issues: Inkjet printers left idle are prone to ink drying and clogging print heads. Infrequent printing can lead to dried ink buildup, necessitating costly and meticulous cleaning, potentially requiring manual intervention or even print head replacement, or a new printer altogether. Ink itself is also an expensive consumable.
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High Running Costs of Inkjet Printers: Replacement ink cartridges are notoriously expensive. Furthermore, DIY ink refills are becoming increasingly challenging due to Digital Rights Management (DRM) implementations by manufacturers. Printer ink is indeed one of the most expensive liquids you can buy, as highlighted in resources like “Ink Cartridges are A Scam“.
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Mechanical Reliability of Inkjet Printers: Inkjet printers are often mechanically unreliable, susceptible to paper jams, paper chewing, and general wear and tear. Mechanically, they are not the most robust solution.
Considering the current price points and compact sizes of laser printers, I now strongly advise against purchasing inkjet printers for most users, budget permitting. While laser printers might not match inkjet quality for high-resolution photo printing, unless professional-grade photo output is a frequent requirement, laser printers are perfectly adequate for the vast majority of printing needs. For occasional, high-quality photo printing, utilizing online printing services is a more practical approach.
To further illustrate the running cost disparity between inkjet and laser printers, let’s compare расходники for a common HP printer.
While the initial investment in a laser printer might be higher, the long-term running costs are significantly lower, often exceeding 50% savings compared to inkjet options.
HP Inkjet Black Ink Cartridge: Running Costs
Using standard HP inkjet cartridges, black and white printing can cost approximately 5.5 pence per page. This calculation excludes numerous factors that inflate the actual cost per page, such as ink used for print head alignment and cleaning cycles, ink wastage due to drying, reprints, and DRM limitations.
High-capacity inkjet cartridges, such as the HP 973X high-yield black ink cartridge, can appear more cost-effective on a per-page basis. However, their large capacity also translates to a greater risk of ink wastage if printing is infrequent, as the ink can dry out before the cartridge is fully utilized.
HP Laser Black Toner Cartridge: Running Costs
In contrast, a typical HP laser black toner cartridge offers a significantly lower running cost of approximately 2.4 pence per page for black and white printing. This substantial difference in per-page cost underscores the long-term economic advantage of laser printers, particularly when considering the longevity and efficiency of printer toner compared to inkjet ink.
