Printer cartridges: technology and types

Toner cartridges contain two consumable parts, the toner cartridge itself (which has a typical life of 2000 pages) and the drum unit (a typical life of 40,000 pages).  . Toner cartridges contain toner powder, a fine, dry mixture of plastic particles, carbon, and black or other colouring agents that make the actual image on the paper.

A laser beam projects the image of page being printed on the electrically charged rotating drums coated with organic photoconductors. Powdered toner particles are then electrostatically picked up by the drum’s charged areas, which have not been exposed to the laser beam. The drum then prints the image on the paper by direct contact and heat, which fuse the ink to the paper.

Toner cartridges can be expensive, sometimes exceeding the cost of cheaper laser printers. As a result some people dispose of the printer when it is out of toner (thereby negating any "green" or "eco friendly" claims made by the manufactures) and replace the entire machine. Ironically, new machines generally come with toners that are only ⅓ full. Consumers also can opt to buy generic brand laser toners, manufactured by companies other than the printer manufacturer. These toners are widely available at a fraction of the price of the genuine brand replacement. Toner refill kits are also an option, allowing the consumer to simply refill an empty cartridge.

Genuine cartridges

These are manufactured by printer manufacturers . they offers certain guarantees when you use genuine brand toner in your printer and makes certain threats if you don't, voiding warranty is a typical accusation made, although in many countries this is illegal. Genuine cartridges are more expensive than refills, compatibles or re-manufactured cartridges, however you can reduce the difference in price dramatically by purchasing cartridges from a specialist retailer such as ebargainshop.

Remanufactured  cartridges

A process by which the OEM  or other compatible cartridge is dismantled after the first use. Any worn or defective parts are replaced and the cartridge is cleaned . Then it is refilled with toner. The remanufacturing process differs from one factory to another , as well as the quality of toner that the cartridge is filled with .These are important factors to be taken into account when purchasing remanufactured toner cartridges because they can ultimately lead to leaking , printer malfunction or even damaging the printer altogether.

At ebargainshop we make sure that we supply cheap cartridges remanufactured ay  ISO 9000 certified factories . Also, the toner powder refilled is of superior quality.

Compatible also known as "Generic" or "Alternative Brand"

These cartridges are manufactured from scratch, they are not used cartridges that have been refilled or re-manufactured. They are produced by a third party companies and sold under different brand names. Often compatible cartridges may vary slightly in look, design and page yield to their genuine counterparts due to certain patents that restrict the exact copying of designs. Although some might say these generic cartridges are less reliable, they are undoubtedly a cost-effective alternative to the genuine article and many have exceeded the quality of the OEM. They can also be manufactured to contain more toner powder  than the OEM versions, depending on the design of the cartridge itself (and cost aspects as well).