Posts Tagged ‘remanufactured’

Has your cartridge leaked?

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

What should you do when a cartridge leaks? Put it in the printer still? Clean it up? Throw it away? WHAT TO DO!

Cartridges can leak, whether they’re original manufactured or a remanufactured/compatible cartridge. Sometimes they can be filled too much and the pressure makes them leak a little bit, or sometimes they can get damaged during shipping, this can occur for several reasons; thrown around without being handled correctly, large packages/boxes placed on top, stood on, dropped etc.

We do advise that you do NOT insert a leaking cartridge into your printer as it can cause problems, your printer will become contaminated with ink inside and it will become sticky and then dust and hairs will start to gather causing a blockage and error messages may start to appear if it gets onto the circuitry. It is more hassle placing the cartridge in the printer as opposed to contacting and sorting the problem out with the supplier.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Leaking cartridge | No Comments »

Keeping the ink costs low

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

We at Cartridge Discount although we sell ink we like to pass savings so customers can print more successfully

One of the main concerns brought up from a survey done by PC advisor and noticed by us was that customers were concerned about the rising cost of Ink cartridges and the ink not lasting long enough. This is no surprise because of the changing economics and household budgets being tightened.

Customers are now more aware of the Total cost of ownership of a printer. Companies like Kodak, Canon, HP and Epson have to become more focused on reducing the cost of the cartridges and making printers and cartridges more cost efficient without losing quality.  So we at Cartridge Discount would like to give you some of our ink savings advice.

Top 10 Ink savings advice

1)      Buying Compatible or recycled cartridges are a great way of saving money the quality is just as good as original cartridges without the high price tag. Manufactures claim that generic cartridges damage your printer or invalidate your printer warranty but this is not true.

2)      Some companies have special offers each week so it is best to sign up to their newsletter so you get these offers sent to you.

3)      When you are printing Website pages try to copy only the part that you want not the adverts.

4)      Reduce the size of the page you are about to print before you print or if you can put more pages on one page e.g.  If you are printing a power point presentation you can print more pages on one page.  In turn this will save paper.

5)      Try Adobe Lean Print.  This is new software only printing solution a trial is available to from Adobe for free for 30 days if for an individual or 90 days if you are an organisation this software can monitor the amount of ink you are using and the cost. To find out more check the Adobe website http://www.adobe.com/products/lean-print.html

6)      Print in draft mode if your printer has setting, you could print in this mode unless you are printing a photograph or a business letter.

7)      Clean the ink cartridge heads you can find this through your printer software under head clean/ nozzle clean.  If you do this now and again to make sure the cartridges are flowing correctly or when you have not printed in a while.

8)      When your printer is not in use switch it off the heat from the printer can make the cartridge dry out.

9)      Storing the cartridges at room temperature and only buying when you need the cartridges means that the cartridges that you buy are at their best possible condition. Keeping in mind that cartridge’s can deteriorate over time.

10)   Last but not least if you do not use the cartridges regularly, at least once a week the cartridges can also dry out so when you are thinking you are saving on ink it is costing you not to use your ink, as the ink can evaporate and can dry out.  So to your benefit use your printer weekly to keep your cartridge ink flowing.

Happy Printing!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Keeping the ink costs low | No Comments »

Remanufactured cartridges help to save our planet

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Remanufactured cartridges help to save our planet

Not many people give much thought when it comes to discarding their empty ink cartridges. Most of us are probably guilty of throwing them in the bin. Unfortunately ink cartridges take thousands of years to fully decompose in UK landfill sites; they also emit harmful chemicals whilst doing so. Every year in the UK millions of empty cartridges end up in landfill sites when most of them could be recycled and re-used with little effort.

Often people don’t realise there are cheaper recycled alternatives to expensive OEM cartridges. These not only save you lots of money, they also save our planet.

Don’t be fooled in to thinking remanufactured cartridges will be of a lower standard compared to OEM products. If you buy from a reputable retailer you shouldn’t be able to notice the difference between the two.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Remanufactured cartridges help to save our planet | No Comments »

How many ink cartridges are recycled?

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

How many Ink Cartridges are Recycled?

Recycle your empty ink cartridges if you want to make a difference in the world. What difference will you make? Well, you will be able to save the earth from the harsh effects of global warming.

Many companies are pushing efforts for homes, hospitals, schools or businesses to join ink cartridge recycling schemes. You will be able to help manufacturers save on raw materials and energy consumption with every ink cartridge you recycle. These will translate to environmental benefits which in turn will provide advantages to you as well.

Statistics on inkjet cartridge recycling

In the UK, there are around 4 ink cartridges thrown away by users per second. According to research, there are around 200 million ink cartridges thrown into landfills. This number increases by 12% each year. In the whole world, 70% of used ink cartridges are being binned.

These statistics brought about concerns on the need to recycle cartridges in every part of the world. Government industries and non-profit organisations kept their acts together and started promoting printer cartridge recycling schemes.

The number of empty ink cartridge you reuse is equivalent to the number of ink cartridges that can save the landfills from harm. When you consider using remanufactured versions, you also help save landfills from 3.5 pounds of solid waste deposits. This will also reduce pollution as you help lessen the percentage of ink cartridges incinerated in landfills.

How can you make a difference?

There are many ways you can recycle your used inkjet cartridges.

1. First, you may donate them to a charity. These organisations will collect all empty ink cartridges that they get. After collecting, they will send these cartridges back to manufacturers or printer cartridge recycling schemes in exchange for money. By doing this, you don’t only help save the environment; you also bring a difference to the lives of those who are in need.

2. You may also send the cartridge directly to these recycling program advocates. The good thing is that these organisations will send you the package which you may use in returning empty inkjet cartridges. Plus, you don’t have to pay for postage.

3. Of course, you may also use the recycling trend introduced by computer industries. In this trend, what you need is to send back old inkjet cartridges to your manufacturers. After that, they will refill the empty printer cartridge for you. You will be able to save money on this as the refill costs only a mere fraction of purchasing a new inkjet cartridge.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in How many ink cartridges are recycled? | No Comments »

Remanufactured Toner Cartridge Myths

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Remanufactured Toner Cartridge Myths

Below we have listed the top 7 myths surrounding Remanufactured Toner Cartridges!

1. Can a defective toner cartridge damage my printer?

A toner cartridge is a mostly self contained unit which has limited contact with the rest of the printer. Worst case scenario is that some leaked toner from a faulty or damaged cartridge will need to be carefully removed from the printer. All toner cartridges will deposit a very small amount of toner inside the printer; many newer printers now come with a waste toner box to collect this safely. Toner cartridges that have been professionally remanufactured will not damage printers or create anymore wear and tear than a brand new original OEM cartridge. You should ensure you regularly remove any toner deposits from inside the printer as part of regular printer maintenance.

2. Will using a remanufactured toner cartridge void my printer warranty?

Following recent pressure from the European Union and American Fair Trade Laws, the OEM printer manufacturers are not allowed to void your printer warranty for using compatible or remanufactured toner or ink cartridges.

3. Will a remanufactured toner cartridge be of inferior quality compared to an OEM product?

Here at Cartridge Discount we always use remanufactured toner cartridges in our printers when available, and we can honestly not notice any significant difference in print quality compared to the original OEM toner cartridges. There is a massive cost saving and the knowledge that you are helping the environment at the same time!

4. Do toner cartridge remanufacturers reuse toner in their cartridges?

You cannot reuse toner, if you did then none of the cartridges would work! Toner becomes contaminated during the printing process by electrical charges and paper dust, so it is therefore completely un-reusable. Different toner cartridges can also require a different toner formulation, and by combining two different types of toner inside one cartridge you would encounter problems.

5. Do toner cartridge remanufacturers just replace the toner in recycled cartridges?

Single re-use ink cartridge ‘remanufacturers’ (also called ‘drill and fill’ sellers) are actually conning you and the environment. A professional toner cartridge will replace every worn or damaged component in the cartridge. The imaging drum in the cartridge will be cleaned, tested or even replaced. The OPC drum is the most expensive part inside many toner cartridges, but it is the most crucial component for the quality and performance of your toner cartridge. The majority of professionally remanufactured toner cartridges have brand new OPC drums, charge rollers and other mechanical parts. Microchips must also be replaced to ensure the full functionality and compatibility of the cartridge.

6. If I return my empty toner cartridge to Lexmark/Canon/HP etc … will it be re-used?

You may be surprised to find that only 20% of returned empty cartridges sent to OEM manufacturers are actually re-used. Independent cartridge remanufacturers recover and re-use more empty cartridges than all the OEM’s put together. A recent survey found that OEM manufacturer’s schemes to collect empty cartridges generally resulted in the toner cartridges being broken down into their constituent parts and then the base materials were recycled. Where as, third party toner remanufacturers will almost always re-use the cartridges that they collect following inspection and cleaning.

7. Is the toner used inside the cartridge as good as the OEM’s?

Since the invention of chemical toner nearly 10 years ago, almost all of the OEM toner cartridge manufacturers are designing their toner cartridges with this new technology. This became available to third party toner cartridge remanufacturers about 18 months ago, and now the quality achieved by remanufactured cartridges is the same as that of the OEM’s.

You can find a large selection of remanufactured toner cartridges at www.cartridgediscount.co.uk.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Remanufactured Toner Cartridge Myths | No Comments »

Toner cartridge troubleshooting guide

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Toner Cartridge Troubleshooting Guide

Don’t get frustrated by laser printer problems! Use our troubleshooting guide below for helpful tips and techniques to solve the most common laser printer problems.

Cleaning

Cleaning can go a long way towards keeping your laser printer running smoothly. The exterior of your printer can be cleaned with a damp cloth or a cleaner specially designed to clean electronics. The interior of the printer can be cleaned with compressed air or a small purpose built vacuum cleaner. If you are using compressed air, you must remove the fuser assembly to allow a path for dirt and debris to exit the printer. The interior can further be cleaned with a dry, lint free cloth.

Troubleshooting

The first step to troubleshooting is determining the nature of the problem and then concentrating on a specific area. Most laser printers contain a status message area which displays the printer’s current state.  If an error occurs, the printer will almost always display a message or error code. Errors are often also written into a status log. The status log can be viewed by printing a self test/configuration page. If the problem is keeping the printer from printing, the configuration page will not be available. If this is the case, the troubleshooting can be performed by connecting the printer to a PC via a parallel network cable or a network connection and running diagnostic tests. All laser printers generate very high internal temperatures and have the potential to overheat. To avoid this, a thermal fuse is incorporated in these printers to prevent this. If this fuse is faulty, the printer may overheat and become damaged or the fuse may signal the printer to stop printing, even if the printer has not yet overheated.

The most common problems with laser printer are paper jams and image problems.

Paper Jams

The most common printer problem is a paper jam. Moving a very thin piece of paper through a mechanical device requires great precision. If you encounter a paper jam, you will need to firstly determine where the jam is and examine the area. Most jams occur due to a paper blockage or a worn roller. Many times, the paper itself is the cause of the jam. Poorly installed paper or paper that has not been stored correctly and allowed to curl prior to installing it into the paper tray can lead to paper jams. If the paper jam is in the paper tray, you should suspect the pick up roller. A worn pick up roller will not grab the paper correctly and will result in the paper being partially removed from the tray. If the printer is pulling out multiple sheets of paper at a time, it could be the separation pad at the front of the tray. You should replace the separation pad and pick up roller as a set. If one is worn, the other will probably need to be replaced too.

Image Problems

Any deterioration in the quality of the image is directly related to one of the components in the image substation. Firstly, you should examine the toner cartridge. Your toner cartridge contains a drum and developing rollers. If either of these components is damaged it will result in poor image quality. You should inspect the drum unit for marks or debris; the drum can be inspected by pulling back the plaster shutter which protects it when it is removed from the printer. Remember, the drum is very sensitive to light, so do not expose it to bright light for a long period of time.

Printing dark spots

If your printer is printing dark spots, the cartridge may have excess toner. You will need to run blank pages through the printer to absorb the extra toner.

Blank pages

If your printer is printing out blank pages, the toner may have either dried up or is almost empty in the cartridge. Shake the cartridge to free any dried toner inside. If there is no toner, replace the cartridge. Ensure that the sealant tape has been removed from the cartridge before placing it in the printer.

Error Message

Most toners are provided with a removable strip to protect the drum during shipping, make sure that this strip has been fully removed by pulling out the tab on one end (usually the right side) of the cartridge then insert the cartridge into the printer.

Streaky prints

Any cartridge, new or remanufactured, can streak if the toner inside is not evenly distributed. To fix, remove the cartridge from the printer, rock the cartridge back and forth, and then gently shake it to evenly distribute the toner powder. If rocking the cartridge doesn’t make any difference it’s possible that the drum unit is faulty.

Cartridge won’t fit

You need to make sure all of the packaging has been removed and the cartridge is being inserted into the printer the correct way around. If it still doesn’t work then check the cartridge you have purchased is the correct one for your printer model.

Poor print quality

Firstly, try to clean the cartridge drum with some dry tissue paper, ensure you rotate the drum whilst cleaning to ensure you clean all sides of the drum. If this doesn’t work then perform a clean function through the printer software.

Ghosting

Sometimes ghosting can appear at regular intervals on the printed page. This is because either the imaging drum hasn’t fully discharged and is picking up from a previous image, or a previous image has used up so much toner that the supply of charged toner is insufficient or the toner hasn’t been adequately charged.

Creased pages

Laser printers have up to four rollers. In addition to the heat and pressure rollers of the fusing assembly, rollers are designed to move the paper from the source tray to the output tray. These rollers crease the paper to avoid curling, which would cause paper jams in the printer. If the creases are noticeable, try using a different paper type. Cotton bond paper is usually more susceptible to noticeable creasing than other bonds. You might also try setting the output to the face up tray, which eliminates one roller. No hardware solution exists to this problem. This is simply a side effect of the process.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Toner cartridge troubleshooting | No Comments »

Great ways to use your printer

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Great ways to use your printer

Printers are extremely useful tools and most of us would be lost without them. You can create a wide variety of things using your printer including shopping lists, spreadsheets and photographs. However, the printer is one of those tools that people tend to underestimate. There are many useful functions which people fail to utilize regularly. We have compiled the top ways to make use of your printer.

Please note some of the recommendations will vary depending on your printer type. If you do not have an all in one printer, some of these ideas will not work. Also, please bear in mind; you may end up consuming a lot of printer ink, so make sure you have a source of affordable ink cartridges. Cartridge Discount (www.cartridgediscount.co.uk) supplies a wide range of remanufactured and original ink cartridges.

Make your own stickers

You can buy sticker sheets for your printer and print out your own homemade stickers. This is very simple to do and you can create a variety of different stickers. Find an image you like on the internet or design your own and scan it into the computer, you can even add text or graphics. Once you are finished designing your stickers, print them out and use them to decorate notebooks, stationary and more.

Announce it

When a special occasion comes around, you can save a lot of money by printing out your announcements and invitations at home. There are lots of easy to use programs available such as Apple iPhoto and Microsoft Publisher.  Invest in some high quality paper which is designed for these kinds of documents. You could even design coordinating envelopes and address labels to make them more personal and professional!

CD and DVD covers and labels

Everyone has those blank CDs and DVDs lying around. Most people’s idea of jazzing these items up would be to write on them with a sharpie pen, but you can really jazz them up with some unique labels and album covers. They don’t have to be those plain looking white labels with lines of text. You can design your own labels with interesting graphics which relate to the CD or DVD. You can also design your own personal album covers in programs such as Microsoft Publisher.

Wrapping paper

No longer do you need to rush around at the last minute searching for wrapping paper; you can design your own on the computer. Come up with a design of your own or search online for wrapping paper designs. Print out the design on some high quality paper and you are ready to go. Wrap your gifts with your homemade gift wrap just as you with any other wrapping paper. If you have a special large format printer such as the Epson Stylus Pro 4000, you can even print a large size photograph or other special matt paper to make a box.

Print directly

Some printers have a handy function which allows you to connect your digital camera directly to the printer. This way you can print high resolution photos straight from your camera! It is simple and saves you the hassle of importing all those photos onto your computer before being able to print them out. Ensure you don’t waste all of your printer ink by only printing out your favourite shots.

T-shirt transfers

Now you can make your very own iron on t-shirt transfers. Buy some special iron on printer paper and make a design on your computer. Once you are finished, print it out and iron it onto your favourite t-shirt, bag or other cloth items. You can be stylish and unique from the comfort of your own home.

Maintain your documents

Everyone has some old documents lying around which come from the era before everyone had a computer in their home. Think of items that you would usually put in a scrapbook like birth certificates, baby bracelets or maybe even diplomas. You can easily scan these items into your computer and preserve them forever. You can even play around with them without damaging the original copy. If you have scanned the items mentioned above into your computer, you could also place them in a digital scrapbook. There are lots of available programs which let you do this. You can edit your photos, text and graphics, add borders and stencils and even print out a copy. Digital scrapbooking is very versatile and a really fun way to use your printer.

Develop your own photographs

We are now in a digital age. Professional photo developers still see a good amount of business but they are slowly becoming a thing of the past. For those into photography, there is nothing like developing in a dark room. For the rest of us digital cameras and home printers are the latest convenience. All you need is some photo printer ink and some good quality photo paper.

Decorate

You now can design your own home decor using your printer. You can make anything from paper candle holders, paper flowers and even origami pieces for around your home. Buy some different coloured paper and search for templates online. The HP website is full of creative home design ideas. Make your own designs and print them out, it’s as simple as that!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Great ways to use your printer | No Comments »

Top tips to consider when buying a new printer

Friday, January 29th, 2010

So you’ve decided to invest in a new printer but you don’t know where to start. The sheer choice of printers available today can be confusing and daunting for most of us. There are several different types of printers to choose from, each suited to individual needs. Printers these days come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and prices range from budget inkjet printers to expensive laser printers. Don’t worry; we have compiled the top most important things to consider when buying your new printer!

What are you going to be using the printer for?

Firstly, you need to know what your individual printing needs are. If you require a printer with one particular function, for example a scanner or a photo printer, you can immediately narrow down your options. You will then need to look at your own personal printer usage. Do you use your printer every day? Once a month? Do you mainly print photographs? Is the printer at home or in an office?

If you only use your printer occasionally at home to print basic documents, maps or a few photos here and there, you are best off buying a basic entry level inkjet printer. If you print more photographs than text you should consider an entry to medium level photo printer, depending on the quality of the prints and your budget.  If you are going to be printing large quantities of professional leaflets or brochures, you should invest in a medium to high end colour laser printer. If you regularly use your printer at home or in a small office to print a large number of mainly black text pages but no coloured text, then you could consider a mid range black laser printer. In general, if your print volume is high, it may be best to consider a laser printer for long term cost savings. For example, an average inkjet printer has a page yield of 450, where as your average toner cartridge will have a page yield of 3500.

What is your budget?

You can begin your search by firstly coming up with a realistic budget and then try to get the best printer that fits your needs in that price range. Also, ensure you consider the cost of the ink cartridges into your budget as they will be a recurring expense. If you prefer to purchase remanufactured or compatible ink cartridges, be sure to check they are available for your chosen printer model.

What kind of paper do I use?

If you regularly print greetings card on cardboard, you should think about buying a slightly higher end printer, as some inexpensive printers cannot handle the thickness of the card.

What do professionals and consumers think?

Before buying your chosen printer, you should read some recent reviews about it. There might be something you haven’t thought of or a common fault.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Things to consider when buying a new printer | No Comments »

The benefits of using remanufactured ink cartridges

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Inkjet printer owners in the UK are on the look out for cheaper alternatives to expensive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges. Although most of us are aware of lower priced options such as compatible and remanufactured cartridges, we are hesitant to use them as we fear they will damage our printer or void the warranty. This is not true and businesses in the UK which remanufacture ink cartridges take time to insure the cartridges are all inspected for imperfections and damage before being refilled.

There are many advantages to using remanufactured ink cartridges over OEM products. One of the main reasons people choose to use remanufactured cartridges is to save money. A remanufactured cartridge will cost you up to 60% less than a cartridge which is furnished by the printer maker. You don’t have to use a genuine HP cartridge just because you have a HP printer. By using recycled cartridges you can lessen your printing expenses per page by at least 30%.

Another big advantage to using recycled ink cartridges is you can help to save the environment as well as saving money. To manufacture one new toner cartridge it will take 3 quarts of oil. A recycled toner cartridge can be remade at least 4 times, this will save approximately 3 three gallons of oil! Through remanufacturing print cartridges we can dramatically lessen the amount of aluminium, plastic, rubber and steel that is dumped in an incinerator. By purchasing remanufactured cartridges over OEM’s you will also help to produce jobs in the midst of the growing remanufacturing and refurbishing market.

There are many other simple ways to keep your printing costs low. You should only ever print a hard copy when it is absolutely necessary, most of the time saving the document and storing it on your hard drive will be adequate. Also ensure your print quality setting is on the economy or draft when printing basic documents. If possible, try to avoid printing high density images or bold fonts in large type size, doing this will ensure your ink cartridge lasts a lot longer.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Benefits of using remanufactured cartridges | No Comments »

  • Categories

    • Archives