Copier Toner: Product Overview

"The copier's out of toner again!" How often do you hear this statement – too often? Here's what you need to know to get ahead of the toner demand in your office.

First, be aware that copier toner manufacturers routinely exaggerate their yield ratings. Yield ratings – say, 5,000 pages for a given toner cartridge – are based on a certain percentage of the copied page being covered with toner, usually 5%.

Unfortunately, 5% is an extremely low coverage rate in the real world. You might get closer to 4,000 pages out that toner cartridge. You can still use yield ratings to compare cartridges: if all the copier toner cartridges you're looking at use the same coverage rating, you'll at least learn how they perform relative to each other.

There are a few different types of copier toner refills you can choose from:

New copier toner cartridges from the original copier manufacturer are the most consistent – but also the most expensive. Unless you have a copier maintenance contract that includes consumables like toner, looking to save money with another type of toner is a smart approach.

Remanufactured copier toner cartridges are made from empty, used cartridges. More than just refilling the cartridges with toner, a thorough remanufacturing process replaces worn parts and tests each cartridge before it's resold. Remanufactured toner cartridges are environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Compatible printer cartridges are made new, but not by the original manufacturer. They're made to the same specs and should offer similar performance at a lower cost, but each manufacturer's products will vary. Note that due to patents, not all brands allow compatible cartridges to be sold.

Toner cartridges can also be refilled. It's not difficult or messy if you're careful about following the directions on the refill kit, but since you're transferring extremely messy toner from one container to another, there's always a chance of a spill. This is by far the cheapest way to extend the life of a toner cartridge, but it's not a permanent solution: after a few refills, the cartridge will wear out anyway. Refill kits for copier toner are not recommended for most businesses.

Check out our Toner Research Center for more information about purchasing toner cartridges.

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