For the majority of buyers, the reason they consider compatible ink cartridges instead of OEM is to save money. In almost every case, buying compatible cartridges will save a significant amount over OEM prices, sometimes up to 75% savings. This gives compatible cartridges a big advantage for buyers who are looking to reduce costs.

OEM manufacturers often claim that their products will provide sharper quality and better color output than compatible cartridges. In most cases, compatible ink gives the same quality output for a lower price. The cartridges are designed to meet or exceed the specifications of the originals, so there is no reason they should not. However, it is important to buy compatible cartridges from a seller with a reputation for quality. Many good sellers offer a satisfaction guarantee so that the product can be returned if it does not meet your expectations.

Lastly, many users tend to perpetuate a myth that using compatible cartridges will void the warranty on their printer. This is not true. In fact, there are many laws against manufacturers who do not honor a warranty for this reason.

While there are no significant differences between OEM and compatible ink cartridges, many buyers only buy OEM cartridges, despite the potential cost savings. Often this is based on poor experiences with low-quality compatible cartridges that led buyers to believe that all compatible products are made this way. If you decide to go with compatible ink cartridges, it is important to find a reputable seller who stands behind their products with a satisfaction guarantee.

Light Stripes

Some printouts may exhibit light vertical lines that often run the length of the paper. Most printers have a menu option called “Eliminate Light Stripes” for this very issue. It is usually located under Troubleshooting – Print Quality Problems in the menu. Run this feature a few times then print a test page to see if the problem is solved.

Printing Is Slow to Start

If you find that your Phaser printer is slow to start printing, adjust the power saving settings for quicker starts. Turning Fast Resume on will make printing start faster, though it uses more power throughout the day. You can also adjust the amount of time before the printer enters standby mode.

Problems After Moving Printer

One of the most common problems is bad print output after the printer has been moved. This is often the result of moving the printer before it has properly cooled down. Consult the manual for the proper cool down procedure before moving a solid ink printer. Unfortunately, once this problem exists, it generally requires a repair technician to fix.

Printer Using Too Much Ink

Many users may find that a solid ink printer seems to be using too much ink, specifically that it is dumping a large amount of ink in the waste reservoir of the printer. The printer will generally dump excess ink to remove air from the printhead. This problem is especially present when the printer loses power. To remedy this issue, make sure the printer is not losing power during the day, and keep the printer in sleep mode to ensure that it isn’t shut off unnecessarily.

Most manufacturers calculate the estimated page yield for a cartridge by calculating based on 5% coverage. That is to say that when an average page of text and graphics is printed, approximately 5% of the page will be covered in ink. This is only an estimate, however, as many pages will use more and less than 5% coverage, which will affect the overall page yield of the cartridge.

In more recent years, the ISO (International Organization for Standards) has released a set of standards for determining page yield. This process involves printing a test page or series of test pages until the cartridge reaches its end-of-life. Testing a monochrome cartridge involves a single test page which contains a combination of text and graphics, while testing color cartridges involves printing a series of 5 pages that use a variety of different images and patterns. In both cases, they are printed repeatedly until the cartridge is empty.

The great benefit of these ISO standard tests is that is provides a much better comparison between different models. Previous to this standard test, one manufacturer’s test procedures might have used very different page coverage than another’s. Today, any manufacturer who conforms to the ISO/IED 19752 or 19798 standards can be accurately compared with each other. This helps consumers make an informed decision by comparing the page yields of different models and cartridges in an accurate way.

Spread old newspapers or some rags over a table or counter to prevent a lot of clean up. Gently and slowly rotate the toner cartridge above the rags and look for loose toner falling. It will move similar to light snow falling. It may be tempting to use tape to cover the leak, resist this at all costs. If the leak is miniature use a small bit of clear or black nail polish. It will act like an epoxy resin but is light weight and thin when it dries. Should the hole be a bit large use a small short screw and then glaze it with the nail polish.

If the leak cannot be found using the fore mentioned method a seal leak is probably the culprit. A larger leak, such as one located in the seal of the cartridge itself, will need to be replaced. It is much more difficult to find the leak in the seal than a hole in the plastic casing. The seal is under pressure in the laser printer and when removed the leak may not present itself as the seal is at its fullest shape outside of the unit. The only choice left is to replace the cartridge entirely.