Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with toner

I can has printing?

Beardman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:53:28 -0800

Out of toner and out of cash. What's the cheapest way to get my laser printer (Lexmark E232) printing again? This is in Toronto. I'm hoping to avoid the financial hit of a new cartridge. Ideally, I would just take the empty cartridge into some joint on College St. and they'd slap some new toner in it, but does anybody do that? Google is only turning up references to do-it-yourself ink refill kits, and online stores where you can buy new ones (which are cheaper than Staples, but still not ideal). Thanks!

Should I try to fix my printer?

plague — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:26:20 -0800

Is it worth trying to get a 3 year old Brother HL-5250 printer fixed? I broke it when trying to install a Rosewill toner cartridge. Our HL-5250 has been awesomely trouble free for three years. We have always used Brother toner cartridges. Yesterday I tried to install a Rosewill replacement toner cartridge - which cost less than 1/2 of Brother's - and it looks like I broke the printer in the process. (I'm not sure it's the cartridge's fault, but even if it is, I doubt Rosewill would do anything about it.) Specifically, I can no longer close the front cover. It doesn't seem like any pieces actually broke, I think I just shoved something out of place.

In this age of disposable electronics, is such a device worth trying to fix? I could get the same printer in an open-box at newegg for something like $120. I'm especially reluctant to change models because we have the extra paper tray for this one and that's expensive to replace.

Laser printing and inkjet techology filter

FauxScot — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:35:53 -0800

How do laser and inkjet printers work? I know the basics, of course, but I am looking for serious expertise at the level of the actual chemistry and physics... things like fuzer specs, toner chemistry, deposition, transfer, particle masses, exotic materials; in short... the stuff an actual expert would know. I have a friend who is a hot shot civil engineer who is doing some proposal work and who, for some reason, needs to locate some expertise in the area of inkjets and laser printer technology. (I've been beating him up for years to join Metafilter, and with a good answer here, might just push him over the edge. And Jessamyn NEEDS that $5!)

He's trying to get smart on the laser fuser and the details of toner chemistry, but transfer mechanism is important, too. Rasterization less so. For inkjet, the ink chemistry and fluid dynamics of transfer.

I know there are 20 mefites with PhDs in laser printing out there, fingers poised above keys awaiting this very question. All leads and info very much appreciated.

Lock in low toner prices! And I did! And I was scammed! Help, please.

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:48:06 -0800

Okay, so I fell for the copier toner scam. How do I fix it? In my defense, they were actually really nice and I was on DayQuil and they sounded very convincing. I "ordered" the stuff today, and right after doing so realized what I did and I quickly tried to call them back and cancel the order, but the number they called from, 213-537-1910 is dead air and googling the number tells me that I'm a complete idiot for falling for it, but no way to call them back. Does anyone have any ideas? I feel like a complete idiot. Anon due to idiocy and wanting to take care of this before anyone else finds out. "Ordered" today and being shipped out on Monday.

p.s. I'm in Ohio, if that helps.

Big Samsung is Watching You

softsantear — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:36:38 -0800

Is there a reason why Samsung requires me to register my name and address with them in order to recycle a toner cartridge? The site states that some models of toner come with shipping labels packed in, but some do not. Mine was the latter. In order to get the label, I have to sign up... which I'll probably end up doing, but I am loathe to put my info in yet another company's DB.

My first guess is that they use such a thing to generate the return address on the label, but more practically, you are registering, not generating a label ad-hoc, so my gut instinct is that they are using this as a convenient excuse to get statistics about customers.

Isn't there an easier or, rather, more anonymous way?

SkinCareFilter: Non-Toxic anti-aging skin care?

airguitar2 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:10:15 -0800

Help my skin glow while avoiding toxic chemicals! I'm 31, and I'm looking for skin care products that will give me gorgeous skin. (I currently battle dark under-eye circles and fine lines.) Problem is, a lot of chemicals in skin care products are linked to serious health consequences (neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc. etc.) .

So, my potentially quixotic quest: to find moisturizers with alpha hydroxy acid, cleansers, toners that are the least harmful and most effective.

Any MeFites have success with a similar quest? So far I've come up with Ole Henriksen as a potentially viable line or products-- success with this, or others? Thanks a mill.

How can I measure toner coverage?

reeddavid — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:24:46 -0800

How can I measure ink coverage? I know my toner will yield 3,000 pages at 5% coverage, but I want to know what coverage is typical for the pages I print. (Found PC product, seeking Mac or web-based software) I'd like to be able to learn the toner coverage of a given page before I print it in order to better measure my home printing costs. My search turned up APFill for PC, but I'd like a Mac or web-based product. I'm looking for something simple and cheap.

Suck it up! (toner vac confusion)

captnkurt — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:42:02 -0800

Looking for a recommendation on a decent vac suitable for cleaning toner-messy laser printers. It seems a regular run-of-the-mill vacuum does not play nice with toner due to the amounts of static charge that builds up when sucking up the toner. Can fry the electronics and all, so I have read. Most seem to run in the $200 ballpark, but then I saw this one for $15. What gives? Okay, it doesn't have all the extra attachments and all, but, jeez.... it's $15. Is this a decent vac, or am I "getting what I pay for"?

Buying ink and toner - best place?

roundrock — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:27:12 -0800

What is your favorite place to buy toner and ink cartridges either online or in person? I'm looking for a reliable and cheap place that sells ink and toner. I've done the messy do-it-yourself with syringes thing before and now I'm resigned to spending a little more so I don't destroy my house. The places I've seen online have all looked a little shady for my tastes so your recommendation will help allay my fears of identify theft. Thanks!

Why does laser toner have an expiry date?

DonM — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:58:42 -0800

Why does laser toner have an expiry date? My laser toner cartridge finally ran "dry" after 8 years of use (same cartridge) and the replacement refill that I purchased has an expiry date which is listed as a little over year from now. I also believe that most new cartridges also have an expiry date but since mine lasted for so long, I don't understand the purpose of having an expiry date.

How do I use off brand toner in my printer?

k8t — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:39:42 -0800

How do I get my Samsung ML-2510 printer to take knock off/after market/ off brand toner cartridges? I have a "CRU Fuse Error." My printer was working fine with the Samsung brand toner. I put an off-brand toner cartridge in it and now I get "CRU Fuse Error." After Googling, it appears that I need to reset the fuse in order to use the cheaper toner. When I put the Samsung brand toner cartridge back in, it works fine. Can any one point me to a manual or instruction page for resetting the fuse?

Well inked

asok — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 05:29:13 -0800

How do I get laser printer toner off clothes? Let's say someone was shaking a cartridge and it spilled toner all over the place. How would they go about cleaning the clothes and carpet that were affected?

Is laser printer toner dangerous?

svdodge — Fri, 05 May 2006 16:03:14 -0800

Is it unhealthy to ingest/breath laser printer toner? Just wondering how much could affect someone's health. I deal with laser printers at my job, and I regularly have toner on my hands and such. So I was curious about how dangerous, if at all, toner is. I try to be pretty careful (always wash my hands well, don't like my fingers, etc.), but sometimes it's hard to avoid a cloud of toner in my face. Should I be worried?

What do I do with empty toner cartridges?

svdodge — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:20:15 -0800

My office has a lot of empty toner cartridges from laser printers sitting around. What should I do with them? I don't feel good about throwing them in the trash, but whenever I research selling the cartridges to a company, I can only get something like 1 dollar for each (and that will barely cover the shipping costs). What do I do??

Printer Tune-Up

trharlan — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 20:48:59 -0800

I'm getting a new (used) printer, and I have a couple of questions [more inside] So, my frequently maligned (by me) employer has decided to give me a printer, rather than pitching it. It's a Lexmark Optra Lxi. Since my current printer seriously blows, I think it's a welcome upgrade, though the model don't seem to fetch a lot on Ebay. My questions:
1. What do I need to due to tune it up? Just clean and lube the moving parts?
2. Remanufactured toner-- any reason not to use it?
3. Will I have any troubles connecting it? Will office-type printers work adequately fast off-LAN, with a measly parallel port feeding them?