When you buy your printer’s ink or toner from a trusted company, you expect the best.
The best in service, the best in products and certainly the best in reliable information. No chance that you’ll think your favorite reliable company would keep useful information from you; though it’s likely they might be.
Buying and selling toner could be tricky business and like every other bargain, you want to make sure you’re in the know so you could get your bang for your buck – every time.
So, it’s important to take note of all there is to know about purchasing your toner. It’s essential that you pay attention to the common things these companies will keep from you in order to secure a sale.
That’s why we’ve rounded up the top three to give you a head start on what to keep an eye out for.
Have you ever felt the pressure of finishing up all of your ink or toner before it gets past the expiration date stamped on the side?
It’s not uncommon for toner and ink companies to put these dates as a warning or precursor that your printing jobs won’t be of the same quality after a specified time. One thing that can also be noticed with expired ink, is that it might clog the printer and your printer may have extra trouble printing out documents.
Though these may be true, there are also some key things to note about your expired toner that may help you extend its life.
• Your toner or ink could be good for up to two years after the purchase date.
• Storing your toner or ink the right way – in an upright position and in a dark place at room temperature – could minimize the chances of your ink leaking or, in multi-colored cartridges, it could keep the colors from mixing. That could buy you some time when it’s time to put your cartridges to use.
• If the toner or ink is sealed, chances are you’re still able to use it even if it’s near or just past the expiration date.
*Take note that if you’re using remanufactured toner or ink that is not in its original cartridge, the expiration date stamped on the side should be disregarded.
Companies would at times refill the original cartridges with toner or ink and so even while the cartridge may have been used, the ink is still fresh and in great condition for use. These cartridges have already been through a cycle though, so the original date should be voided and you can range your usage for up to two years after the purchase date.
It’s great to know that you can print as many as 5000 pages in one cartridge, but did you know that this estimate is HIGHLY INACCURATE?
In the printing world, there is a method used for determining the page yield for color inkjet printers and other printable devices. This ISO method simply measures the number of pages printed with only 5% coverage, until the cartridge runs out. This means that there only needs to be at least 5% of the page with ink or toner on it to be considered a full page.
Who only prints on 5% of a page? What does that even look like?
So, you can see that this can be a bit misleading, even though it’s the standard way to measure pages.
That’s why it helps to look at the other factors involved in printing pages such as image sizes, content size, font size and even paper tray selections. If you’re printing small jobs at a time, you can probably stretch out your ink or toner a bit more than someone printing larger documents but it’s nice to know that you’re getting a bit more out of your toner than you originally thought.
Most of the time, an ink or toner company will advise their customers to get rid of their unopened or unused toner or ink cartridges. That means if you bought a new printer and it isn’t compatible with your old unused toner or ink, you should throw that unopened toner away.
Or, if you accidentally bought extra toner and have no need for it, companies tell you to save it or toss it.
If only they told you that doing this is like throwing cash in the trash!
Your unused and unopened toner may not be useful to you, but it can certainly bring you some extra cash if you know where to look for a sale.
There are many toner buyer companies that are able to buy back your unused or unopened toner and offer great prices. If you are a business with surplus toner or ink, you’re in luck because surplus toner buyers are looking for you. They take your original cartridges and give it new life with fresh ink.
You can make a pretty penny selling back those toner or ink cartridges so it’s worth taking some time to shop around and double check the companies with the most competitive prices and a need for your particular model. If you decide to throw your sealed ink or toner away, sure it could score you some extra storage space, but it can also cost you some easy money.
Ink and toner companies don’t mean to be misleading when marketing their products but it’s nice to look between the lines and find useful tips to remember while seeking out your next purchase.
It’s also worth to plan ahead when purchasing toner as you can save money and toner if you do.
Don’t forget to do your research navigating the toner and ink buying (and selling) business, with one useful tip at a time, you could be a pro.
