How to refill a laser printer cartridge with toner

Modern printing devices, working on laser technology, provide high speed and excellent quality of work. But the visualization of the file on paper does not appear out of nowhere, for this you need consumable toner. If the quality of the printed result leaves much to be desired (faint colors, light streaks on text or image), then this indicates only one thing: the toner has been used up and the laser printer needs to be refilled. You can make it yourself — just follow these recommendations.

When to refill the cartridge

The coloring matter in the printing mechanism of the laser device is toner, which is a special powder. Under electrostatic action, the toner is applied to the paper and soldered using high temperatures. Inside the printer, the media is moved by rollers.

Read more about how a laser printer works and works.

Usually, for all manufacturers, the cartridge consists of two main parts:

• bunkerin which the dye is poured;
• compartment for powder residue and debris collection.

A typical cartridge design includes a toner reservoir and a drum that are aligned with each other. Drum cartridges feature a separate drum and toner tube.

There are 2 types of laser printer cartridges. In the first, the toner is filled into the hopper in a hole specially designed for this. The latter do not have such a “help”, and you will have to work a little to open the powder hopper.

The resource of any cartridge is not unlimited, refilling or replacement is required. One refill of ink powder in a laser printer is designed to print 1000 — 2000 pages, depending on the technology used.

The need for refilling can be determined by the presence of a vertical white streak on the printed page.

Types of toners

Any such device is refilled with a specially designed toner powder. Such a dry black mixture is produced from waste oil rock. It is important that different printer models and toners use different. This coloring mixture is based on brand-specific technology.

The powder for the cartridge should be selected strictly according to the marking of a particular model of printer or MFP.

There are several categories of toners for laser printers.

1. original toner. Just it is located inside the branded cartridge and is suitable for a specific printer model. You can order this coloring mixture only at large chemical plants of well-known manufacturing companies. For most brands (for example, for Samsung and others), you cannot buy such material. However, there are no exceptions without rules: for example, it is quite possible to purchase such a cartridge for OKI, Lexmark and Canon.
2. Much more often, refueling specialists use compatible options. But here you also need to look at the organization offering its services: for example, Uninet, Katun, Colortek, Hi-Black do this for HP printers. Many compatible toners are erroneously referred to as universal toners.
3. The worst option is counterfeit toner. Externally, the packaging and design will be an exact copy of the original consumable, and inside there is a powder produced in violation of prescribed standards or even intended for a different brand.

How to choose a toner

Here are a few tips to help you choose a really high-quality toner. First, pay attention to the cost — if it is too low, then this should lead to thoughts of a fake. The second rule: compatible options are best purchased from trusted well-known manufacturer, in which the packaging itself should be above all criticism. For example, for a Samsung laser printer, it is best to take Profiline, and for HP models (except for HP — 436), Hi-black is perfect. The recognized leader is AQC (with American packing).

You should also pay attention to other points.

1. Typically, on the toner packaging, manufacturers list the brands of laser device models for which this ink mixture can be used.
2. For refilling, it is better to use the original brand from the manufacturer or a good quality compatible toner.
3. You can choose a cartridge suitable for the printer with a larger toner reservoir. The solution will reduce the cost of printing and save on gas stations in the future.
4. For color laser printing, it is preferable to purchase consumables in a complete set in order to refill all the powder tanks at the same time.
5. Pay attention to the quality of packaging and shelf life. In case of improper storage, violations of the integrity of the packaging and deadlines, there is a high probability of acquiring damaged material.

A well-chosen toner will guarantee high-quality printing and the possibility of up to 5 refills. Saving on price here may not play the best service.

How is refueling

Such an event is carried out in 2 stages:

• cleaning the garbage container;
• refueling directly.

Cleaning the container

To carry out the work, we need a screwdriver. The algorithm of actions will be as follows.

1. Using the tool, unscrew the side plugs that fix the case.
   
2. Delicately extract photosensitive drum. It should be held by the sides or the gear — otherwise the part may be damaged and it will become unsuitable for further use. The photoshaft should be put aside and protected from dust by covering it with a sheet of paper.
   
3. The next step is to remove the rubberized part charging shaft (it is located behind the photosensitive drum). Again, it is worth pulling out, holding it by the side parts.
   
4. Now you have to unscrew squeegee (cleaning blade).
   
5. We continue to work with extreme caution, shaking out the remnants of debris and powder.
6. It remains to clean the released parts from dirt particles.

As you can see, all stages of cleaning are carried out with special attention and frugality. If a person does not have these qualities, you should not even think about holding an event on your own.

Ideally, all these works should be carried out in a special room with good exhaust ventilation.

Filling process

To begin with, it is worth taking a short course on the «anatomy» of the cartridge. Inspection will show if there is a hole in the device into which the toner itself can be poured. If this is not observed, then you will have to completely disassemble the cartridge, and pour the toner into the slot through which it will then fall on magnetic shaft.

1. The plug of the magnetic hopper opens. Using a funnel-rolled sheet of A4 paper, pre-prepared toner powder is poured into the hopper.
   
2. It is best to leave 1.5-2 cm to the edge of the cartridge — this will prevent the part from jamming.
   
3. The cover is closed, both parts of the part are assembled and the entire installation is carried out in the reverse order.

Some laser printer models are equipped with chip cartridges. This element represents the print counter. You should not try to refill such cartridges yourself — most likely, this will simply lead to the failure of the entire device. This situation is quite reasonable, because the counter “thinks” that its resource has been used up.

To reset the information (or change the chip) will help in specialized service centers.

In addition to black and white «laser» there are also color models, they are also refueled independently if necessary. At the preparation stage, you will need toners of the required colors. Refueling is carried out using the same technology, but separately for each color cartridge. After that, you need to print a test page and, if necessary, carry out the appropriate calibrations.

Precautionary measures

Any toner is a chemically dangerous toxic substance. It must be used with extreme caution. It is important to take special measures.

1. Before starting work, put on a work coat or other clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Rubber gloves must be worn on hands. It is advisable to wear a special respiratory mask or gauze bandage — this will reduce the risk of poisoning.
2. The room in which you will carry out the refueling process must be thoroughly ventilated. Individual particles of toner powder are able to penetrate even through a gas mask.
3. The table on which the action will take place is covered with a protective coating. A simple newspaper is also suitable as a budget option.

Features of refilling cartridges from different manufacturers

Manufacturers of printing machines prohibit refilling cartridges, they consider this manipulation a reason for refusing warranty service. Not always the budget allows you to purchase an original consumable part to replace a used one. Users prefer to install more affordable compatible cartridges and refill the mechanism.

The refilling procedure is carried out in several steps: disassembly and cleaning, lubrication of contacts with conductive grease, filling of toner, assembly and test printing. For devices of different brands, the main distinguishing nuances relate to disassembly / assembly and cleaning of the cartridge.

Brother

Not all Brother brand cartridges have a special filling cap for ink powder. In the absence of such, filling the filler into the bunker requires dismantling with unscrewing the side bolts. The transfer roller is carefully removed for treatment with conductive grease, and the hopper is filled with toner through the paper tray.

Kyocera

In most models of this brand, the tank with the ink element is made in cast format so that it is not possible to replenish the supply of toner. With the skills of working with a soldering iron or a drill, you can on the tank body make a holethrough which, using a funnel, pour the toner. You should also provide for the option of carefully sealing the hole so that the coloring element does not spill out.

Samsung and Xerox

Cartridges of these brands for refilling require careful disassembly. Side cover can be attached bolts or latches. The shaft, drum and other contacts can be cleaned with a tissue, blowing with a low power vacuum cleaner is also recommended. The hopper is carefully filled with toner and closed with a lid.

Chip reset

To protect the original cartridge from additional refilling, manufacturers use automatic page count technology. When the number of printouts reaches a certain value, the printing process is blocked. Automatic counting is carried out using an electronic chip located on the cartridge body.

The counter is reset manually or by hardware and software. Manipulation requires special skills and abilities from the user. Incorrect actions can cause the printing equipment to fail. Each model has its own nuances for resetting the chip.

Recommendations for resetting the chip on printers of popular brands are given here.

In general, it is quite possible to fill a laser printer yourself. But when holding an event, you need to be sure of your own abilities and carefully study the manual for your own model. Otherwise, saving “do-it-yourself service” is out of the question — it is better to carry out such maintenance by the hands of specialists.