Customer FAQ's

WHAT DOES THE FUSER ASSEMBLY DO, AND DOES IT NEED PERIODIC REPLACEMENT?

The fuser assembly is located at the back of your printer. After toner has been deposited on the paper, the fuser (which gets very hot) melts the toner so that it adheres permanently to the paper. If the fuser is not cleaned properly and regularly, it could need to be replaced as early as 35,000 prints. Dirt and debris can damage the fuser by scoring its surface. If you notice a ring around the roller, it may be time to replace the mechanism.

SHOULD I ADJUST MY DENSITY CONTROL SETTING?

If your printer is too dark or too light, you may be able to correct the problem by adjusting the print density control inside your printer. You might also want to pint at low density to conserve toner. Open your printer and look for a numbered dial, usually located on the left side. The lower the number on the print density adjustment dial, the darker your print will be (and the more toner you'll use). A setting of “1” will print the darkest while “9” will give you the lightest copy. For Series 4 and up printers, the print density setting is a software adjustment; check your user manual for instructions or give us a call if you need further help.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEW TONER CARTRIDGE AND A REMANUFACTURED ONE?

If you buy remanufactured toner cartridges from us, you won't notice any difference in print quality compared to the output of new cartridges. When we recycle cartridges, we replace more than half of their internal parts with new parts, reusing only those long-life components that are in good condition. Many new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges, such as Hewlett-Packards, are also built from new and used parts. What you will notice is a difference in price; our remanufactured cartridges cost up to 40 percent less than OEM cartridges. Over time, you'll achieve substantial savings with remanufactured cartridges, while maintaining high-quality print output.

WILL USING A REMANUFACTURED TONER CARTRIDGE VOID MY PRINTER'S WARRANTY?

No. According to all printer manufacturers, using a remanufactured toner cartridge will not affect coverage under the printer's warranty.

WHEN SHOULD I CONSIDER ADDING MORE MEMORY TO MY PRINTER?

If your printer isn't printing as fast as its rated engine speed, adding more memory can help close the gap. You'll also need to add more memory if you frequently receive “memory overload” messages when trying to print documents. Those messages indicate that your documents are too complex, sending more data to your printer at one time than your printer's memory can handle.

WHEN SHOULD I CONSIDER UPGRADING MY PRINTER?

As good as your printer may be, there will come a time when upgrading makes sense. For one thing, printers do wear out eventually, getting to a point where the cost of repairs approaches the cost of a new machine. You may even want to upgrade before your printer's useful life has come to an end. No matter how much memory you add to your printer, it will never print faster than its rated engine speed. If you or your staff frequently has to wait for the volume of pages you need to produce, then upgrading to a faster printer would contribute to the efficiency of your operations. As your business changes, you may develop printing needs that your current printer simply can't handle¾color, high resolution, odd paper sizes, full-bleed capability, etc. That's when it's time to upgrade.

WHY DOES PAPER KEEP JAMMING IN MY PRINTER?

There are simple reasons and complex ones. You'll experience paper jams if you use the wrong kind of paper in your printer's paper that's too thick, too thin, or coated with an unacceptable chemical finish. (Consult your printer's user manual for guidance on the types of paper that work best with your printer). If paper jams occur at the front of your printer, the problem may be more serious¾a worn-out pickup assembly. The pickup assembly is responsible for feeding paper from the paper tray into the printer.

WHAT DO MY PRINTER'S ERROR CODES MEAN?

Your printer can produce an amazing assortment of error codes in two-digit format. Please call us when an error code appears on your printer's display. In most cases, we can diagnose the problem right over the phone.

OUR PRINTER CAN GET VERY WARM DURING PRINTING. DOES THIS INDICATE A PROBLEM?

Most printers are sturdy enough to operate for many hours at a time. In the process, they do get warm. After all, the fuser mechanism reaches nearly 400° in order to melt toner to paper. That said, it is possible for your printer to get too hot. If its air intakes are blocked or its air filter is dirty, your printer won't be cooling its self properly and could overheat. Very serious overheating will occur if your printer's fan fails. (If you suspect that, refrain from using your printer until we can take a look at it). Consider too, whether your printer's room is too warm¾air conditioning or a fan blowing across your printer can help keep it cool. If you're getting poor-quality print output, try to match the problem with one of the examples shown on the following pages. When you call us for service, tell us which image defect you're seeing, so that we can quickly identify and solve your printer's problem.