Five Ways to Maintain Printer Ink and Toner

Last Updated on June 15, 2020 by Christian Ralph

Maintaining printer ink and toner correctly is useful for numerous reasons.

First and foremost, good ink and toner maintenance will make it last longer which will save you precious money in the long run, as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

In addition, it will also help to ensure your print-outs are as high quality as possible with great clarity and colour reproduction. If incorrectly maintained, printer ink and toner can start to negatively affect the quality of your prints.

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your printer consumables, read on for some tips on how to suitably maintain ink and toner.

Know the difference between ink and toner

Although printer toner and ink are both printer consumables, they have extremely different qualities which require different levels of care and maintenance.

One of the biggest differences between the two consumables is that printer ink is a liquid and printer toner is formed from a fine powder. This also means that the way in which they are used to print is different.

Learning and knowing these differences will help to make maintaining your consumables much easier.

Only use official cartridges

Third party cartridges can often be the wrong consistency for your device, which could lead to the print heads becoming clogged or your work being damaged. We always recommend using the official ink or toner that your printer manufacturer sells to make sure you’re getting the most out of your printer.

That’s why we have a useful Quick Cartridge Finder tool on our website which means you can find the ink or toner that’s right for your printer, whether it’s Lexmark ink, HP toner, or any other brand you’re looking for.

Clean the print heads on inkjet devices

Like most pieces of technology, the print heads on your printing device will require some maintenance to keep them working properly.

This will directly influence your consumables quality, as it will remove any dried and excess printer ink or toner, which can otherwise blend with the fresh consumables and impact the colour.

Cleaning your cartridge heads is a simple process. You’ll need to wipe the cartridge gently with a soft cloth that won’t damage it before cleaning the nozzle using a vacuum hose for just a few seconds. Once that is done, wipe off any residue with a new clean soft cloth.

Storage

The recommended methods of storage for ink and toner are different.

When storing cartridges of printer ink, sealing your cartridges and storing them stood upright in a sealed bag is essential.

This will help to prevent any accidental spillages and also stop the air interfering with them in any way, which can sometimes cause a change in consistency or discolouration.

For toner, ensuring that it is kept in a dark, dry place will ensure that no moisture can clump the powder together and that it is not melted by sunlight.

A good tip is to keep the original packaging on both products until you are ready to use them, as this will offer the best protection.

Temperature

If ink is stored at high temperatures this can cause it to dry up, impact its quality, or make it completely unusable.

Storing toner in warm conditions or direct sunlight can lead to the consistency of the powder changing, or the cartridge itself melting or changing shape, which will make it unusable.

Storing your cartridges at a lower temperature will help to prevent this. Your manufacturer will usually have some guidelines as to how to best store your ink so check their individual guidelines to make sure you’re maximising the life of your printer ink or toner!

There you have it, some simple steps to keep your printer consumables in top shape and save money by avoiding unnecessary replacements. If you have any other questions about ink or toner, or any of the other products on our site, feel free to get in touch with us by giving us a call today.