Choosing the Right Printer

Buying a new printer is a task many people will need to undergo, but there’s more to choosing the right printer than brand reputation and cost. Your selection should be based on fact rather than supposition; it should be based on demonstrated value and quality, not mere reputation. To help you make the right choice, this article will lay out the basic features of the two types of printers, give you a number of technical specifications, and provide a few helpful contrasts to help you make an informed decision with confidence.

First, there are some differences between inkjet printers and laser printers that anyone contemplating buying one or the other ought to know about. Inkjet printers apply liquid ink through nozzles on paper; laser printers get results through fused toner powder. To avoid smudges, you must use the best quality paper and printer ink. Indeed, that is the only way that you will be able to guarantee the documents you print are of the very best.

When it comes to choosing the printer, the first thing you must determine is what you will use the printer for. The nature of your job will determine the kind of printer you need. It is essential for you to bear in mind that not all jobs are suitable for office printers. If, for example, you need to print exhibit-quality photos, then you should go to a professional photo inkjet that produces high resolution images. If the most vivid and clear images is what you need, then you are better off with a laser printer. Perhaps you are opening your own business or maybe you want a personal printer at home to print out private documents. The frequency with which you anticipate using the printer and the general purpose that you intend for the device should all be considered before you make a purchasing decision.

You must also shop and compare brands. It may be overwhelming at first, as you have a wide selection. A few high-cost brands no longer control the market. You can get a good printer without paying an exorbitant amount of money. The key thing is to shop around both online and in electronic specialty stores. The latter are sometimes the best places to go to find a high quality printer at a bargain. The nature of your profession and business determines all of the investment decisions you make, and you should look at this purchase as an investment decision—as something that will increase your productivity.

So, here is a summary of the pros and cons of inkjet and laser printers:

Inkjet Printers

Pros:

• Inkjet printers tend to be more compact; they are easily handled and do not take up a lot of space
• Prints photos, images, and colors in better quality (this is especially beneficial for photographers)
• They are inexpensive when compared to laser printers
• You don’t need to warm the machine
• You are not limited in the type of paper you can print on
• You can use paper sizes of all kinds—large, small, and medium
• Ink refill kits can reduce the cost of printing

Cons:

• Much slower than laser printers (this can affect projects that require printing in large amounts)
• Ink replacements can be more frequent and more pricey
• Low-capacity paper trays of 50 to 100 sheets, which can be frustrating for a user who prints a lot
• Low monthly duty cycle

Laser Printers

Pros:

• Print faster than inkjet, which is beneficial if your business requires the printing of high volumes of materials
• Laser printers produce sharp text, which is great for text documents
• If your work requires the mass production of black and white documents, then you are safe with a laser printer—though there are brands that do print in color
• Higher monthly duty cycle means they are better prepared to handle high-volume jobs
• Toner is inexpensive

Cons:

• Can handle simple graphics, but complex images and photos are a challenge
• Although there are some compact laser printers on the market, they are generally bigger and heavier than inkjet printers
• Laser printers can’t handle the same variety of paper that inkjets can
• The cost you have to pay for supplies for a laser printer is more than that for an inkjet printer

With all of this in mind, it is time to choose the kind of printer you want. Once you have made your purchase, remember that you will commit yourself to the maintenance and resupply of the machine that you chose. When it comes down to it, you must weigh and measure a range of factors before you make a final decision. You must consider not only the type of printer but the brand you purchase, as they do differ in capacity, volume, and quality. This is a lot to take in, but rest assured knowing you will feel confident in your decision and, with proper care and maintenance, a reliable printer for years to come.

Why You Can't Print with One Empty Cartridge

The most common causes of printing problems are empty cartridges, but did you know you can not print even if only one cartridge is empty? For example, if you want to print with black ink only, but one of your color cartridges (like cyan or magenta) is empty, it will still prevent you from printing. This article will provide some insight as to why this problem occurs and why it is that way.

If you are troubleshooting your printer, check that the printer is plugged in, the settings are correct, and that you have actually sent the document to the printer before getting started.


You cannot print in black only if a color ink cartridge is empty.

Your printer is designed to print only when all ink cartridges have ink to prevent clogs in the printing mechanism and other print quality issues, a little ink must be available in all the cartridges to perform periodic servicing tasks.

Even if you tend to print in black and white, your color ink cartridges will gradually empty.

To decrease grain, some black areas might be printed with a mix of black and color inks. If you follow the steps later in this article to print with black ink only, you can ensure no color ink is used in your prints. However, a little ink from all the ink cartridges is used in periodic servicing tasks. This helps to prevent issues such as print head clogs and poor print quality.

You may not see a message prompting you to use black or color ink only.

The printer must reserve enough ink for the servicing tasks that keep the print head functioning, as mentioned before. If there is enough ink for servicing and for printing with black ink only, or color ink only, then that message appears. If there is not enough ink for both printing and servicing, then the cartridge must be replaced to continue printing.

When an ink cartridge is fully depleted, it must be replaced before you can begin to print again.

This is an easy fix. If you do not already know what type of cartridges to buy, simply search for your printer model and you can find what you need from there. Purchase the ink needed and replace the empty cartridge in your printer.

You also have the option of printing in grayscale rather than in color or black.

Here are some steps to change this option:

1. go to the Control Panel
2. Select the icon called Printers and Faxes
3. right click on your default printer
4. Select Printing Preferences
5. Look for an option related to color and choose Print in Grayscale or Black Ink

If you recently bought a new ink cartridge, and it is not working or the printer indicates that it is empty, check the ink cartridge warranty status. Most printers offer a standard warranty, and you should ensure that you understand the terms and conditions of it before you make your purchase. 

The main points of cartridge color use have been covered. You should always verify your print settings before use. it is also important to ensure that each of the printer ink cartridges is filled. This will make your experience seamless and efficient.

How to Replace Ink for an HP Photosmart 5510

The HP Photosmart 5510 is a multi-function ink jet printer. It can be used to print, scan, and copy documents with its four separate ink cartridges, processing information quickly and efficiently to avoid being held up by any data jams. Here are some of the other great functions of this printer:

• can be connected to WiFi
• SD and memory stick slots
• eprint remote printing
• WPS automated quick wireless setup
• compact (occupies a minimum amount of space on your desk)
• intuitive touch screen with virtual buttons that are illuminated

Up next are some instructions for changing the ink cartridges for your Photosmart 5510. 

Installing/Replacing Ink Cartridges

1. If the product is off, press the Power button to turn on the printer and wait until the product is idle and silent before continuing.
2. Open the cartridge access door and the carriage will move to the access area.
3. Press the tab on the front of the cartridge inward to release it. Then, pull up on the cartridge to remove it from the slot.
4. Remove the plastic wrap from a new cartridge by pulling the orange tab (make sure you remove the orange pull-tab and plastic wrap completely before you twist the orange cap in the next step, otherwise, ink might leak from the cartridge). When you remove the plastic wrap, the paper label on the top of the cartridge will tear slightly. This is necessary to vent the cartridge.
5. Remove the orange cap from the cartridge. Twist the cap counter-clockwise until it snaps off.
6. With the nozzle and the contacts facing down, push the cartridge into its slot.
7. Press down on the cartridge until it is firmly set. Make sure the color icon on the cartridge label matches the color icon on the slot.
8. Close the cartridge access door to complete the process.

If you need install other cartridges, all you need to do is repeat these steps.

Alignment Phase

After you have loaded your new cartridge(s) and closed the access door, the HP printer will automatically send you to the alignment phase to align the new cartridges. Follow the below instructions to align them:

1. On the product control panel, press OK. The product will print an alignment page.
2. Open the scanner lid and place the alignment page on the scanner glass with the printed side down, and then position it on the front right corner of the glass.
3. Close the lid and press OK. The alignment page will then scan.

In the event the product does not automatically print an alignment page, follow these steps:

1. From the home screen, press the right arrow and select the Setup icon.
2. Select Tools.
3. Press the down arrow and press Align Printer. The product should then print an alignment page. You can then continue with the previous steps for scanning the alignment page.

Once all of the steps to replacing the cartridges are completed, you are ready to use your printer.

Best Ways to Recycle the Ink and Toner Cartridges

With over 350 million cartridges ending up in landfills every year, we have to take the necessary steps in recycling these heavily used items. If you’ve always wanted to recycle toner cartridges or ink cartridges that you have piling up, then you have a variety of ways available.

Ways to Recycle Your Cartridge

1. Donate (Or Sell) It To A Local Office Supply Store

The most common place that accepts used ink and toner cartridges is the local office supply store. Every city and town has one. Ask around if they take them and, if so, how many per drop off they take.

The ink and toner cartridges that office supply stores accept are usually filled and resold at a much cheaper rate. If you’ve been looking for replacements or if you’re looking to stock up on your ink and toner cartridges, you can make drop-offs and purchases both at the same trip to save yourself some time.

2. Sell Them In Bulk

Many businesses also offer to buy old cartridges that are in good condition in bulk via mail. Look around for opportunities in your area or places close to you online. The more cartridges that you ship off, the higher the possibility that you earn money from your once used cartridges. Take note that some businesses might require you to refill your cartridge before they purchase it.

3. Search For Recycling Initiatives

If you want to make money from the empty ink and toner cartridges that you have stored, you can look into programs such as eCycle Group, Recycle 4 Charity and Cartridges for Kids. They have specific guidelines on how you can earn money from old cartridges. You’ll also be helping a good cause in recycling and saving resources.

4. Make Sure Your Cartridge Is In Good Shape

Ensuring that the cartridges are in good condition is also important since many facilities are not going to accept them if they’re bent or melted in any way. There is no point in using the cartridges again if they’re not going to function like they should. Most cartridges are cross-compatible with printers that were released in the same year. However, it is not suggested to try the compatibility unless you have read reviews guaranteeing that they are.

5. Give Used Cartridges To Friends Or Colleagues

Giving away your old cartridges to your friends and colleagues is a good way to earn points with the community. You might even encourage the next person to recycle ink cartridges. Make sure that your cartridges are in good condition though. There shouldn’t be any missing parts since one missing part of the cartridge can be the cause of a whole printer unit breaking down.

6. Be Creative With DIY Projects

If you have an idea of what to do with your cartridges, you can try recycling them yourself. Be careful in handling them though as you can easily end up with a stained shirt while trying to come up with a creative way to use cartridges other than their original intended use.

7. Use Refill Kits To Extend Life Of Ink Cartridges

Finally, the most simple way that you can recycle your ink and toner cartridges is by refilling them yourself. You can buy refill kits from office supply stores. They come with a syringe, screw tool and a bottle of ink. A refilling kit will have a simple and easy to follow guide on how to easily refill your empty cartridge.

Why Your Toner Cartridge Is Leaking and What Should You Do About It

There are a variety of reasons as to why your toner cartridge is leaking. Unless you are ready to replace it, make sure that you do not remove any affected parts of your machine as this could lead to worse damages. The cause of leakage with your toner cartridge can be determined in a few ways.

Shaking Works Like Magic (Not!)

If you're someone that doesn't have a replacement ready at home for your toner, you might be one of the people that have tried the old shaking method. It involves taking out the toner cartridge and shaking it a few times before snapping it back in the printer.

Printer manuals explicitly state not to do this but lots of people do this in hopes of extending the lifespan of the toner cartridge. Unfortunately, this is one of the primary causes of leakage. If you've done this once or twice recently, expect to have leaked in your printer soon enough.

Optimize Printer Settings and Properties

The best way of extending the lifespan of your toner cartridge is by optimizing your printer's properties with what you print. There are instances where certain colors are used up faster since they're much more common in prints. Changing the hue and saturation of the colors before printing also ensure that most colors are being used by your printer.

Optimal Operating Temperature

Temperature is also a big factor when it comes to the sustainability of the ink inside the cartridge. If you live in a humid area, the possibility of the ink becoming overheated are greater. This is one of the reasons why you're much more liable to see messy ink blotches on prints when it's a hot summer's day.

Printer owners that live in areas that become very hot during the summer experience leakage in their printer for no apparent reason other than the ink reached its melting point too early during printing. One of the ways to avoid this is to ensure that the room the printer is in properly ventilated.
If your printer hits its melting point too often even when not printing, your equipment will definitely run into issues. Make sure that you are not jeopardizing the lifespan of your printer by taking proper care of the unit.

Refilling Toner with Wrong Ink

Refilling the toner cartridge with the wrong type of ink or connecting it with an incompatible drum are two recipes for disasters. You can expect leakage when you attempt these methods when replacing your cartridge improperly. Avoid deviating from what's recommended in the printer's manual.

A worn-out transfer roller can also cause leakage for your printer. Instead of making its way on your paper, the toner is left inside the drum causing clogs that prevents ink from coming out properly during printing. Excess ink overflow which causes blotches on your paper.

Though it may seem like manufacturers only want your money by restricted you with what you can replace your toner cartridges and drums with, it's necessary that you abide by this instruction since a broken printer is definitely worse than a leaking toner cartridge or drum.

How to Install Brother Toner Cartridges and Why a New Toner Cartridge Is Smaller Than the Original?

Learning how to install Brother toner cartridges takes only a few steps and can be mastered in a few attempts. Knowing how to do it will make a big difference especially when you start to notice that the ink on your cartridges is starting to go dry or if you've recently bought a new laser printer. By doing it yourself, you'll be saving you or your business a lot of time and money.

How to install brother toner cartridges

Step 1 - Turn off and unplug your printer

Make sure you have a lot of scrap paper nearby. They'll come in handy when the toner leaks. Now, make sure that the printer is completely turned off and unplugged from any outlets and devices.

Step 2 - Separate the drum and cartridge

Open the front cover of the printer then tug on the drum and cartridge unit from both ends. Pull them apart carefully to avoid for the toner to leak. If it does, wipe the stains with the scrap paper that you have nearby. Don't touch the electrode to avoid damaging it with static electricity.

Open the front cover of the printer then tug on the drum and cartridge unit from both ends. Pull them apart carefully to avoid for the toner to leak. If it does, wipe the stains with the scrap paper that you have nearby. Don't touch the electrode to avoid damaging it with static electricity.

Once you have the drum and toner cartridge pulled apart, press the green lever down to separate them. Set them on scraps of paper and away from anything that can damage electronics such as magnets and highly electric devices.

Though most printers come with a warranty, damaging your electronics during part replacement usually does not cover most of the parts that are affected so you'd have to buy your own replacements in these cases.

Step 3 - Replace the drum or cartridge

If you want to replace your drum, place the toner with the new drum. Most drums have a duty cycle of 12,000-page yield at 5% which means that they’re going to be replaced less often.

For new toner cartridges, you will hear an audible snap when you connect the empty toner cartridge to your current drum. Brother toner cartridges are easy to install and have an average duty cycle of 2,600-page yield at 5%. Third-party cartridges are usually smaller due to the difference in manufacturing styles.

The cartridges that ship with the printer are expected to have a longer duty cycle than replacements. This is an industry standard that has been set and is expected of most laser printers. Though the difference in original toner cartridges and remanufactured toner cartridges are minimal, they can still be noticeable upon closer inspection.

Step 4 - Secure the drum and cartridge

After you replace either the drum and toner, make sure you secure them properly. Once they're secured, lock them together by clicking them in place as the green lever that you pushed earlier pops back up automatically to indicate a successful replacement.

Step 5 - Try the drum or cartridge

When you've locked all of the parts of your printer, plug it into your device and turn it on. You should be able to check if the new laser toner is detected. Other printer units also display the laser toner cartridge or drum status through a LED indicator.

Try our other troubleshooting tips for any error during or after the installation.

Why New Toners Are Smaller

When replacing a toner, things can get a bit tricky. Some may think that the toner cartridge they purchased is smaller than what they need. In fact, most end up pulling out the toner cartridge with the drum unit, making the assembly look bigger. So, when one tries to put back the toner cartridge, many end up scratching their head because the toner doesn't fit.

Here's what you need to do. When you pull out the toner cartridge with the drum unit, remove the toner. Then, put the new toner cartridge into the drum unit, and reinstall the whole thing into the printer.

How a Trade War with China Affects Consumers in the United States

When the U.S. Announced that it’ll be implementing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, China responded with their own on primarily American exports such as pork. This trade war started when over 1,000 items made in China were sanctioned by the Trump administration with $50bn worth of measures. The 25% import duty tax on printer supplies from China and other consumer electronics are directly affected by the implemented tariffs.

Why the Average U.S. Consumer Should Be Concerned about Trade Wars

There are many ways this trade war between the U.S. And China can affect U.S. consumers. When companies notice a decline in their profits due to the increased fees in operating and manufacturing in China, prices on items that are sold in the U.S. are going to increase. Companies like Apple use screens that are mass-produced in China which could mean that the prices for their future releases are going to be heavily affected by the tariffs.

The increased tariffs could also cause mass layoffs for workers both in the U.S. And in China. Companies that strongly rely on equipment and parts produced in China will have to start investing in other places where they can manufacture these items. Instead of using funds to hire and pay workers in the U.S., these companies may look for other long-term solutions while temporarily reducing allotted funds to customer service.

How Americans Will Feel the Effects of a Trade War with China

Americans rely on China for a wide variety of products. Motor vehicles, alcohol, and food are the most common imports from China outside of electronics. Due to the threat of the tariffs on these, there could be a decreased demand to import them which could cause supply shortages. Supply shortages generally cause products to be even more expensive regardless whether they were sold wholesale or are for retail. Though the demand increases, there’s simply no way to meet them unless companies increase their production budget in these cases.

Unless a change in the flow of production, importation, and exportation is introduced by U.S. companies with manufacturers in China, there’s going to be a shift in many industries. This could also lead to a minor form of recession. A full-on trade war between China and the United States could also risk the success currently being experienced by many companies in the U.S. That have joint ventures in China and other East Asian countries. This will be felt by the employees of these companies. In the global economic landscape, interdependency between countries will not seize to exist and any wrinkle in the relationship should always be solved with all factors weighed and considered properly.

Preparing for a Possible Trade War between U.S. and China

In the grand scheme of things, consumers will suffer the worst when a trade war happens between the two powerhouse nations. Increased prices for almost virtually all products will be observed. Jobs in customer service will decrease while manufacturing companies based in the U.S. Will see an increase in client base over time. Depending on the economic climate in the next year, consumers will also have to deal with fluctuating supply and demand in both exports and imports.

Easy DIY with Free, Fun, and Useful Sticker Paper Printables

You don’t have to scour Pinterest to find free printables that you can use with your sticker paper. We’ve got several sticker paper printables that are completely free, fun, and useful! DIY has never been easier.

5 Easy Ways to Save Money in the New Year

Happy New Year! The start of a new year usually brings people out to gyms and fitness centers as they (try to) follow their New Year’s resolution of losing weight, getting fit, or becoming stronger. By the time February rolls around, many of those same people have abandoned that New Year’s goal. So for 2018, why not try a resolution that you can really stick to all year? We’re going to show you several ways to save that will keep cash in your wallet. Whether you’re looking to make a large purchase this year or just want to save some extra money, follow our money-saving tips to get started.