FAQ

Monochrome or mono for short is the normal printing found on all printers and photocopiers. The upside to choosing a colour laser printer is that they are more reliable and cheaper to operate than inkjet printers. Inkjet printers are cheap to buy but very expensive to operate, however, if you mostly print black and white pages with only the occasional colour print we recommend choosing a monochrome laser printer and an inkjet colour printer. When choosing whether to buy a mono or colour laser printer, consider how much colour printing you realistically require as colour laser printers are more expensive to operate than monochrome.

 

Do you want to print A3 as well as A4?

Consider if you have a need for high output of both A4 and A3. A3 printers are usually very heavy-duty models that are fast and reliable as well as cheap to operate and maintain. They have very efficient duplexers (duplex printing allows the automatic printing of both sides of a sheet of paper).

Do you want to print double sided pages automatically?

If you frequently find yourself printing double-sided documents, an automatic duplexer could be a good option. Some printers have built-in duplexers that are more efficient, faster and are less hassle in their operation.

How many pages per month do you expect to print?

Choose a printer with a duty cycle and major service interval in excess of your expectations. Don’t choose a small desktop model unless space or portability is an important priority. Avoid models with vertical paper feeders. The larger laser printer models tend to be more reliable, faster, easier to maintain and cheaper to run.

Do you expect to print many copies of large or complex documents in your office?

Choose a printer with a low running cost and a high page per minute rating. Consider A3/A4 heavy-duty models as they are fast, reliable and economical to operate.

Choose a printer with 500 page input and output bins and if you regularly print large documents, purchase additional input and output bins. This allows you to leave the printer operating unattended for large production runs, saving time and money.

Consider buying a duplexer to suit the printer to print double-sided documents.

Connect the printer via a print server, not just a parallel port or a USB port.

Add additional memory for smooth operation of large print runs.

Do you expect to print large PDF’s, spreadsheets, or photographs?

Select a model with 1200 dpi resolution and a fast processor. We recommend that you add additional RAM. Some older printer models (e.g. Lexmark Optra S models) have difficulty in processing large files. If you need to print high quality photographic images regularly it may be more appropriate to buy an inkjet.

Do you intend to use different sizes and types of paper?

A lot of printers have trouble with handling paper with a highly textured surface, pre-printed stationery, linen faced paper and some coated papers. Consider the paper handling specifications of the printer to see if it will be able to process the sizes, weights and types of paper and other media you generally use. Consider extra trays for letterhead, cheques, coloured paper, A5, or plain A4.

Do you need a personal printer or work group printer?

If you need a workgroup printer look for a model that is a large robust model as they are more reliable, harder to damage and can be easily and affordably fixed. While these tend to take up more space they tend to last longer and require less maintenance. Connect the printer to your network through an internal printer server instead of using a parallel or USB port. Network connection is almost 300 times faster than parallel port.

What operating system/ networking software do you use?

Choose a printer that is friendly to your operating system. For example some printers are more Windows friendly and others are Mac.

 

What is the maximum acceptable noise level in your environment?

All laser printers make some noise when they are printing. Some printers may switch to a quiet mode while printing and processing a large job. However keep in mind that the faster you want a printer to go the more noise it is likely to make.

What is the cost per page of toner?

Cartridge capacity is rated at 5 % coverage of toner on the page. Divide the price of the cartridge by its rated capacity in pages. For monochrome printers, the best price is around 1 cent per page and the worst about 5 cents per page. For colour laser printers, you need to add the cost of all four cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow and black): the best price is about 12 cents per page and the price ranges upwards to over 30 cents per page for small, home/office models. If you want to print high quality graphics or if you want accurate colour matching, you should base your calculations on the cost of genuine toner cartridges rather than remanufactured.

What is total cost of ownership?

The amount you pay when you buy your printer is only one part of the cost of ownership. Remember to take into consideration paper, toner, maintenance kits and repairs. Check how many pages the printer can print before it is due for a full service.

What is a refurbished laser printer?

A refurbished laser printer is one which has been serviced, cleaned and had all its worn, broken or faulty parts replaced.  We do not just sell second hand models.  We sell refurbished laser printers that have been fully serviced and cleaned on site by our technicians.  We specialize in commercial duty models that are economical for the end user to operate and maintain.  We do not restore printers that have excessive mileage or show immense wear.  Printers of this nature are used as a source of spare parts.  Our objective is to restore printers to the standard at which they can be expected to run for several more years, trouble free.  They should not fail with the expiration of their warranty period.

We purchase printers that have come to the end of their lease from large corporations and often government or council departments.  These types of companies often lease IT equipment for a period of 2-3 years, which are then replaced with new models when the lease expires.  Therefore many of these printers have out seen a fraction of its productive potential and are still relatively new models.  We specialize in heavy-duty printers that can withstand hard and heavy usage. 

Firstly, a printer is run through a series of quality test prints to determine its condition.  We listen for any noises associated with worn gears, motor bearings or out-of-round pressure rollers in the fuser.  It is checked for toner cartridge leaks and spills.  We then proceed to insert a good cartridge reserved for testing to check page count, print quality and maintenance history of the printer.  Most heavy-duty printers require standard parts to be replaced at regular intervals.  These parts are known as a maintenance kit usually including the fuser, transfer roller and paper pick-up rollers.  We replace the worn parts and disassemble, clean and repair the fuser – if not fully replace the fuser.

The printer is then stripped down.  Compressed air is used on monochrome printers to thoroughly blow out any dust & toner.  Colour printers are vacuumed to avoid cross-contamination of toners and sending toner into the delicate parts of the printer.  All plastic components are cleaned with appropriate solvents.  The fuser, transfer roller and transfer belt, OPC drum are replaced if worn or broken. 

•             What is a refurbished laser printer?

The Fuser

The fuser melts the toner and bakes it onto the paper.  It is the most likely printer part to suffer wear and need servicing.  In commercial-duty HP and Lexmark printers, the fuser is a part that can be removed as a complete sub-assembly.  The fuser is includes a Teflon coated aluminium upper fuser roller; a silicon rubber lower fuser roller; a halogen lamp within the hot roller; and a thermistor that monitors temperature. 

The Teflon coating gradually wears off or is often damaged; the silicon rubber becomes soft and ripples or the roller may become out-of-round which causes in a thumping noise as it prints. The thermistor may become coated with baked-on toner or lose contact with the hot roller and cause the fuser to overheat. 

The fuser can often need replacing or repairing as a result of abuse e.g. having paperclips or staples in paper sent through the printer.  Other parts can be damaged by toner leaking or being left for long periods in ready state.  We always disassemble the fuser and replace theses parts where required.  Regardless of how many pages the printer has apparently produced, we always replace the hot roller; pressure roller; and thermistor. We also often replace the hot roller and pressure roller bearings and bushes; gears; heating lamp; detach assembly; and exit rollers.

 

Do’s when operating a printer

Do  check that the paper guides in the input trays are set to the right paper size you are using e.g. A4. Or your printer will not print and will ask you to insert letter or some other size of paper that you do not want.

Do ensure that the paper guides in the input paper trays are positioned firmly against the edges of the paper.  If they aren’t the paper may skew and jam. This is especially important with duplexers.

Do handle toner cartridges carefully. Do not drop or shake the cartridge. A sharp bump can dislodge some internal components and/or damage the OPC drum. If the cartridge has a protective shutter, do not slam it shut: this can scratch the drum. If the cartridge has no protective shutter, do not place it face down on a rough, hard or uneven surface. Protect the drum from sunlight.

Do adjust the settings in the printer driver to match the configuration of your printer. Make sure that any additional memory (RAM) you have installed is registered in the driver. If extra input trays or a duplexer have been installed, make sure they are recognised by the printer and registered in the printer driver. Otherwise, these extra features will not be available for use. You should install any additional options in both the PCL and PS (PostScript) drivers.

Do position the printer so that all doors can be opened easily should paper jam occur. Provide adequate ventilation around the printer to stop it from overheating. Ensure air circulation in the room to dissipate any ozone produced by the printer.

Do clean the primary charge roller (PCR) every time you install a new toner cartridge (Lexmark Optra S, Se, T and M printers only). The PCR should be light brown when clean, not grey or black.

Do consider lock-out the menus on the front of the printer to accidental changing of settings. To do this, toggle the menus between enabled and disabled by holding down the Go and Return buttons when you turn on the printer (Lexmark printers). Refer to the instructions in the User Manual.

Do keep the paper trays clean with either soapy water or wiping with mentholated spirits. Otherwise toner and dirt will contaminate your printed copies. Change toner cartridge immediately if any toner appears in the paper tray, this is a leaking cartridge.

Do keep all rubber feed and separation rollers clean. Remove dust and toner by wiping them with a micro-fibre cloth or cloth dipped in mentholated. The rollers should have a rough (grippy) texture. The rollers will become slippery if covered in paper dust, house dust and toner. Cleaning helps prevent most paper feeding and jamming problems. Replace rollers when fine tread on the rubber surface is worn down.

Do keep the inside of the printer clean. This will ensure that your printed output will be clean. Use a micro-fibre cloth to remove any paper-dust or toner droppings that build up inside.

Don’ts when operating a printer

Don’t use paper that is unsuitable for laser printers. Check that the weight and the texture of the paper are within the printer’s specifications. Refer to the specifications in the User Manual.

Don’t overfill the input paper trays. Refer to the maximum mark on the side of the input paper tray. Using excessive force to push an over-filled paper tray into the printer can break the paper pick-up assembly

Don’t use paper with folded or damaged edges as it may jam in the printer.

Don’t use paper that has oil or grease spilt on its surface. This will damage the transfer roller and result in poor quality prints. Don’t touch the surface of the transfer roller for the same reason.

Don’t open the paper input trays while the printer is operating. This can cause a paper jam, especially if you are using a duplexer. Use the Job Cancel button on a HP or the Right menu button followed by Select button on a Lexmark to stop a print job. Refer to the User Manual.

Don’t place lightweight cardstock in the 250 or 500 sheet paper feed trays. Use the multi-purpose feeder in the front of the printer and open the back of the printer to provide a straight through paper path. Use the menu buttons to set the paper type to ’cardstock’ before printing. Reset when finished. Follow the instructions in the User Manual.

Don’t use transparencies that are not rated for use in laser printers. They will melt in the fuser and you will likely need to replace the fuser. Use the menu buttons to set the paper type to ?transparency? before printing to reduce the operating temperature of the fuser. Reset the paper type when you have finished. Refer to the User Manual for more information.

Don’t use gum-backed labels that are not rated for use in laser printers. The glue will melt in the fuser and you will likely need to replace the fuser. Set the paper type to ?labels? before printing to reduce the operating temperature of the fuser. Reset when you have finished. Don’t use a sheet of labels with one or more labels missing and the glue surface exposed.

Don’t feed dirty or gritty paper, staples, paper clips, etc through the printer. This will scratch the Teflon coated hot roller (Lexmark printers) or tear the plastic fixing film sleeve (HP printers) in the fuser section of the printer. A damaged hot roller or fixing film will result in black marks being printed on every page.

Don’t continue to use a toner cartridge that is leaking toner. Toner will spread all through the printer and damage its components, especially the fuser.

Don’t use excessive force to close the top of the printer or you may break the top or damage the LCD panel. If the top does not close easily, check that the toner cartridge is correctly seated.

Don’t use excessive force to remove any sheets of paper that may jam in the printer. Look for levers to release the pressure on the rollers holding the paper. Pull gently on each sheet - try to remove it in one piece. Yanking the paper out may damage the printer. Never use pliers, tweezers, or screwdrivers to remove paper caught between the fuser rollers.

Don’t block the air vents in the sides of the printer by stacking books against it. Don’t block the fan vents on the top of the printer by placing papers on top of it. This will cause the printer to overheat and damage its components, especially the fuser. The fuser operates at 185°C.

If you use the printer infrequently, do not keep the printer in ready mode for hours on end. Set the power save option to 5 minutes rather than 90 minutes. This will reduce the possibility of flat spots developing on the pressure roller. It will also extend the life of the toner.

Paper Jams 1-  Choosing and loading paper correctly

Paper feed problems are a good indication of your printer being in need of servicing.  For example the printer may not be picking up from one or more trays, or the printer may pickup multiple sheets of paper – both of which can be solved by cleaning or replacing the pick-up rollers and feed/separation rollers. 

Clean all other paper feed rollers in the paper path. Remove all grey/white crusted deposits on the rubber surfaces by scrubbing them with a cotton cloth dipped in methylated spirits, isopropyl alcohol or similar solvent. A gentle wipe is not sufficient. All the feed rollers should be a uniform colour (usually grey or black) and have a grippy surface texture.

If paper jams occur just before, during or just after the paper has passed through the fuser, you may find that one or more small pieces of paper are jammed in the fuser. You may need to remove the fuser from the printer to gain sufficient access to remove the paper.

Paper Jams 2 - Identifying printer problems

Another possible cause of paper jamming in the fuser is that a user may have attempted to print on a transparency that is not rated for use in laser printers: the transparency melts onto the fuser rollers and obstructs the path of the paper. Again, a user may have attempted to print on labels that are not rated for use in laser printers: the glue melts in the fuser and one or more labels may be stuck onto the fuser rollers and thereby obstruct the path of the paper. You should never use a sheet of labels from which some labels have been removed. You should always change the paper type setting on the printer from plain paper to labels or transparencies (as appropriate) before attempting to print on media such as this. The printer will then adjust its fuser temperature and roller pressures accordingly to minimise the chances of damage to the printer.

If you cannot find any evidence of paper jammed in the fuser, you should check the condition of the fuser gears: you may find that one or more fuser gears are worn or some of the teeth on the gears are broken. You may find that one or more detack claws are missing or dislodged in the detack assembly.  You should also check the condition of the fuser rollers themselves: you may find ripples or cuts in the surface of the pressure roller that can catch the edge of the paper as it feeds through the printer; or you may find the remains of a plastic transparency stuck to the hot roller. You may need to overhaul or replace the fuser.

Paper Jams 3 - Looking after your printer

Prevention is the Best Medicine: Choose appropriate paper and load it correctly

Lexmark printers are very reliable, but printers always jam sooner or later. You can minimise the chances of paper jams by using quality paper that is within the specifications laid down by Lexmark. The weight of the paper in gms/square metre, the texture of the paper and the moisture content are all important in achieving trouble free operation of your printer.

Load paper trays carefully and ensure that the paper clamps are set firmly against the edges of the paper: If they aren’t paper can skew and jam on its path through the printer. Don’t use paper that has wrinkled edges or damaged corners they are likely to jam in the printer. We do not recommend using paper that has already been through the printer once before. Paper that doesn’t meet manufacturer's specifications will raise the probability of paper jams and may cause excessive wear on expensive components such as the fuser. Read the printer's User Manual carefully and follow the directions given there.

Paper Jams 4 - Lexmark's tips for clearing jammed paper

Remove any print jobs from any output bins before opening the upper front door to remove jams. The printer sounds an alert when it jams, and displays an error message on the front panel display. The error code on the display enables you to locate the position of the jammed paper - so note the number eg 201 Paper Jam, 241 Paper Jam, etc.

Toner leaks 

An indication that your printer needs a service is a buildup of toner and paper dust in the paper input tray. These trays are usually plastic and can be cleaned by washing with detergent or wiping with methylated spirits. If toner reappears soon after the tray has been cleaned, you may have (or have had) a leaking toner cartridge in the printer. Leaking toner is spread throughout the printer and often ends up in the paper tray at the bottom of the printer.

If you have a leaking toner cartridge, stop using it immediately and service the printer to remove excess toner before it leads to expensive repairs. When toner is spread through the printer is can damage rollers and the fuser.  When toner melts onto the thermistor in the fuser it prevents the thermistor from correcting the fuser’s temperature.  In this case the fuser will over heat and damage its components which will then disintergrage, this will cause paper jams at the rear of the printer. 

General info - Does your printer need a service?

If you have used your printer for several years without giving it any maintenance or if you have recently bought a second hand or used printer that has not been fully refurbished you should consider assessing its general condition and check its maintenance count.

Most heavy-duty laser printers have maintenance intervals ranging from 200,000 to 350,000 pages. A major service requires that the printer be thoroughly cleaned and a new maintenance kit installed. On a monochrome printer, the kit usually consists of a fuser, transfer roller and paper pick-up rollers. These components are subject to wear: the print quality will deteriorate and paper jams will become more frequent unless they are replaced.

The page count at which the last maintenance was performed or the next maintenance is due is usually recorded in the printer’s memory and it can be accessed via the LCD control panel. A printer will produce better quality output if it is serviced every 50,000 pages or once a year.  On HP printers, the maintenance count is also printed out on the configuration menu page. Most heavy-duty printers will beep and display an error message when the next maintenance falls due. Once the printer has been serviced and these components have been replaced, the maintenance count should be reset.

Regular servicing identified and resolved any problems before they become necessary to undertake expensive repairs. All printers accumulate a lot of paper dust and some waste toner that can be spread throughout the printer and may coat paper pick-up rollers and fuser rollers. This leads to more frequent paper jams, greater wear on the fuser rollers and reduced print quality. Keep the internal parts of the printer clean to maintain its print quality and enhance the service life of its components.

Does your printer need a service? - Regular paper jams

Paper- feed problems are a good indication of your printer being in need of servicing.  For example the printer may not be picking up from one or more trays, or the printer may pickup multiple sheets of paper – both of which can be solved by cleaning or replacing the pick-up rollers and feed/separation rollers. 

Clean all other paper feed rollers in the paper path. Remove all grey/white crusted deposits on the rubber surfaces by scrubbing them with a cotton cloth dipped in methylated spirits, isopropyl alcohol or similar solvent. A gentle wipe is not sufficient. All the feed rollers should be a uniform colour (usually grey or black) and have a grippy surface texture.

If paper jams occur just before, during or just after the paper has passed through the fuser, you may find that one or more small pieces of paper are jammed in the fuser. You may need to remove the fuser from the printer to gain sufficient access to remove the paper.

Another possible cause of paper jamming in the fuser is that a user may have attempted to print on a transparency that is not rated for use in laser printers: the transparency melts onto the fuser rollers and obstructs the path of the paper. Again, a user may have attempted to print on labels that are not rated for use in laser printers: the glue melts in the fuser and one or more labels may be stuck onto the fuser rollers and thereby obstruct the path of the paper. You should never use a sheet of labels from which some labels have been removed. You should always change the paper type setting on the printer from plain paper to labels or transparencies (as appropriate) before attempting to print on media such as this. The printer will then adjust its fuser temperature and roller pressures accordingly to minimise the chances of damage to the printer.

If you cannot find any evidence of paper jammed in the fuser, you should check the condition of the fuser gears: you may find that one or more fuser gears are worn or some of the teeth on the gears are broken. You may find that one or more detack claws are missing or dislodged in the detack assembly.  You should also check the condition of the fuser rollers themselves: you may find ripples or cuts in the surface of the pressure roller that can catch the edge of the paper as it feeds through the printer; or you may find the remains of a plastic transparency stuck to the hot roller. You may need to overhaul or replace the fuser.

Does your printer need a service? - Poor print quality

Another obvious indication that your printer needs a service is a gradual deterioration in its print quality. Most print quality problems are caused by a worn, leaking or faulty toner cartridge so replacing the cartridge is always the first step. Remove the old cartridge. If the printer is a Lexmark, you should clean the primary charge roller (PCR) as described elsewhere in our Support Section. The PCR is a brown rubber roller that usually has a light grey coating of toner: if the coating is carbon black or sooty, the old toner cartridge was probably leaking. You should vacuum the inside of the printer and clean the internal paper path with a micro-fibre cloth. Insert a new toner cartridge or another cartridge that you know is in good condition. If the print quality problem persists, check the transfer roller and the fuser. A worn transfer roller will produce light and uneven quality prints; a dirty transfer roller will produce black marks on the back of every printed page. A worn hot roller in the fuser will produce unwanted black toner marks of the face of the printed output.

If your printed pages have recurring marks or lines across the page, the problem is most likely to be caused by the toner cartridge. A recurring dot or blob of toner on the page is most likely to be caused by a damaged OPC drum in the cartridge. You can visually inspect the OPC drum (usually a blue or green coated aluminium roller) and check for any signs of surface damage. You can identify the origin of the lines or toner spots by measuring their distance apart on the printed page. You can compare this distance with the circumference of the various rollers in the printer.

Other print quality problems that are usually caused by a faulty toner cartridge include very light print that is difficult to read; repetitive images or shadows of previous text repeated at intervals down the page; or the breaking up or uneven density of solid black printed sections e.g. horizontal bars on configuration pages or demo pages.

If you are really unlucky, very light or uneven prints may be caused by a failing high tension power supply or a faulty printhead (laser imaging assembly) in your printer. Sometimes, vertical white lines all the way down the printed page (in areas that you expect to be black) can be caused by a dirty mirror in the printhead. You can solve this problem by cleaning the mirror with isopropyl alcohol.

Call our Service Department on 0800 225505 for advice or to book your printer in for servicing NZ wide.