Archive for April, 2010

When it comes to printing with a laser printer, the choice of media types can be rather versatile, but there are some important limitations.  Not every kind of printer paper is compatible with laser printers.  Some inkjet paper, special-coated paper and certain types of envelopes and labels will be too heat-sensitive to be successfully used with a laser machine.  Laser technology implements a fuser assembly into the printing process.  The fuser uses heat to fuse the toner into the fibers of the paper. If the paper is not designed to handle this, problems can arise, so it is better to choose paper specifically designed for laser machines.

Can you buy laser paper from anywhere?  Yes, you can.  But the quality of paper you get from a manufacturer like HP is generally going to be far better than generic brand you get at the local super store.  Sure, it will cost more, but the durability and quality of the document printed on the higher-end paper will be worth it. Continue reading “Laser Printer Paper” »

Pigment ink and dye ink are fairly similar in that they are both used in inkjet cartridges. The main difference between the two is that dye inks are designed to be absorbed into the paper when printing, whereas pigment inks are designed to rest on top of the paper in small particles, which are not absorbed into the page. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Let us look at a few of the main issues that highlight their differences.

Cost

One of the main advantages of dye-based inks is that they are generally less expensive to manufacture, and therefore, inexpensive to purchase. For everyday printing of non-essential materials, dye-based inks have an advantage, as the extra cost of pigment-based inks may not be worth the difference.

Resistance to Water

Image: Wikimedia.org

Dye-based inks can often start to run, smear, or fade when a page is exposed to water. Even a few drops on a page can make it very difficult to read. Since the ink has been absorbed into the page, it is easily spread when the paper is compromised. Pigment inks resist water quite well, and tend to bleed less around the edges of a color than dye-based inks, and they have a longer life cycle. Pigment inks rest on the page in microscopic “blobs” that can be very resistant to water once they have dried. Continue reading “Pigment Ink vs. Dye Ink” »

If your printer is starting to distribute ink unevenly on your pages; the most obvious reason would be a low level of ink or toner.  However, before replacing the cartridge or calling a repair person, there could be other reasons that are causing these problems.  If you have an inkjet printer, see the first paragraph below for trouble shooting options.  If you own a laser printer, see the second paragraph for troubleshooting.

Inkjet Printers:

·         Ink cartridge low on ink -Your first step in troubleshooting this particular problem is to check the ink level in your ink cartridge.  You may be tempted to skip this step if you think you have not used the ink cartridge enough for it to be low on ink; however, check it anyway.  If it is low and you know you have not come close to using the total yield page for the cartridge, the cartridge itself may be faulty.  Replacing it will certainly fix your problem. Continue reading “Light Printing on One Side of Paper” »

Error code 10.32 is a warning designed by HP to alert users that the part they have installed was not manufactured by HP directly. Many users misinterpret this warning to mean that the part is incompatible with their printer, but this is not the case.  It just means it is a compatible version of an HP component, rather than one manufactured by HP directly.

Error Code 10.32 will protect you from counterfeit HP parts.

HP designed the warning to guard against companies that might label a part as genuine OEM, such as an HP CM2320 toner cartridge, when in fact it was manufactured by a third-party supplier. This, however, does not mean that the part will not be compatible with the printer or work just as well as the OEM version. The error is merely a measure designed to protect you against fraud by companies labeling off-brand parts as genuine HP parts. Continue reading “HP Supply Error Code 10.32” »

When a toner cartridge is running low or causing printing problems, it is not always easy to determine which cartridge is causing the problem. Fortunately, there are a few ways to find out which cartridge is empty or exhibiting an issue, so that you can narrow it down. Continue reading “How to Determine Which Toner Cartridge Needs to be Replaced” »

Most printers require very little maintenance and operate with very few problems, however issues such as faded color or absence of color can pop up from time to time. If you are seeing faded colors or white streaks on the page when printing with your color printer, there are a few possible causes, and the possible causes are often different depending on the type of printer you are using.  If you own an inkjet printer, see the next paragraph to diagnose your problem.  If you have a laser printer, skip to that paragraph below:

Inkjet Printers

Cause of Faded Color When Printing on an Inkjet Printer:

Color quality issues for inkjet models are typically as a result of dirty printheads or clogged nozzles.  The nozzles are attached to the printheads and eject the color of ink in miniscule dots precisely placed on the paper to create images.  If one or more nozzles are clogged, the amount of ink and the placement will be off, causing lower quality and noticeable fading or streaking.  As you can see in the picture to the right, two large white streaks ruin the integrity of the vivid colors inkjet printers are known for producing. Continue reading “Faded Color When Printing” »