Regardless if you use a printer for occasional home use or every day high-volume printing needs, the expense of purchasing replacement toner is always lingering. The price of replacements is contingent upon the model of the printer and the maximum capacity of the cartridge, but some laser printers have another way to save on toner costs that many owners may not be aware of, the Toner Save mode.
While not included with every model, most modern laser printers include a Toner Save mode. When enabled, the printer will lower the amount of toner used per page. This generally reduces the output quality, but also reduces printing costs. It is best used for in-house memos and other everyday printing, where quality may be less important. This mode sometimes goes by other names, such as EconoMode or EconoFast, but they are all similar in purpose.
Depending on the printer model, there may be a number of different ways to enable the Toner Save mode on your laser printer.
On the Control Panel
Many printer manufacturers tout the Toner Save mode as a major feature, and therefore, they make it very easy to enable. Some models have a dedicated Toner Save button right on the control panel, while others put the feature within the menu of the control panel. If your printer does not have a dedicated button, look in the Options menu on the control panel, or in the Quality menu for the feature and enable it. Most models with a button include an indicator light, which tells users when the mode is enabled at a glance. Continue reading “Using the Toner Save Mode” »