Storing Toner Cartridges

 

Toner cartridges are made up of parts that are sensitive to temperature,
humidity and light. If your printer is giving you prints with missing sections,
smudged ink or a grainy quality, then it could mean these parts have been
damaged. How do they become damaged? Usually by storing them near heat
sources is the main problem. So how you go about storing your toner cartridges?
Correctly stored out of heat and in a cool ambient temperature is the answer.
This will mean the world of difference to the quality of printing. Stored and cared
for in the right way, your toner cartridge will not only give you high-resolution prints,
it will last longer sometimes with a greater lifespan. In this blog we will be examining
the best way to store your toner cartridge.

Temperature

Toner powder is a heat sensitive material in the process of printing on a laser printer the
toner is actually melted into the paper, so storing the cartridge in a ambient temperature
make sense. Storing it in temperatures over 40°C and then things will go wrong, toner
powder will certainly melt and the mess can be frustrating. Unsurprisingly, this will affect the quality of your prints.

To get the most from your toner, you should try and maintain a stable room temperature.
A room with temperature control is perfect for cartridges as well your printer. If you live in a
house or office without air conditioning, store them in a cooler place that doesn’t heat up as
much such as a cupboard or dark alcove.

Extreme changes in temperature can also wreak havoc on your printing technology, so maintaining
a stable environment with temperatures between 15-21 degrees Celsius is ideal.

Humidity

The amount of moisture in the air mostly impacts paper. On a hot (or cold) rainy day paper does all
sorts of nasty surprises, humidity can also negatively impact your cartridges and printer.
High humidity can cause ink to leak, spread, smudge and generally turn your printing into a mess.
This is because high humidity can cause condensation in the cartridges and creates water droplets.
It is high unusual for this to happen but be warned the worst can always occur.

On the other end, low humidity will dry out your cartridges and make your prints look faded. If the
humidity is too dry the cartridges can also become clogged.

For the best printing results keep your toner cartridges in a humidity range less than 20% or greater
than 80%. If you don’t have environmental controls, you can try a humidifier or dehumidifier. In a pinch,
fans can also be used to control the amount of moisture in a room.

In an ambient temperature this is the time that printers work the best. Be aware where your printer is located.
Is it in the sun or tucked in a cupboard?

Light

Toner cartridges exposed to direct sunlight can seriously compromise their functionality,
moreover drum or imaging units that are sun exposed will certainly be affected.
Toner cartridges and particularly drum or imaging units are made up of
components that are light sensitive and if these become damaged it won’t be
able to deliver high-resolution prints. It may result with the print emerging with sections
missing because the cartridge cannot hold the image properly.

Keep the cartridge in the original box or at least somewhere that is away from
natural light and keep the lights off whenever possible.

Packaging

Unless you are about to install your cartridge, always keep it in the packaging.
The packaging on your new toner cartridge is a layer of protection for the delicate
technology which keeping it safe from dust and direct sunlight. Remove the packaging
just prior to installation this will ensure that the lifespan of your cartridge is enhanced.

Out of packaging

If you have already taken the cartridge out of the box and removed the covering all it not lost.
To prevent any further damage, place a piece of paper on the top of the cartridge and
store it somewhere dark like a closet. Make sure it is on a shelf. Never store your toner
cartridge on the floor. When storing cartridges always lay them flat.

Handling

A toner cartridge is a sensitive piece of technology and should always be handled with care.
To avoid accidentally damaging your new toner cartridges here are a few don’ts:

• Never touch the photoconductive drum in the cartridge as your fingers have oils on
  them and will mark the drum.
• Don’t shock or vibrate the cartridge by dropping it, this will certainly cause shift in the
  toner powder and may result in leakages.
• Don’t rotate the cartridge by hand, and never in the reverse direction

Places to avoid

There are some storage places that are simply not suited for your toner cartridge.
Including what has been covered, here is a list of places you should avoid when storing your toner cartridge.

• An environment with salt in the air
• Places that gather a lot of dust
• Inside a car over a long period of time
• Around corrosive gases
• Temperatures over 40°C
• Humidity range less than 20% or greater than 80%
• In direct sun light
• The floor

The most important thing to remember is to keep your toner somewhere that is room temperature,
not too dry or moist and away from direct light. As tempting as it is to tear away packaging,
you should keep the cartridge in its packaging until installation.

To find out more about how to take care of your printing technology and what toner cartridge
is compatible with your printer, contact Tonerink on 1300 738 194