This Is How To Replace Toner Cartridge and Drum in A Laser Printer (Step By Step)

The most important components are a Toner cartridge and a drum in a laser printer. They contain toner powder that is used to create images on paper. 

If you want to ensure that your prints will always look great, you need to know how often they should be replaced and what types of toners fit specific printers.

How To Replace The Toner Cartridge

There are certain steps you need to follow to replace the toner cartridge of your printer:

1. Open up the front cover of your printer.
2. Locate the used toner cartridge and remove it from the printer by gently pressing the drum assembly release lever and pulling it out.
3. Take the new toner cartridge and shake it vigorously for about 30 seconds. This will help distribute the toner evenly inside of the cartridge.
4. After that, store the toner cartridge in plastic packaging.
5. Take the new cartridge from its packaging and gently remove the seal.
6. Carefully insert the new toner cartridge into its designated slot until it clicks into place. Ensure that you don’t touch any of the electrical contacts on either side of the cartridge. You will have to clean them off with a dry cloth or cotton
7. swab if you do.
8. Next, insert the drum by sliding it back and forth and then insert it into the assembly.
9. Close the printer’s flap.

How To Replace The Drum Unit

If your laser printer is starting to suffer from blurry prints and black spots, it may be time to replace the drum. To replace the drum unit in a laser printer, follow the given steps:

1. Turn off the power and remove the USB cable from the printer.
2. Allow 15 minutes for cooling down before opening the machine lid.
3. Open the front door of the printer unit by lifting upwards on the handle near hinges (making sure not to touch bottom housing which contains imaging drums).
4. Take out the cartridges.
5. Next, you will see the drum, so take it out by twisting or pressing it on the locking mechanism,
6. Take out the new drum unit from the packaging, and make sure not to touch the imaging drum’s bottom part. This could damage the drum and reduce the printing quality.
7. Now, place the new drum unit into the printer like you removed the old one.
8. Place the cartridge back inside, and close the printer’s flap. 
9. Turn the printer on, and check the print quality.

Tips

• Mistakenly, remove it as soon as possible if you have toner on your clothes. It can set heavy stains on the clothes. You can remove the toner with a dry towel, use cold water if the dry towel is not working. But make sure not to use hot water.
• Don’t throw away the old one when you upgrade your computer and replace your toner cartridge! Your old cartridges are valuable and can be either returned to the store you purchased them from in most cases or sent to a recycling center. If you return them to the store, you’ll often get store credit which can be applied to the future purchase of a new cartridge. You can also save up all your old cartridges when they are empty and send them off in bulk.

Related Questions

How Often Do You Have to Replace Toner in Laser Printer?

The cartridge generally has a shelf life of 2 years. Further, many models of laser printers allow you to print up to 2,000 pages on a single toner cartridge. 

After that time, the page capacity may be reduced due to lower remaining toner levels. When necessary, a low toner message will appear on your printer screen to replace the cartridge.

Can You Refill Toner Cartridges?

The answer is yes, at least a certain number of times. But there are some important caveats to watch out for since repairing printers is not everyone’s cup of tea.

How Many Toner Cartridges Are in A Laser Printer?

Generally, laser printers use either 1 or 4 toner cartridges. Monochrome printers require a single cartridge to work. 

Multifunctional machines generally require multiple toner cartridges of specific colors. One is usually black, while the others are cyan, magenta, and yellow.

Does Shaking the Toner Cartridge Help?

Shaking your toner cartridge can help restore some of the ink into it – at least for a temporary period. This can help users squeeze an extra 10 to 30 pages out of their cartridges.

Do Laser Cartridges Go Bad?

The short answer is yes, but not in the sense that the labels wear off or get used up. Instead, many internal components of laser printer toner cartridges can go bad within months.

Is Laser Toner Cheaper Than Ink?

In a word, yes! Overall, laser printers are typically a little more expensive during the initial purchase. 

However, the real savings come in the long run. Even though printer cartridge refills are still expensive (up to 10 times more than an original toner cartridge), they seem to add up over time.

What Happens When Laser Printer Drum Goes Bad?

When the drum wears out, you’ll begin to notice that lines of text or pictures on your pages aren’t readable. 

Replacing the drum unit will fix your laser printer and restore them to full function.

If you notice that lines of text or images on your pages are fuzzy, white, or missing, a printer’s drum unit may have deteriorated. Replace this component right away to get back up and running quickly.

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