Many types of copiers and almost all laser printers use toner cartridges. Whether you are a private individual, small business, or even a large corporation, you want to save money by getting as many pages per toner cartridge as possible. There are quite a few common errors that are made every day that can impact the cost of toner.

Failure to shake the toner cartridge: Because the powder substance inside the toner cartridge settles during storage, and any given cartridge may have been stored for quite some time, the toner can clump in the bottom and not feed properly. The cartridge instructions tell you to shake the toner cart before installing it into your equipment, however, many people either fail to read the instructions or fail to believe the step is necessary. Then the toner clumps make the expensive cartridge totally unusable. If you find your printout don't look like the quality you normally enjoy, remove the toner cartridge and give it a good shake before replacing it. This will usually solve the problem.

Buying non-OEM toner cartridges without checking the warranty: You can save a ton of money by purchasing non-original manufacturer toner carts for your hardware. However, not all after market cartridges are created equally. Look at the box of the toner cart and read the warranty. Is the product guaranteed to perform or it will be replaced at no charge to you? If the cartridge fails, do you have to ship it somewhere at your own expense and wait forever to get a replacement? If you choose to save by using non-original toner cartridges, choose ones that provide a good warranty from a company you can trust.

Changing toner as soon as the refill indicator comes on: Many copiers and printers that use toner cartridges have indicator lights or screen messages that indicate when the toner is getting low. If you change to a new cartridge immediately, you are probably wasting a significant amount of money over time. On most equipment, the low toner indicator comes on well in advance of the toner actually being all used up. Continue printing or copying, checking the output quality until you see the output becoming too light, streaked or poor quality. Then it is time to make the change to a new toner cartridge. If you really want to stretch the use of each cartridge, before giving up on one that is running out, remove it from the machine and shake it. Then reinstall and print a test page. You may be able to get quite a few more copies this way before changing to a new toner cart.

Failure to Compare Prices: This is a common mistake and one that many people make that do not like shopping online. Toner cartridges are not cheap and if you buy them at a retail store near your home or office, you may well be paying far too much for your toner. With online security being stronger than ever, there is little reason to fear ordering from online toner cartridge suppliers and you can save a bundle of money over time when you shop for the best prices for the model of toner cart your equipment requires.