Print problems happen to the best of us, and many of our blogs focus on helping you find simple solutions. As you know, toner cartridges are near and dear to our hearts here at Toner Cartridge Depot. And with that in mind, we’d like to talk about a problem you may have encountered once or twice—toner density.
What Is Toner Density?
Toner density refers to the amount of toner your printer is using. If you use more toner, the density will be greater, and the print will likely be sharper and more saturated. Lighter density means the printer is applying less toner, and your prints will likely be lighter and less intense.
Toner Save Mode
Many printers have a toner save mode, also called toner saver. By engaging the toner save mode, you can stretch the life of your toner cartridges because the printer will apply less toner on each printed page. On some brands, you may see this option labeled “EconoMode.”
Different printer brands advertise their toner save modes as saving you anywhere between 30-50 percent of the toner you’d typically use to print the same pages. The potential cost-savings of cutting toner use by up to 50 percent are attractive to many. And in some cases, the toner-saving mode is a smart, economical, and eco-friendly choice! But there can be some drawbacks. It’s important to consider what you plan to print and how a less dense toner application could affect the appearance.
Pros and Cons of Toner Save Mode
The pros of toner save mode include:
- Lower cost-per-page to print
- You’ll change the toner cartridges less often
The cons of using the toner save mode are:
- Reduced print quality—you might have to adjust the toner density and reprint your pages, negating the potential benefits by costing you time and resources
Adjusting the Toner Density
Unfortunately, there’s no single way to adjust the toner density—it’s a different process for each brand. But knowing how is an important skill. You can use toner-saving mode for simple prints and higher density settings for grayscale or photos.
You can adjust toner density on the printer’s Control Panel through the System menu on some printers. For others, you can change each toner color from an application on your computer.
It’s a good idea to browse the printer manual for toner density troubleshooting. Since adjusting the toner density can be different for various models from the same manufacturer, the manual should be your first place to look.
The Toner Density Sensor
If you’ve figured out the toner density adjustments and still have toner woes, the toner density sensor might be to blame. These sensors can get dirty over time, interfering with their ability to sense the toner density properly. Follow the manual directions for accessing the sensor, and keep it clean for accurate sensing and toner application.
Toner Cartridge Depot is your top supplier for new and remanufactured toner cartridges. Shop with us for quality cartridges from all the most popular brands.