The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Toner Cartridge for Your Printer

Using the right toner makes all the difference in producing quality prints. Plus, toner cartridges can be pricey, so it’s important to be selective about the ones you use. Whether it’s your first time buying color toner or you weren’t satisfied with the color cartridges you last purchased, this guide will help you select the right toner to give you value for your money and serve your printing needs.

Toner Cartridge vs. Ink Cartridge

Before you purchase toner cartridges, ensure your printer uses toner, not ink. Laser printers use toner, while inkjet printers use ink. Laser printer color toners are made from a fine powder consisting of plastic, color pigments and metal. The printer uses a laser to melt this powder before fusing it onto the page.

Ink is already in a liquid state. An inkjet printer uses nozzles to apply small amounts of ink onto the paper as it moves out of the printer.

How to Choose the Right Color Toner for Your Printer

Once you know that your printer uses toner, consider these factors to select the ideal toner:

The Cartridge Number

The cartridge number will help you determine whether a toner is compatible with your printer. This number often includes numbers and letters and can be found directly on the cartridge. If you no longer have access to these cartridges or you previously used the wrong type, you can also check your printer’s user manual, which will include a list of compatible toners.

When purchasing your toner, be sure it has the same cartridge number recommended by the manual — even similar cartridge numbers can lead to poorer printing results.

Your Printing Needs

The type of organization you run and what you use your printer for play a role in the toner you need. Explore these factors:

• Frequency: If you use your printer frequently, choose high-yield toner cartridges, which deliver more prints per cartridge. You can find the page yield by checking the product specifications, but this is an estimated value based on testing conditions, and it may differ for each user.
• Print quality: When you need to print high-quality images with vibrant colors, opt for toner cartridge colors from original printer manufacturers instead of compatible cartridges made by third-party companies. Original cartridges may cost more, but they produce better prints.
• Colors: If you have a monochrome printer, you’ll only need to purchase black toner, but color printers use yellow, magenta and cyan toners. You can buy single cartridges or multipacks that contain black, cyan, yellow and magenta toner cartridges.

Let Doceo Help You Find the Right Color Toner

If you’re still unsure which toner to select or you’d like to know where you can buy quality toners, reach out to the professionals at Doceo. We supply a range of top printer brands, including Epson, HP, Lexmark and Canon. Our team has a vast knowledge of all these printer brands, so they can help you choose the right toner for your printer.

Get in touch with our customer service team for top-notch guidance.