Top 5 Ways to Avoid Printer Repairs
We want to help you avoid unnecessary printer repairs this year! To do that we first need to know what the most common printer repairs are. We recently looked at 1,000 printer repairs and discovered that defective toner cartridges accounted for more than 22% of all printer repairs. Using the tips below you will lower your risk of printer repairs due to defective toner cartridges.
01. Talk to Your Printer Repair Technician
Ask your printer technician “what is the best type of toner cartridge for my printer”. Your printer tech will be aware of trends with problematic toner cartridges or toner cartridge manufacturers. Your printer tech can recommend the best toner cartridge for reliability, print quality and cost.
02. Get a Toner Cartridge Guarantee
If you purchase compatible toner cartridges (non-name brand), purchase them from a reputable company that will repair or replace your printer as part of their toner cartridge guarantee. If a company is selling quality toner cartridges they will have no problem offering this guarantee.
03. Know What You Are Purchasing
What type of toner cartridges you are purchasing? Are you purchasing OEM, compatible, recharged, rebuilt, drill and fill, etc…? Your cost, quality and risk will vary drastically based on the type of toner cartridges you choose.
Learn more about toner cartridge types here
04. Avoid Expired Toner Cartridges
Discount online markets are flooded with toner cartridges that have been repackaged or had the expiration date removed. Be aware of toner cartridges that are out of date as they may cause print quality problems.
05. Beware of Cheap, Low Cost Toner Cartridges
One of the most common problems our techs encounter is toner dumps from cheap toner cartridges. Toner dumps can completely destroy the main components of your printer. In many cases the cost of the repair can exceed the value of the printer.
I think it is safe to say everyone thinks toner cartridges cost too much! Don’t worry, there are great lower cost options that don’t sacrifice quality. Selecting the proper toner cartridges is critical to avoiding unnecessary printer repairs and maintaining high quality print.
Samples of image defects caused by cheap toner cartridges

Printer Repair Tip: You can determine if your toner cartridge is the problem using a defective image ruler. You will need to use a defective ruler that is specific to your printer’s make and model.