Whether you’re buying a new printer or your old one is just getting on in years, it’s a valuable question to ask. Knowing how many years and how many pages you can expect from your printer can help you make smarter buying decisions, helping you save money while still getting the best quality prints possible.
In this guide, Toner City gives you some general tips for determining how much more you can expect from your printer. Read on and get the info you need to maximise its utility.
Standard lifespans
How long your printer will last depends on a variety of factors. From its overall design to the specific company who made it, how often you use it, what you use it to print, what kind of environment it’s in and how it’s serviced, there are a million little things that can lead to a longer or shorter than average lifespan for your printer.
Generally, expect an inkjet printer to last at least three years, and a laser printer to last at least five years. These numbers change depending on build quality – a professional, graphic design-quality inkjet printer will likely last a lot longer than a cheap laser printer – but are a good guide for home users.
Different ages for different components
It’s important to note that even if your printer is younger than its expected lifetime, it can still breakdown. Machines don’t fail all at once – individual parts and components wear out or are depleted at different times. Just like your car needs to be filled up with petrol every week, needs its oil changed every six months and has its filters replaced annually, your printer needs regular maintenance to ensure the best possible print quality.
As an example, take your printer cartridges. While everyone knows they need to be replaced after a certain number of pages, what many people do not know is that they can expire while on the printer or in the shelf. If you only use your printer very infrequently and find yourself not replacing cartridges biennially or annually, you may be at risk of having your cartridges expire. In an inkjet cartridge, the liquid ink can dry out, while in a toner cartridge, it’s less likely the problem will be the toner itself ageing and more other components wearing out. Check the expiration dates for your cartridges as you install them and make a note to pick up more before then.
Equally, components such as fusers in a laser printer can wear out after hundreds of thousands of pages. Speak to your manufacturer to learn if replacement parts are available.
Replacements when and where you need them
When cartridges dry out, laser printer drums lose their photosensitivity or something breaks, know that you’ve got help close at hand.
Toner City has been providing printer parts and consumables to home and office users across Australia for more than a decade. Browse our online store today or get in touch with any questions via email at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.