Universal Drivers Not So Universal

Not so long ago, Xerox released a set of drivers designed to fit all printers - Mobile Express Driver. So did HP, except its set of drivers is called Universal Print Driver.

Now it is discovered that the two set of universal drivers are not so universal. In a working environment with a variety of different printers, Robert L. Mitchel at ComputerWorld.com. tested the two drivers sets. He found out that neither of them was a remedy for the faced printing problems. However, both tools are useful and one can make them play nicely together.

More on how these to drivers set are different learn from TCD blog.

Monochrome Printing Is Not Dead, Say Experts

Today we can witness how more and more color laser printer become available at low price. Some are even approaching the prices of their monochrome counterparts. Does that mean black-and-white laser printer are about to extinct anytime soon?

On TCD blog you can find out what experts from major printer companies think about that.

How to Understand What Your Inkjet Printer Tells You

Just yesterday I wrote a post about what an printer's trying to say when it's flashing its indicators. For instance, when a printer's orange LED blinks 2 times, that generally means there's no paper detected in paper tray, or something is stuck in paper path and prevent paper from being supplied properly. As the whole issue only concerns inkjet printer, you won't find a word about toner, but you will learn what printer's blinking signals mean.

Knowing the signals is not enough, without knowing what to do about them. This kind of information I provided as well.

How to Tell If Cartridges You Bought Are Original

Buying replacement cartridges for you laser of inkjet printer can be a rocket science as there are lots of printing supplies of all sizes, colors and shapes. Even if there is only one cartridge you need to replace, visit local computer store and see how many options for replacement it offers. Original, compatible and remanufactured cartridges, refillable cartridges, toner and so on. Each of these options has its pros and cons, but it's subject of this post.

Today we suppose that of all the options you chose to buy original cartridges. They are said to be most reliable and provide high quality of printing with every printed page. Another well-know fact is that original cartridges are more expensive compared to other alternatives. When you give away you own money for a brand cartridge, I bet you have to be sure it's not a fake.

From two articles on TCD blog you will know how to identify original ink cartridges and toner cartridges (HP cartridges case study)

TCD Blog Keeps On Getting Updated

You may have known from previous posts that scientists have adopted the inkjet printer for printing electric circuits, artificial bones, blood vessels and body organs. Yet, inkjet printing proves versatile technology for creating other non-imaging products.

A company named Konarka Technologies announced that it manufactured solar cells with an inkjet printing technology. Using the existing and very simple technologies of an office inkjet printer, Konarka has replaced ink with the solar cell material, and paper with a thin flexible sheet of plastic.

Cool, isn't it?

Here are some more futuristic technologies. Hewlett-Packard offered a peek into future printing technologies, introducing a new inkjet printer that prints thousands of pages per minute and ink that retains its shine even when exposed to extreme elements.

HP’s water-based Latex Ink has special formula that allows it to embed in a surface and become part of a media print. HP’s Latex Ink can withstand snow and even rain and is useful for large-format media used on billboards and outdoor signs.

Also, the company launched the Inkjet Web Press printer, which can print up to 2,600 A4-sized color pages a minute at as little as US$0.01 per color page.

Speaking of inkjet printers.

It is good to have them at hand to print you tax returns, a postcard to your friends or a receipt from cooking site. Unfortunately, sometime they just stop working. The most common problem with inkjet printers is clogged cartridge.

Of course, the best way to get rid of clogged jets is to prevent them. But if you have already got involved into this unpleasant situation, there is a good way to unclog your inkjet printer. Actually, this is a receipt you may try to print out before the printhead gets clogged.

Speaking of printheads.

Printer ink is definitely more capacious technology than, say, toner. Kyocera developed the world fastest and industry widest drop-on-demand inkjet printhead. The printhead can use both water-based pigment and UV inks and print on variety of media – from paper to fabric, film and plastic. Just like that.

To tell the truth, Kyocera printhead is not the only device that can print on virtually all media. A wide-format Solara ion inkjet printer introduced by Gerber. The printer can print on virtually any surface that is up 64 inches wide and up to 1 inch thick! You'll get more details on this printer, if visit TCD blog.

That's all for today. See you!

Toner Cartridge Depot Blog Updated Again!

I"m so sorry I have not written a post for ages (only a couple of month, actually, but 'ages' sounds more significant).

So, the last post is followed by Xerox flash-fusing technology which is claimed to be “major technology breakthrough in high-speed color printing”. By flashing a Xenon light more than 2,000 times per second, Xerox color continuous feed printers fuse the toner much faster and achieve speeds of nearly 500 color pages per minute. Great speed, isn’t it?

Remember a study in Australia which revealed that laser printers emit ultra-fine particle (UFP) into air? Well, same study was conducted in Europe by Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Guess what the results were? Right, laser printers are just as hazardous in Europe as they are in Australia.

If you don’t really care about UFP pollution, you may sit back and watch a video demonstration the insides of Zink paper – a paper that require no ink to produce images.

Meanwhile, prices for printer ink reached $1000, per barrel, of course. And some time after that, Ford decides to put printer into its cars

Let’s get back to Europe. “A European Union commissioner issued an official statement about the legality of printer tracking dot systems last month in response to a query from a member of the European Parliament. The commissioner states that no laws presently address the issue, but notes that it could possibly constitute a violation of the right to privacy guaranteed by the European Union’s Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

Bottom line: tiny yellow dots that a color printer leaves seem illegal. Like someone doubted that.

That’s not all, more update will follow next time. Visit this site or go directly to TCD official blog for latest news in printer industry.

Toner Cartridge Depot Blog Updated

If you ever seen "X pages at 5% coverage" in a cartridge description and wondered how much these 5% really are, you can find the answer in new article. It gives the idea of how toner yield (or page yield) is calculated. You will see a spectacular example of what 5 percent coverage print looks like and download a sample page.

Also, you will learn that main advantages LED printing technology has of laser printing are

• smaller and more reliable printing devices
• no ozone when printing
• higher imaging precision
• information security

The first post with video is added showing that some printers can produce images of unlimited size.

Every one of us has questions he or she wants to have answers for. While most of those questions are quite specific ‘Will I pass this or not?’ others are rhetorical ones - ‘What the purpose of life?’, ‘What is love?’ or ‘How are you doing?’ There are also questions that at first glance seem specific, but turn out to be rhetorical under closer examination.

One such question is "why is printer ink so expensive?" is considered in another article.

All this. as well as announces of new printers and other posts you can find on TCD blog

Toner Cartridge Depot blog updated

Well, two more post on official TCD blog. The first tells about how inkjet printing technology is adopted into creating more efficient microchips and large-size displays. The other is about how a TV can be used to enhance the capabilities of the inkjet printer -- a new device from Epson and Philips.

Toner Cartridge Depot blog updated

Toner Cartridge Depot blog updated with several new posts.

One is telling about new Epson printer producing trillions of colors:

The Photo R1900 implements a “groundbreaking” technology that allows for “smoother images and color control” coupled with UltraChrome™ Hi-Gloss2 Ink. The UltraChrome™ Hi-Gloss2, apart from common cyan, magenta and yellow inks, also features matte black, photo black, red, orange (replacement for blue) and gloss optimiser.

All in all, Epson Stylus Photo R1900 is said to produce 18,446,774 trillion colors. Such a tremendous amount of colors offers “a wider color gamut, natural skin tones and consistent color with a smooth gloss finish.”

In another article you will find out about the history of laser printers:

...originally it all began from an experiment on image transition. On October 22, 1938, when American inventor Chester Carlson together with German immigrant Otto Kornei first transferred an image from a glass microscope slide to a sheet of wax paper using method later called electrophotography.

Next post reveals what hazards laser printers may cause:

Canadian Broadcasting Company sponsored its own study on that issue. The research was conducted in three different locations in Winnipeg by placing particle monitors above printers in the offices. Basically, the results of this new study support those of the Australian study: laser printers do emit in large volumes ultra-fine particles that apparently originate from the use of toner.

Read these and other posts at Toner Cartridge Depot blog.

10 Reasons Not To Shop with Toner Cartridge Depot

Toner Cartridge Depot official blog was updated with a new acticle by sincerely yours. In the article I reveal 10 reasons why shopping with Toner Cartridge Depot printing supplies store may be not for you. Here is one of them:

3. Toner Cartridges Depot offers an expanding assortment of printing
supplies
Having to make a selection from a wide range of cartridges and toner is often stressful too. You may spend a lot of time studying and comparing each item before making a decision, you may even lose your sleep! Why would any man of sense need such problems?

Make sure you are informed of all the reason!