Ink and Toner Terms
- What is a Cartridge? The device that contains ink or toner. It's usually a small device that comes with single or multi colors.
- Empty Core: An empty ink or toner cartridge
- Virgin Core: An empty ink or toner cartridge that has never been refilled or remanufactured.
- What is OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer? These are name brand cartridges manufactured by company's, for use with their own brand of printers, copiers and fax machines. Some companies that manufacture their own line of printers also make compatibles for their competitor's line.
- What is ISO? International Standard Organization. Is the the worlds largest publisher of international standards.
- What is Tricolor: An Ink jet cartridge that contains three ink chambers distributed through one print head. The colors are yellow, cyan (blue), and magenta (red). These three colors are used to make all other colors.
- What is Compatible? Is a cartridge that is manufactured by third party companies to work with the brand name printers. Also called generic brand cartridges.
- Remanufactured: This is when an empty core is used to completely rebuild the cartridge. They are cleaned, the printer heads are replaced and the core is refilled with ink or toner. Remanufactured products are usually tested and pass quality standards very similar to the OEMs.
- Recycling ink: is when an empty cartridge is sent to the manufacture and is melted down to create a new cartridge. They are then sold for less than the new OEMs.
- What is a Print head? Is the part of an ink jet that is used to deliver the ink onto the paper that you are printing, the print-head is vitally important to your print quality. A print head should not be tampered with as it will damage rather quickly.
- Nozzles: Many nozzles or "jets" are located on the print head. These nozzles heat and cool the ink inside the cartridge so that ink can be moved
- What is a fuser? It's a pair of rollers that are heated to melts ink toner to fuses it onto the paper as it passes through.
- Sponge: is a type of inkjet cartridge that contains ink in one or more sponges. Sponge type cartridges usually have print-heads.
- Tank: is a type of inkjet cartridge that contains ink inside a bag. The bag is punctured when placed inside the printer. Print heads are installed separately with tank type cartridges.
- Refill: The process of replacing ink or toner in an empty cartridge. It is not necessarily the same as a re-manufactured, it just allows for longer use of the cartridge. Inkytoners.com does not sell any refilled cartridges.
- What is a micr toner? MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It's a special toner that contains magnetic particles and is used mainly for printing checks.
- What is Monochrome: A printer that gives copies of only one color, usually black.
- What is a laser printer: An "electrostatic" printer that uses laser beam to transfer toner to paper which creates the text and images.
- What is Ink: Liquid marking substance based on dyes or pigments and leaves small droplets of ink on the paper to create the text or images.
- What is Toner: A dry, powdery, magnetic marking substance.
- What is an ink jet printer: Is a printer that propels a digital image into droplets of liquid via heat (which makes the liquid bubble and splatter) onto a page.
- What is Standard yield: Type of ink or toner cartridge that yields an amount of pages that is less than the high capacity cartridge.
- What is High yield: Type of toner or ink cartridge that yields an extended number of pages which is more than the standard amount.
- Page: An 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper at 5% coverage.
- What is a Laser Jet: A printer system that uses a laser to write an image on a drum. Laser Jets use toner.
- What is an Ink Jet: A printer system that marks by applying ink.
- Drum: An internal printer device that receives an image from a laser and transfers it to the paper. Drums work in conjunction with toners, as the toners actually supply the ink. Drums lose their photoelectric properties over time and need to be replaced.
- What is black? Is the common dark color used in ink and toner cartridges.
- What is cyan? Is the standard ink color name for the hues used to mix blue shades in a color printer.
- What is magenta? Magenta" is the standard ink color name for the hues used to mix red shades in a color printer.
- What is yellow? Yellow is the standard ink color name for the hues used to mix colors that fall between cyan and magenta in a color printer. It is common yellow.
- SMTC- Standardized Test Methods Committee
- What is a RMA number – Return Merchandise Authorization. It's a number the customer receives upon requesting to return an item.
- What is a transfer belt: A transfer belt is a roller device that is used in some color laser printers for better more accurate printing results.