Can Laser Printers Run Out of Toner?

Do laser printers run out of toner? Toner for laser printers seems to last forever, especially if you don't use your printer very often. It takes much longer for laser printer toner to begin fading than inkjet printers, which run out of ink more frequently. We can help you understand the function of laser printers and whether the toner can dry out.

What Is Laser Printer Toner?

If you have a home printer, it is likely an inkjet printer that uses ink cartridges. For offices and businesses that need higher-volume printing capabilities, laser printers make more sense — these employ printer toner to get the job done. Laser printers have become highly efficient, with improvements made every year that make printing easier and faster, producing better results.

While inkjet printers employ liquid ink, laser printers have a complex printing procedure. The cartridge holds a fine powder, which is made from fine grains of plastic. Through the printing process, this fine powder adheres to the paper and serves as an ink alternative.

How Laser Printers Work

The laser printing process works differently from an inkjet. Whereas liquid ink comes out of small openings in an inkjet printer to cover the page, the process is different for laser printers. The steps in laser printing include:

• A heated wire charges a drum, and then a laser passes over that drum, which reverses the drum's positive charge. The negative areas of the drum reproduce the image to be printed.
• A toner roller goes on top of the drum, attracting toner particles to the places with a negative charge.
• When paper rolls through the printer, it goes under the drum, which coats the toner onto the surface, resulting in a printed document.
• Once the image fuses to the paper, it rolls out to the tray and is ready for you to grab.

It can take a moment for the corona wire to heat up enough to create the electrical charge that sparks the start of the printing process. The photosensitive drum picks up the laser beam, which is guided by mirrors.

The toner cartridge used for laser printing includes powder that melts and fuses into the paper, and it usually comes in CMYK color combinations. Using laser printing has many benefits over inkjet printing. A toner print will withstand smudging much better than an inkjet one, and toner is moisture-resistant. Laser printers cost more than inkjet printers upfront, but they are less expensive long-term because toner lasts longer than ink cartridges, so you won't have to replace them as frequently.

Laser printers work best for documents. They don't reproduce images as successfully as inkjet printers, as the colors generally lack the vividness of an ink print. Generally, laser printing is done in black and white, though four-cartridge color toners are available.

Does Laser Printer Toner Expire?

Laser printer toner doesn't dry out the way inkjet ink can because it consists of powder. While the power can become clumpy or bunch together, it is already dry so that it won't dry out. By contrast, an ink cartridge may dry out in a few months, especially if you don't use them regularly.

Laser printer toner doesn't expire quickly. Toner has an extended shelf life so that you can keep it in your printer for longer. The plastic particles that make up the toner remain viable indefinitely, and many people find a toner cartridge will last at least a year, sometimes longer. If you notice your prints seem light even though you just replaced the toner, you can try shaking the cartridge to break up clumpy or bunched toner powder.

At some point, your cartridge may run out of powder. This isn't due to the toner's expiration or drying out — it happens because you used up all the toner. In an office where you print a high volume of materials, you can run out of toner frequently. When this happens, you can buy a new cartridge and pop it in.

It doesn't matter what brand of toner you use, either. None of the name brands or compatible cartridges will expire or dry out. When you get a laser toner cartridge, expect it to last a long time.

Learn More About Our Products Today

If your laser printer toner has run out, it's time to stock up. We have plenty of toner cartridges to choose from, and we sell our compatible cartridges for an average of 60% less than the name brand cost. Our fast shipping and exceptional customer service set us apart from other suppliers. Contact us today or browse our selection of Brother, Canon, Dell, and HP products to place an order.