Buyers Guides

Which toner or cartridge should I buy for my machine?

Details of the laserjet toners or cartridges that are suitable for your printer, copier or fax machine can be found in the operation manual for your machine. If you are replacing an empty toner or cartridge you can refer to the manufacturers reference printed on the cartridge. Alternatively, if you know the model number of your printer Euroffice can help you chose the correct product with our user very friendly Toner and cartridge Ink Finder tool. Here you can search for your LaserToner, Ink Cartridge or Fax ribbon either by browsing by Machine Brand and Model or if you know the product/manufacturers code you can use our keyword search facility.

You can store the details of your printers on our site using the My Printers facility, so ordering replacement cartridges is just a single click away. You can even store notes about each of your printers so when John asks you to order him a new cartridge you don’t even need to remember which printer he has just go to Myprinters and click on “Johns Smith’s printer”. With Euroffice it really could not be simpler!

What colour cartridges should I buy for my printer?

Colour printers use a combination of three colours and black. The three colours are Cyan (blue), Magenta (red) and Yellow. If your printer is printing with a green tint this indicates that you have run out of magenta, if the print appears purple you will need to replace the yellow cartridge, if the print appears orange you will need to replace the cyan cartridge.

What can I do if my printer is not functioning correctly?

If your printer is malfunctioning you can contact the manufacturer who will be able to offer expert technical support and make any repairs or replacement that may be required. Contact your printer manufacturer.

Do I need to replace all of my toners even if only one colour has run out?

This really depends on the make and model of your machine. Some manufacturers produce their colour cartridges as a multi-colour option only. If this is the case then you will have to replace the complete cartridge.

If the colour toner cartridges come individually then there is no need to replace every colour when only one has run out. With individual colour ink cartridges you only have to replace the ink that has run out, saving you time and money.

How long should a typical cartridge last?

This will depend on the amount and type of printing you do. Some manufacturers provide a "Yield" value for their cartridges; this is the average number of pages the toner or cartridge should print before running out. One page of printing is defined as a business letter. Printing photos, charts, and graphics will typically use more ink than letters and you may therefore find that your toner or cartridge needs replacing earlier.

A more economical option for printers with heavy usage is "High Yield" cartridges; these cost more initially, but typically last longer and are a cheaper long term option.

Search for high yield cartridges for your printer.

If I buy extra toner cartridges now to save money, how long can I store them?

The shelf-life of a toner or cartridge can vary depending upon storage conditions and the manufacturer. Typically, original, sealed packages last between 12 and 24 months, where toners and cartridges are removed from original packaging shelf life is reduced to between 3 and 6 months. For more information on the recommended shelf life for cartridges for your printer you may like to contact the manufacturer.

Please remember that Euroffice will happily accept the return any item that is not required up to 14 days after the date of purchase. Any faulty goods can be returned up to one year after date of purchase.

Can I damage my machine if I run completely dry on Ink?

Yes. Most printers and in particular Inkjet print heads can overheat and be ruined, and nozzles can dry, causing actual machine damage. It is always advisable to replace toners and cartridges while there is still some ink left.

If you have a printer which has run dry and you suspect it has been damaged please contact the manufacturer for further advice.

Why is the toner I have previously ordered no longer available?

This can happen because the manufacturer has brought out a new toner or cartridge which is compatible with more types of printers. It may have a different manufacturer’s reference to your previous cartridge but as long as it is listed as compatible with your printer it is the correct item. If you have a very old printer and you are unable to find a replacement cartridge it may be the case that it has been discontinued. As with all technologies, printers have an ultimate life cycle as new printers are launched, older ranges become obsolete. If this is the case then you will have to replace your printer. For further information on why your printer has been discontinued you may like to contact the manufacturer.

Toner Cartridges
Laser Toner cartridges contain a dry powder called toner, this bonds to the paper to create the print. For colour laser printers there are four colours of toner; cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black, which combine to produce colour print. All these print cartridges will require replacement when the cartridge has run out of toner.

Use the toner cartridge Ink Finder tool to find the right product for your printer

Laser Drum Units
A drum unit sometimes referred to as a drum kit is the component of a laser printer which the laser is fired at. This process charges the surface of the drum unit which causes the toner powder to attach to it. The drum unit then prints the toner onto the paper. Using this process laser printers can print whole pages at a time. The surface of drum unit deteriorates with usage and they require replacement from time to time. A message will appear on your printers display when the drum unit needs replacing. Please note some laser printers do not require replacement drum units as they are built into the cartridge.

Search for the drum unit for your machine in our Euroffice Ink Finder Search Facility.

Understanding Inkjet ink Printer Consumables.

Inkjet Cartridges
Inkjet cartridges contain liquid ink, which is released directly onto the page via print heads in the cartridge. For colour inkjet printers there are four colours of ink, cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black, varying combinations of these colours produce colour print.

Find the inkjet cartridge you require in our Euroffice Ink Finder Search Tool.

Ink Tanks
Fixed print head printers use cartridges called ink tanks. These are typically cheaper than standard inkjet cartridges as they have fewer components. The disadvantage of fixed printer ink cartridges is that print heads can dry out and be permanently damaged. As the print heads are fixed to the printer the whole printer is rendered inoperable.

Find the ink tank you require in our Euroffice Ink Finder Search Tool.

At Euroffice we offer a huge selection of ink cartridges & toners from over 20 brands. In this section of the buyers guide we wanted to offer some examples of the leading brands in the field in order to help you understand the kind of ink that you need for your printer.

Some of the world's leading brands of Printer and Technology products have a huge collection of items listed within this product category, we also offer compatible ink cartridges which a covered in another section of the buyers guide - here we will focus on the top 5 brands.

HP Ink cartridges

HP Ink products make up a large part of this category with products suited to the entire range of Hewlett Packard manufactured print products. The two main areas of cartridges are HP Inkjet cartridges & HP Laser cartridges.




HP inkjet cartridges are primarily suited to the home user and sole proprieter business user. We stock; Business inkjet ink, HP deskjet ink as well as HP Photosmart ink amongst others.




HP Laser cartridges are primarily for use within businesses both small and large. We stock a huge range of products in this range as most of our customers are small businesses. HP laser machines are pretty much covered by the HP Laserjet ink series, these are also accompanied by the HP colour inkjet ink and HP mopier ink ranges.

As well as HP laser ink and inkjet ink we also stock replacement HP Copier ink and HP Fax cartridges.

Canon Ink cartridges


Canon Ink products are also extremely well represented within this category, the Canon inks available here are compatible with all the Canon printers in use today.

Again the main split of products is between the Canon Inkjet ink printers for home and sole operator business use and the Canon laser ink range for printers that are designed for heavy business use.

The Canon inkjet ink range covers the; Canon Pixmar ink, Canon Bubble jet ink and Canon Selphy ink ranges of printers. We do also stock Canon inkjet ink for a few other printers outside of these ranges but these 3 are the main ones.

The Canon laser ink range includes the following models; Canon i-sensys ink, Canon Lasershot ink & Canon Laserbase ink as well as a few other models.




Also within the Canon ink range we supply products for the Canon Fax machine ink & Canon Photocopier ink business machines.

    
Lexmark Ink Cartridges

Another major supplier in the ink business is Lexmark. Lexmark ink cartridges also cover the 4 different types of office printing machines;

Lexmark Laser ink is supplied for a number of Lexmark Laser printers, the main ranges are the Lexmark Laser C Series ink, Lexmark Laser E series ink as well as the P, T, W, X and Z ranges.We also stock Lexmark 500 series ink and the Lexmark Optra Laser ink ranges. All of these products are for the Lexmark Laser printers that are typically used in a business environment as they are capable of handling large volumes of printing for long periods of time.


The Lexmark inkjet ink range contains a number of ink products for different ranges. All of these products are primarily designed for the home and for sole operator businesses.
There is the Lexmark Optra Colour series ink as well as the Lexmark 1000 series ink, Lexmark 2000 series ink, Lexmark 3000 series ink, Lexmark 5000 series ink, and the Lexmark 7000 series ink ranges. You simply need to check your printers model number and then ensure that you buy the correct ink for your printer.

We also stock Lexmark fax ink for their range of Fax machines, Lexmark Ribbon ink and Lexmark Dot-matrix ink for the forms series printers.


Epson Ink Cartridges

Epson ink produce a good range of Epson Inkjet toners & Epson Laser printer toner consumable products.

some of the well known ranges from the Epson inkjet range include; Epson Stylus ink, and the Epson Picturemate ink series. Within the Epson stylus range there are a number of different series' of printers so again you will need to check the back of your printer for the model number so that you know which one is for you.




Epson Laser ink ranges are equally as common with the Epson Aculaser ink and the Epson EPL ink for their series of Epson Laser printers. Again, these products are perfect for the business user and within the EPL range there are a great number of different series and models to fit your specific printer.



Epson Dot Matrix and Ribbon printers are slightly less common these days but a comprehensive collection of replacement printer consumables can still be found here.

  


Brother Ink Cartridges

Brother have long been associated with the production of quality Printers, Faxes and all-in-one multifunction business machines.

The inks available for these printers is of no lesser quality.

The Brother inkjet ink ranges include the Brother 1000 ink, Brother 2000 ink as well as the Brother MFC ink & Brother DCP ink lines.


The Brother Laser ink range of printer consumables includes products compatible with the Brother Laser Pro ink and Brother HL ink printer product ranges. The Brother HL range has a number of different series' in the range so you need to ensure that you purchase the correct item for your printer.

 

Step One: when replacing an empty ink or toner cartridge is to note the manufacturers reference number or the brand and model number of your printer.

Step Two: go to the Euroffice Ink Finder search tool to find the correct product and complete your purchase by placing an order. Top Tip, to save yourself the hassle of repeating this process go to the Euroffice 'My Printer' tool at the product level page to add this product to 'Your Printer' list- Please note you will need to be registered and signed in to use this tool.

 

Step Three: Await delivery next working day delivery of your new replacement cartridge (subject to stock availabilty).

Step four: Follow the manufacturers guidelines when replacing your old ink cartridge with the new one to ensure that you are covered by the warranty. With most laser printers this is a simple job of opening up the toner unit and sliding out the old cartridge, taking off all the packaging on the new one and sliding it in.

Compatible ink cartridges are brand new cartridges which exactly match original printer manufacturer cartridges in quality and specification but can be purchased at a lower price.

At Euroffice we only work with manufacturers whose products meet the same high standards of performance as the original printer manufacturer’s products. By choosing a compatible cartridge from Euroffice you can be confident that you are saving money without compromising on quality.

To find the correct product for you; simply select the brand, type and model reference of your printer from our Ink Finder search tool. You can then choose from a selection of original and compatible toner cartridges suitable for your needs.

The leading manufacturers of compatible ink & toner cartridges in our ranges are Armor Compatible and 5 Star Compatible cartridges.

      
Many compatible ink cartridges come with a guarantee that they will not break or damage your printer in any way.
  

Re-manufactured Ink Cartridges
Remanufactured cartridges are existing cartridges that are taken apart, rebuilt, and freshly refilled to ensure optimum performance. Using remanufactured toners and inkjet printer cartridges also helps conserve the earth's resources.

Are Re-manufactured cartridges of equal quality to originals?

At Euroffice we only work with manufacturers who are at the forefront of technology and product development. By purchasing remanufactured cartridges from Euroffice you can be confident that you are making an economically and environmentally sound choice without compromising on quality.

How can I search for remanufactured toners and cartridges?

To find the correct product for you; simply select the brand, type and model reference of your printer from our Ink Finder search tool. You can then choose from a selection of original and remanufactured printer toner cartridges suitable for your needs.

Will my warranty be voided if I use remanufactured or compatible cartridges?

No. It's illegal for any manufacturer to require you to use their brand-name toners and cartridges, you can use any brand of compatible toner or cartridge without invalidating your warranty.

Will I make a saving by switching to remanufactured or compatible cartridges?

Remanufactured toners and cartridges are up to 40% cheaper than branded originals.

Will remanufactured and compatible cartridges print the same number of pages?

Yes they will. All our products are engineered from the original consumable that they're place. Our supplier will establish the exact page yield of the original consumable and then match it. A 25% saving is a genuine 25% saving!

Every year over 2 million printer cartridges are buried in UK landfill sites. You can help Greensource Solutions Recycling to reduce this waste by allowing them to collect your empty printer, photocopier and fax cartridges (toner and ink) along with all your unwanted mobile phones (whether you are a business, an organisation or an individual) from anywhere in the UK – completely free of charge. Your waste can then help to reduce poverty because Greensource Recycling pays the profits from collected and sold cartridges and phones to Greensource; one of the UK’s largest overseas development agencies.

To get involved simply phone 0117 304  2390or email recycling@greensource.co.uk and ask to register. We'll then send you a free storage box for accumulating larger cartridges or Freepost envelopes for returning inkjet's or mobile phones.

Just 30 inkjet's or lasers could pay for a doctor’s monthly salary at a health clinic in Bangladesh… making a difference really is that easy.