Both printers and copiers use similar dry, powdery, black toner. Both show you electronically when the toner is low. But what you should do about it is very different!
Konica Copiers (the big 'Xerox' machine) -If it says the toner is low, do something about it (IMMEDIATELY!) (Change it or get someone else to do it.)
Lexmark Printers: If it says the toner is low, keep printing. If you can’t read it anymore, shake the cartridge (if you know how to take it out and put it in) or get someone else to do it. If that doesn’t work anymore, check with Jan or myself and we will replace it.
Konica Copiers: If they are operated with below acceptable toner levels, something is turned off that requires the copier repair person to come out and re-set it. Toner is supplied by the copier company under contract with the school district. (constant price)
Lexmark Printers: Toner comes in a self-contained cartridge that is relatively expensive. When it runs out, we replace the cartridge with a new one and send the old one back to the Lexmark factory to be recycled. As far as I know, it does not damage the printer or the cartridge to run it ‘dry’. It just means that you can’t read the print. If you do take it out to shake it, please be careful. It is pretty easy and intuitive to do, but there are expensive parts in there and if it’s not done carefully, you could break something. Do not feel that it is mandatory to do this step! We have the cartridges here at SAHS and can replace them in 10 minutes after finding out that one really is too faint to read.
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