Q: I'm a student & thinking to buy a new color laser printer, which is small & cheap. Which one is good ? If i let the the printer sit on my table for long long time. Will it clog the ink / toner ? Should i do test the print like once a month ? Thanks
A: When properly stored, toner cartridges have a 2 year shelf life from their date of manufacture. Test prints are not required since toner doesn't clog in the same way inkjet ink does, that's the beauty of having a laser printer. It's ready to print when you need it. While color laser printers are becoming less and less expensive, the toner cartridges they require are by far the most expensive component. Before you purchase a printer, read some reviews from unbiased third parties and do some research to ensure that you can find factory remanufactured or quality compatible color laser toner cartridges. If you can't find replacement cartridges, contact an online supplier. Even if the cartridges are not yet available, they may be able to provide a release date and an approximate cost. To avoid performance issues, just make certain they're manufactured by ISO9001, SMTC and/or CGSB (in Canada) compliant companies that provide a warranty against damage to your printer. Find a reputable supplier and you'll save a ton of money without having to worry about print quality or printer warranty issues.